Sixth Sense 2023: a year in open innovation

As we bid farewell to 2023, we wanted to reflect on another incredible year in the Sixth Sense journey and share some of what’s to come in 2024.

Sixth Sense Summit in the Hague

Our year kicked off with the culmination of the second Sixth Sense challenge – the Sixth Sense Summit in The Hague, in January.

The event brought together over 150 members of the European startup community, investors, and manufacturing experts. Attendees participated in roundtables, meet-ups, and networking sessions while witnessing the finalists' pitches.

GelSight , a 3D tactile sensing technology startup, won the competition, with CASTOR , offering automated 3D printing software emerging as a runner-up.

Exploring Hannover Messe

In April, the Sixth Sense team joined Hannover Messe, one of the world's largest trade shows for industrial technology. With a focus on industrial transformation, the event hosted over 300 startups showcasing innovations in automation, robotics, sustainability, AI, and the metaverse.

Milan Kocic , the Head of Sixth Sense, presented at the Industrial Startup platform, sharing insights into collaboration challenges and opportunities.

Welcoming Programme Advisors

Sixth Sense welcomed three distinguished Senior Programme Advisors in May – Martin McCourt , former CEO of Dyson, Elaine Warburton OBE , entrepreneur and innovator, and Chris Varley , Principal with Goodyear Ventures. Each brings a wealth of experience and expertise to contribute to the programme's success and growth.

Third Sixth Sense Challenge

In June, we announced the third Sixth Sense challenge at HxGNLIVEGlobal 2023, inviting start-ups focused on sustainable manufacturing and smart digital reality to apply.

We received dozens of applications from 27 countries across six continents and 12 sectors, averaging over $2M in funding. The judges had a tough time selecting eight companies to become the Third Sixth Sense Cohort.

Unveiling Cohort Three

The announcement of the chosen startups for Cohort Three in September marked a thrilling moment, with eight exceptional companies from six different countries offering unique approaches to critical manufacturing challenges.

We are thrilled to work with incredible Acerta (Canada), Dessia Technologies (France), Flexxbotics (Boston, US), Launchpad.build (Los Angeles, US), Rafinex (Luxembourg), RVmagnetics (Slovakia), ToffeeX (London, UK), Zaptic (Manchester, UK) and look forward to hearing their final presentations at the Sixth Sense Summit.

Augmentir's Strategic Partnership with ETQ

In October, Augmentir , a Sixth Sense second cohort member and connected worker solution provider, and ETQ – a part of Hexagon and leader in enterprise quality management solutions, announced their partnership.

Augmentir's AI-powered product connects frontline workers with quality management, ensuring swift issue resolution and optimising performance. Working together with ETQ, they built an automated system that is driving continuous improvement on the factory floor.

We are very excited to see such an exciting collaboration resulting from the Sixth Sense programme and hope this promising collaboration will lay the groundwork for further growth and success.

What’s to come

As we reflect on the remarkable journey we were on this year, we also anticipate the next chapter in the Sixth Sense story. We look forward to the Second Sixth Sense Summit in London in February 2024, which is set to be a convergence of innovation, collaboration, and industry expertise.

Have you booked your spot yet? If not, hurry up and register for an immersive experience that celebrates the achievements of startups, fosters meaningful connections, and shapes the future of manufacturing: https://events.bizzabo.com/554859

Looking even further ahead, we are excited to welcome Cohort Four next year, continuing our commitment to open innovation and supporting startups in driving manufacturing innovation. What are the opportunities in advanced manufacturing that matter to you? Let us know what we should explore in Cohort Four.

See you next year!