Oslo (Norway), 11 May – Katapult Future Fest is a new tech festival focusing on exponential technologies, impact investing and future societies. Today Katapult Future Fest launched in Oslo, Norway and will run from the 11th to the 12th of May 2017.“Katapult Future Fest will gather global leaders, scientists, start-ups and engaged citizens to discuss the future in a different and more creative way. We want to establish a platform in Oslo that focuses on impact investing, and create a globally recognized tech event among the ranks of Further Future, SLUSH and SXSW,” said Ida Faldbakken, leader of Katapult Future Fest and partner at Nordic Impact.
The goal of the festival is to answer the most important questions regarding the future of society, as well as to put impact technology- and investing on the global agenda.
In 2017 the festival aims to:
Gather 600 people with an interest in exponential technologies, impact investments and future societies
Launch six start-ups
Drive investments of USD 2 million
Attract the following target groups: impact investors, tech start-ups, scientists, thought leaders, corporates, politicians and creatives.
Inspired by Google Ventures Design Sprint, the Katapult program covers the core of impact investment by combining highly skilled keynote speakers with in-depth workshops, panel discussions, and fireside chats.
“We believe that exponentially growing technologies will be critical to reaching and exceeding the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We will make sure that every activity at the Katapult Future Fest is linked to addressing one or more of these goals. In order to create a more sustainable society, impact investing needs to become mainstream,” Ida Faldbakken said.
During the festival in Oslo, there will be arranged a so-called “hackathon” in parallel cities around the world; such as New York, Bangkok and Dakar. Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway, will attend the event in Oslo, where computer programmers and hackers will be challenged to come up with new and innovative ways to use blockchain technology for humanitarian work.
Among the speakers are; Larry Brilliant, former Director of Google.org, Senior Advisor at Skoll Foundation, Rumman Chowdhury, specialist in exponential technologies, Senior Manager at Accenture Artificial Intelligence, Julie Sunderland, Managing Director of Biomatics Capital, a new $200 million venture capital fund investing in breakthrough science and technology, Seth Bannon, Founding Partner at Fifty Years and co-founder of impact.org, named twice to the Forbes 30 under 30 list, Nichol Bradford CEO and Founder of Willow Group, a transformative technology company. A total of 65 speakers from all over the world will attend the event. – Ingrid Helsingen Warner<ingrid.h.warner@leidar.com>
