We track 24 organisations in this sector across 6+ countries.
24 entries.
Agile Robots is a Munich-based robotics company founded in 2018 as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center (DLR). It builds robots that combine precise force-torque sensing with AI-driven computer vision to handle delicate industrial tasks such as assembly and inspection. Backed by investors including the SoftBank Vision Fund, it manufactures both robotic arms and complete automation systems and is one of Germany's most valuable robotics startups.
A one-day, three-track in-person summit at Sofia Tech Park focused on applied AI for industry — automation, IoT, and manufacturing. Useful for founders building vertical AI and automation products targeting Bulgarian and Southeast European industrial buyers.
A week-long programme powered by the Dutch Society for Precision Engineering, spanning the System Engineering Conference, the Dutch International Precision Conference, and the Precision Fair. Relevant for hardware and deeptech founders in precision engineering and photonics.
France's massive industrial gathering with a startup village and Industry 4.0 showcases. Price: free for professionals with badge. Strong for industrial IoT and smart manufacturing startups.
InoBat builds custom-designed batteries for demanding applications such as aviation, premium EVs, and performance mobility. Unlike standard gigafactory players, InoBat focuses on tailored R&D, pilot production, and high-value customers that require specialized chemistry and form factors. By 2026, the company is a strategic player in the EU battery value chain with backing from partners like Rio Tinto and Gotion High-Tech, positioning Slovakia as a serious contributor to Europe’s energy storage ecosystem.
Austria's largest manufacturing and welding trade fair at Messe Wels, drawing 30,000+ industrial buyers and 500+ exhibitors across automation, robotics, additive manufacturing, and metalworking. Free with pre-registration or about EUR 25 on-site. Strong for automation, tooling, and industrial IoT startups seeking DACH factory pilots.
Cloud inventory and manufacturing (MRP) software for product businesses, with real-time stock control across channels and production workflows. Founded 2017 in Tallinn.
UK's premier national exhibition for engineering and manufacturing at NEC Birmingham, showcasing CNC, 3D printing, tooling, and factory automation. Free with registration, attracting 25,000+ engineering professionals. Particularly relevant for advanced manufacturing, robotics, and industrial automation startups seeking partnerships with UK manufacturers.
Lucerne-based exhibition and congress organizer running industrial and trade events across central Switzerland. It hosts Swiss Medtech Expo, the country's leading biennial medtech trade fair for development, manufacturing and supply, bringing together engineers, manufacturers, suppliers and medtech startups.
Central Europe's largest industrial trade fair, held at the Brno Exhibition Centre with Industry 4.0 and the digital factory as core themes. A key venue for hardware, industrial-tech, and manufacturing-software founders.
Multivative is a Graz-based early-stage startup that builds modular prototyping systems and Pick2Place workflows designed to accelerate electronics and hardware development for manufacturing teams. The company focuses on helping SMEs and industrial R&D labs produce electronic prototypes faster and more affordably by simplifying component placement and assembly steps. Multivative has received funding through the SURE5.0 Industry 5.0 programme and is part of the growing Styrian hardware and industrial automation startup cluster in Austria.
World's leading trade fair for industrial coating technology, held in Karlsruhe with 500+ exhibitors and 10,000+ trade visitors. Covers surface treatment, powder coating, automation, and quality control. Day tickets cost about EUR 30-50. Relevant for materials science, robotics, and industrial automation startups serving the manufacturing sector.
PhysicsX applies machine learning and generative AI to advanced engineering simulation across aerospace, automotive, and energy systems. The platform accelerates design loops by reducing simulation time for fluid, thermal, and structural modeling, helping industrial teams move from concept to validation faster.
Printify is a print-on-demand platform founded in Riga in 2015 that connects e-commerce merchants with a global network of third-party print providers. Merchants can design and sell custom products — apparel, accessories, home goods — without holding inventory. In 2021 the company raised $45 million, including from H&M Group. In late 2024 Printify merged with fellow Latvian unicorn Printful to form one of the world's largest print-on-demand groups.
The world's premier furniture and design fair, Salone del Mobile draws 300,000+ visitors to Milan over six days. SaloneSatellite gives designers and startups under 35 a dedicated exhibition space. Tickets EUR 40-60. Ideal for founders in smart home hardware, sustainable materials, and design-led consumer products seeking global retail partners.
