London Tech Week unveils Deep Tech Stage for 2026 event

London Tech Week will add a dedicated Deep Tech Stage to its 2026 programme, focused on areas including space, robotics, life sciences, quantum computing and AI.

The new track will bring together founders, investors and policymakers as governments and companies compete to turn scientific research into commercial and strategic gains.

Announced speakers include Matt Clifford, former UK prime minister adviser on AI opportunities and chair at Aria; Michael T. Suffredini, former head of the International Space Station at NASA and co-founder, former president and chief executive officer of Axiom Space; and Philip Johnston, founder and chief executive officer of StarCloud.

Other names on the programme include Ben Lamm, co-founder and chief executive officer of Colossal; Dr Liz Dennett, founder and chief executive officer of Endolith; Dr Meganne Christian, astronaut reserve and senior exploration manager at the UK Space Agency; Luke Hares, co-founder and chief investment officer of CMR Surgical; Oana Jinga, co-founder and chief executive officer of Dexory; Professor Sarah Tabrizi, director at the UCL Huntington's Disease Centre; Sir Peter Knight, chair of the UK National Quantum Technology Programme Strategy Advisory Board; and Will Marshall, co-founder and chief executive officer of Planet.

The broader event will also feature Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and chief executive officer of Perplexity AI, and Max Jaderberg, president of Isomorphic Labs.

Europe focus

The agenda also includes investors and ecosystem figures such as Erin Hallock of the NATO Innovation Fund and Dr Hermann Hauser of Amadeus Capital Partners. Discussion will centre on how Europe can expand its deep tech base.

That focus reflects a wider regional debate over whether Europe can build and finance companies in strategically important fields, rather than losing talent, intellectual property and commercial value to larger markets.

Deep tech has drawn growing attention from policymakers as AI, quantum systems, advanced materials, biotechnology and space infrastructure become more closely tied to economic policy and national resilience. Investors are also paying closer attention to the sector's longer development cycles, higher capital needs and reliance on specialist research talent.

By creating a dedicated stage, London Tech Week signals growing demand for a forum focused specifically on these issues rather than treating them as part of broader technology discussions.

Carolyn Dawson, chief executive officer of Founders Forum Group and lead of London Tech Week, made that case in a statement accompanying the announcement.

"Europe has the potential to lead in deep tech. In Britain, we have world-class science, world-class founders and a regulatory environment that's moving in the right direction. Across the continent, stronger government backing and clearer frameworks are making Europe an increasingly attractive place to invest and build globally competitive companies. London Tech Week brings together the investors, builders and policymakers who can turn that into lasting advantage for the UK and for Europe as a whole," Dawson said.

The event frames the deep tech agenda around issues such as access to growth capital and sovereign innovation, themes that have become more prominent as governments seek to build domestic strength in sensitive technologies.

That framing places space, robotics, AI and quantum technologies alongside life sciences and materials research as fields in which scientific progress is judged not only by technical merit but also by industrial impact and geopolitical relevance.

For London Tech Week, the new stage broadens a programme that has often covered startup funding, digital transformation and public policy, while giving greater prominence to companies and researchers working on technologies that typically take longer to commercialise.

The speaker list suggests organisers want a mix of scientific, industrial and investment voices, from space and surgery to disease research and quantum strategy, as the event sharpens its focus on frontier technologies.