Sharing Scale-Up Lessons at TECHNIUM Global Conference - Tokyo

HydGene Renewables was honoured to participate in the 2025 TECHNIUM Global Conference, Japan’s premier deep-tech event that brought together founders, researchers, investors, and policymakers to explore the future of science-driven innovation.

Held in Tokyo across May 7–8, the invitation-only event was designed to foster high-impact exchanges between deep-tech startups and the broader innovation ecosystem. With over 2,000 participants and 60 sessions across climate, biotech, digital, agri-food, and healthcare sectors, the TECHNIUM event focused on early stage technology commercialisation and the real-world challenges that come with it.

“It was a privilege to join the biotech panel with a focus on fermentation scale-up and share our perspective from our hydrogen biocatalyst front,” said HydGene CEO Dr Louise Brown. “Our journey hasn’t followed a traditional path, and I hope that made for an honest and useful discussion – particularly on how fermentation can be scaled effectively for low-margin, bulk commodities like hydrogen, where efficiency really matters.”

The panel, hosted by Scrum Ventures, featured four global startup leaders working across biomanufacturing and sustainability. Together, they discussed the practical realities of scaling fermentation-based technologies - from talent and infrastructure gaps to fundraising hurdles and international expansion.

HydGene’s own fermentation-based method for manufacturing its hydrogen biocatalyst lies at the heart of its proprietary waste-to-hydrogen platform. Louise spoke to the importance of building strong global partnerships early, thinking creatively around infrastructure constraints, and being deliberate about how and when to scale production.

“It was an honour to moderate such an inspiring group of founders,” said Michael Hideki Matsumura, Partner at Scrum Ventures. “The panelists brought deep insights into innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship - making for a truly engaging session. We’re excited to follow where their groundbreaking work leads next.”

We extend our sincere thanks to the TECHNIUM organisers and our hosts in Japan for such an energising inaugural event. Japan’s deep-tech leadership is inspiring, and we look forward to continuing conversations and building partnerships across the region – particularly in industrial sectors where replacing fossil-based hydrogen with clean, waste-derived alternatives is urgently needed.