Head of Artificial Intelligence at TRUMPF, the German high-tech machine-tool and laser manufacturer, where she leads applied AI strategy across industrial manufacturing. She is an announced speaker at the 2026 AI, Data & Quantum Summit (AIDAQ) in Berlin.
Switzerland's leading biennial medtech trade fair for development, manufacturing and supply, organized by Messe Luzern. Around two hundred exhibitors plus a conference and innovation program draw engineers, manufacturers, suppliers and medtech startups. It is relevant to medtech founders for sourcing, partnerships and showcasing solutions in one of Switzerland's strongest industrial clusters.
International trade fair for textile and flexible material processing, co-located with Techtextil in Frankfurt and drawing 40,000+ combined visitors. Tickets EUR 30-60. Covers automated sewing, 3D body scanning, digital printing, and on-demand manufacturing. Prime venue for fashion-tech and textile startups demoing to global brand buyers.
Global trade fair for pipe and tube manufacturing in Dusseldorf, co-located with Wire and attracting 70,000+ combined visitors. Covers welding, forming, inspection, and quality control technologies. Day tickets cost about EUR 45-70. Strong venue for industrial IoT, inspection automation, and quality-control startups targeting heavy industry.
Tylko is a direct-to-consumer, digital-first furniture company specialising in made-to-measure shelving and storage. Customers configure pieces online with a parametric configurator and AR app, with each item CNC-manufactured to order in Poland from birch wood and shipped across Europe.
Verkor is the industrial champion of the French "Battery Valley" and one of Europe's most important energy manufacturing plays. While many battery startups emphasize chemistry R&D, Verkor's differentiator is execution at scale. Its gigafactory in Dunkirk, which began commissioning in late 2025, is designed to reach 16 GWh of annual capacity—enough to power roughly 300,000 electric vehicles. The facility is among the most advanced battery plants in Europe, built to supply automotive OEMs with locally produced, low-carbon cells. The year 2026 is Verkor's start-of-production milestone. Its cells are the core of the new Alpine A390 and other Renault Group EV programs, giving the company a high-profile anchor customer and a direct path to volume demand. Verkor positions itself around "low-carbon performance" by combining France's low-emission nuclear grid with a highly digitized Industry 4.0 production system that reduces scrap rates and energy intensity. The company argues that its batteries carry a materially smaller carbon footprint than cells manufactured in coal-heavy regions, which is increasingly important as automakers track embedded emissions across supply chains. Beyond production, Verkor is investing in future chemistry and process innovation. The Verkor Innovation Centre (VIC) in Grenoble is expanding its work on next-generation chemistries, including sodium-ion cells that reduce reliance on lithium and cobalt. This R&D focus strengthens supply-chain resilience and creates optionality for lower-cost, lower-risk storage solutions as electric mobility scales. Verkor's roadmap also includes tighter integration between materials sourcing, cell design, and recycling, positioning it to meet Europe's stringent regulatory requirements on battery sustainability and traceability. Verkor is backed by a mix of strategic and infrastructure capital. Macquarie Asset Management and Meridiam provide long-term project finance muscle, Renault Group anchors demand and industrial validation, EQT Ventures provides growth capital, and Sibanye-Stillwater supports raw material security. It was co-founded and supported early by EIT InnoEnergy and has strong operational ties to Schneider Electric, which helped design its digital factory systems. With support from the Macron administration and the European Investment Bank, Verkor has become a poster child for European industrial sovereignty. In 2026, it stands as proof that Europe can manufacture critical clean-tech hardware at global scale—and do it with a lower-carbon footprint.
Vlad Larichev is Associate Vice President of Industrial AI at Siemens Advanta, the consulting and IoT-as-a-service division of Siemens AG, a global industrial and technology conglomerate headquartered in Munich. He leads initiatives focused on applying artificial intelligence to industrial settings including manufacturing, automation, and smart infrastructure, and speaks at major AI and industry 4.0 events.
Wandelbots is a Dresden-based robotics company founded in 2017, spun out of TU Dresden, that makes industrial robots easier to program. Its software abstracts away vendor-specific robot languages so that a single interface can control robots from different manufacturers, and it has moved toward AI-driven ('Physical AI') robot control for manufacturing.
Partner trade fair to Tube in Dusseldorf covering wire, cable, and fibre optic manufacturing with 1,300+ exhibitors and 36,000+ visitors. Day tickets cost about EUR 45-70. Covers smart cabling, energy transmission, and connectivity infrastructure. Relevant for startups in energy tech, telecommunications hardware, and industrial automation.