Climate Canals: Next Gen Data, AI & Robotics for Climate Solutions.
Welcome back to Climate Canals (formerly ClimateHack Amsterdam!) In Partnership with World AI Week and Epicenter Amsterdam; supported by StartupAmsterdam (city of Amsterdam).
AI, robotics, and next-generation data systems are already changing how we understand and respond to the climate crisis. Foundation models now deliver high-resolution climate forecasts in minutes. Autonomous robots monitor ecosystems where human access is impractical, from ocean floors to wildfire perimeters. Sensor networks and digital twins generate real-time environmental data at a scale that was, until recently, theoretical. But 2026 has also surfaced a tension the sector can no longer sidestep: the AI boom itself is driving a surge in energy demand, with hyperscale data centres now drawing gigawatt-level power.
Our question isn't whether these technologies can accelerate climate action, but whether they can do so without deepening the problem they're trying to solve.
Join us at Epicenter Amsterdam for World AI Week 2026, as researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors explore where data, AI, and robotics are making a material difference. Topics include, but are not limited to:
AI-powered climate models and foundation models delivering extreme weather prediction, scenario planning, and decision-ready forecasts at speed
Autonomous robotics for large-scale ecological monitoring, precision agriculture, building energy retrofits, and disaster response
Next-generation sensor networks, IoT infrastructure, and digital twins enabling real-time environmental data collection across land, water, and air
Machine learning for grid management, renewable energy forecasting, and demand response, including the push toward next-generation storage (sodium-ion, long-duration)
AI's own energy footprint: efficiency breakthroughs, sparse activation techniques, and the race to decouple compute from emissions
How AI and robotics are accelerating materials discovery, critical mineral processing, and circular economy systems
Data-driven approaches to water stress, biodiversity loss, and climate adaptation planning
Following the presentations, stay for networking drinks and snacks to connect with fellow researchers, founders, and practitioners working at the intersection of technology and climate.
Note: event will be conducted in English
SPEAKERS
Kai Jeggle is a Meteo AI Scientist at Dexter Energy, where he turns high-dimensional weather and satellite data into insights for energy price and power generation forecasting using geospatial AI. He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich, where his research focused on combining machine learning with atmospheric physics, including time at the European Space Agency's Phi-Lab. He previously also worked as a software engineer at Hopsworks, an MLOps startup in Stockholm. Kai has been active in the AI for climate community by leading initiatives at Climate Change AI, a global non-profit working at the intersection of machine learning and climate action.
Jannes van Ingen is CEO of Beyond Weather. has a background in Climate Econometrics and Economics. He has a driven and ambitious mindset. He loves to work with code and data and likes to put these skills to use to make our world a better place. As a fanatic sportsman, he spends his free time riding his racing bike, bouldering and playing football. He also DJs in Amsterdam parties. Beyond Weather is an AI weather forecasting company that helps weather-critical industries increase their climate resilience. As a spin-off from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, they have a unique combination of climate researchers, AI knowledge and business people. They work together with energy companies in Europe to forecast their weather better.
Robert Keus is the CEO and cofounder of GreenPT, a European AI platform that runs on renewable energy, keeps user data in the EU, and shows the energy use and CO₂ emissions of every conversation in real time. He founded Brthrs Agency in 2005, a digital agency. GreenPT grew out of a question Brthrs clients kept asking: was there a fair, European-hosted AI alternative that didn't send their data overseas or hide its energy footprint? There wasn't, so Robert and CTO Cas Burggraaf built one. It runs on compressed open-source models hosted in air-cooled, renewable-powered data centres in France. GreenPT is part of the Dutch National Coalition for Sustainable Digitalisation (NCDD).
Richard Hardiman, Founder and CEO of RanMarine. RanMarine Technology, a Rotterdam-based cleantech company, specializes in smart marine robotics engineered to clean and restore global waterways. Their flagship product, the WasteShark, is a zero-emission, electric surface vessel equipped with dual operational modes: manual remote control for targeted operations and full autonomy for pre-programmed, continuous waterway sweeping. As it navigates ports, marinas, and canals to collect floating plastics and biomass, the drone's technology simultaneously serves as a mobile data lab for real-time water quality monitoring and last-mile bathymetry. Integrated multi-parameter sensors and sonar allow the vessel to map the depth and underwater topography of hard-to-reach, shallow waters while capturing geo-tagged environmental metrics—such as pH levels, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. By combining robust aquatic waste collection with high-resolution chemical and spatial data tracking, RanMarine equips municipalities and port authorities with the comprehensive, actionable insights needed to protect aquatic health and manage critical water infrastructure.
Ilan Lewin is the founder and CEO of Aardvark Sensing (GreenPulse AI). He is a 3x founder and a physicist working on autonomous robotics. GreenPulse uses autonomous ground-level robots to scan every golf green every night and detect turf disease before it becomes visible, so greenkeepers can act early with less chemistry.
Agenda
5:20 pm - Doors open, speakers arrive
5:30 pm (sharp!) - Presentation Starts
5:35 pm - Intro Climate Canals
5:40 pm - Intro Epicenter
5:45 pm - Intro F&B sponsor
5:50 pm - Speakers (25 mins)
6:15 pm - Audience Q&A
6:30 pm - 30-second community pitches. Are you launching a new product? Are you looking for your next R&D expert or your next CEO? Are you looking for a job or an internship? Join our 30-second pitch session and share your business update with the audience (open to anyone).
6:45 pm - Networking, drinks and snacks!
8:00 pm - Event concludes
Hosts
Contact: climatecanals@gmail.com
About Climate Canals
Climate Canals (formerly ClimateHack Amsterdam) is a community spotlighting Dutch Climate Tech to enrich and connect the local ecosystem of founders, researchers, innovators, investors, governments, and non profits. We are a fully volunteer run initiative started by two friends and climate advocates: Nhiyc (Nhi) (Founder, Nū Atlas) and Aaron Endré (Founder & Principal, endré).
About Epicenter Amsterdam (Event & Venue Partner)
Epicenter is an innovation community of 20,000+ members and 500+ companies across the Nordics and now, the Netherlands, connecting entrepreneurs, corporates, and investors through knowledge events, accelerator programmes, and industry clusters.
About StartupAmsterdam (F&B Sponsor)
StartupAmsterdam is an initiative launched by the City of Amsterdam in 2015 to strengthen and promote the city’s startup and innovation ecosystem. It connects and supports founders while creating opportunities across the sector — engaging investors, mentors, coworking spaces, events, communities, international networks, and other stakeholders to ensure inclusive access for everyone, everywhere in the city.
Want to stay up to date on opportunities offered by the Amsterdam ecosystem? Sign up for monthly newsletters from StartupAmsterdam.
About World AI Week 2026 (Event Partner)
InspiredMinds! is the world leading and largest community in Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology.
Established in 2017, we connect the global AI ecosystem. We are an international community of over 500,000 technologists, clinicians, scientists, leaders, innovators, big tech, healthtech, academics, heads of business, startups, investors and NGO’s from 160+ countries globally.
Our ethos is to stage the biggest, ground breaking innovations on our summit stages internationally; to connect a reciprocal ecosystem charged with empowering positive change through technology and science; and to enable world leading providers to solve both business and humanities greatest challenges using technology. We are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and our “why” is to ensure that emerging technology is inclusive, equitable and safe.
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The event is free but registration is necessary.
Please cancel if you do not plan to attend.
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