Context
All ecosystems are built on people. DEEP Ecosystems brings together a large community of creative minds who believe in innovation to change our world. th ecosystem leaders, investors, corporates, and governments. The DEEP Startup Ecosystem Conference is a 2-day conference where up to 100 ecosystem leaders, investors, corporates, and governments from Europe and across the globe come together to share ideas, learn and collaborate to drive innovation through:
- Inspiration by thought-leaders on the frontiers of innovation
- Challenge-driven working groups with dedicated data analysts
- Joint publication of white papers with results of the working groups
- Startup databases and portfolio managers
- Partnerships around concrete opportunities, e.g. EU funding calls
For more information on the DEEP Conference, the value it creates for participants, and outcomes from previous editions, please visit its umbrella website.
In 2025, the Conference’s theme is the Nature-based Economy for a reason. Biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are essential to the functioning of our economy. Biodiversity loss can have significant impacts on business operations, as well as long-term costs and risks. More than half of global GDP (US$44 trillion) is moderately or very heavily dependent on nature.
Nature based Solutions (NbS), defined by the IUCN as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature”, provide critical investment opportunities as they are cost-effective and provide multiple benefits. Actually, according to the World Economic Forum, investing in NbS can not only mitigate future environmental catastrophes, but also generate over US$10 trillion in additional annual business opportunities and 395 million jobs by 2030.
Yet, here is a funding gap, particularly from the private sector. As stated in UNEP’s State of Finance for Nature 2023 report:
- The funding gap to halt and reverse biodiversity loss is estimated at US$700 billion annually.
- Funding for NbS is currently at US$200 billion annually, 30 times lower than funding for activities that have a direct negative impact on nature, which amounts to US$7 trillion (7 % of global GDP). It exposes a concerning disparity that underscores the urgency to address the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
- Finance Nature-based Solutions is led by governments, contributing with 82 % (US$165 billion), while private finance remains modest at 18% (US$35 billion). To meet the Rio Convention targets on limiting climate change to 1.5C, as well as the Global Biodiversity Framework target to set aside 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030 and achieve land degradation neutrality, finance flows to NbS must almost triple from current levels (US$200 billion) to reach US$542 billion per year by 2030 and quadruple to US$737 billion by 2050.
In short, both public funding and private investment need to increase dramatically, in conjunction with the re-alignment of finance flows that have a detrimental impact on nature. While public funding will continue to play a critical role, private finance should increase its share of nature-based finance from 18 to 33 % at least by 2050.
Goals
Within this context and the EU Climate Pact ambassadors network we belong to, the goals of the DEEP Conference 2025 – Nature-based Economy are as clear as crucial:
- Raise awareness on the need to leverage Nature-based Solutions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore nature, for the sake of our own health and wellbeing directly linked to biodiversity’s.
- Accelerate the transition to a nature & people-positive economy, where every economic activity and investment contributes to improving the state of nature and society, thus building resilience and equity.
- Engage the private sector in scaling up finance for nature, together with the public sector, making the business case for it.
Corporate partners
To participate as speakers, share your initiatives, attract talent, partner with agile startups and entrepreneurs to address sustainability & regeneration challenges, and be part of the Nature-based Economy, please contact us.
Program
Day 1 – March 26 | Day 2 – March 27 | |
08:45 – 09:15 | Registration | |
09:15 – 10:00 | Welcome – representatives of Aranda City Council, DEEP & NBSCLIMATE | DEEP Startup Heatmap Report: the Nature-based Economy in Europe |
10:00 – 10:45 | Panel 1 – Nature-based Solutions, Nature-based Enterprises and the Nature-based Economy: concepts, state-of-the-art, illustrative cases across Europe and potential | Panel 4 – Finance for Nature: new financial mechanisms, triple bottom line and SROI |
10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee break and networking | Coffee break and networking |
11:15 – 12:00 | Panel 2 – Opportunities in rural areas: agriculture, forests, ecosystems & biodiversity, local traditions and repopulation | DEEP Dives 2 – Open innovation for business:
Entrepreneurs, startups, and changemakers co-create Nature-based Solutions for corporate sustainability & regeneration challenges. |
12:00 – 12:45 | Panel 3 – The rural-urban interface: food, water, circular economy, green corridors and bio-regions | |
12:45 – 14:15 | Lunch break (catering) | Lunch break (catering) |
14:15 – 16:30 | DEEP Dives 1 – Open innovation for local economies:
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Visit to a regenerative winery, with wine tasting
Closing remarks |
16:30 – 17:00 | Coffee break and networking | |
17:00 – 18:00 | DEEP Ecosystem spotlights: presentations from around the world (DEEP Community & expert partners) | |
20:00 – 22:00 | Official dinner |
Accommodation
We recommend these two hotels, within walking distance of the event venue: Hotel Julia, Hotel Villa de Aranda. For other options check here.