EBAN Congress Vilnius: “The Spin-Off Launchpad”

📍June 1st | 09:30 Radisson Blu Hotel Vilnius, Zeta Meeting Room

From research to investment – with real outcomes. “The Spin-Off Launchpad” is a hands-on spin-off track at the EBAN Congress in Vilnius, powered by the Research Council of Lithuania.

👉 Full programme overview here.

This is not a typical conference session. It is a working environment designed to help science-based teams become investment-ready and connect directly with investors.

The programme focuses on what matters in practice:

• understanding what investors actually look for in deep-tech spin-offs
• learning how to present your idea clearly and convincingly
• receiving direct feedback from experienced investors and mentors
• building real connections that can lead to follow-up meetings and funding opportunities

Both theoretical insights and practical sessions will be delivered by international experts – investors actively working with deep-tech investments.

Participants will test, refine, and validate their ideas in real time — working directly with experienced practitioners, including investors, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders such as Laura Anne Edwards (NASA Datanaut, innovation catalyst and Oxford lecturer), Dominykas Milašius (co-founder of Delta Biosciences, investor, and space & defence sector expert), and Adrian Flynn (Programme Coordinator at The Karman Project, working at the intersection of international space cooperation, policy, and cross-sector innovation).

For founders, this means leaving with a clearer narrative, stronger positioning, and actual investor contacts.
For investors, it means direct access to emerging, science-based deal flow from Lithuania.

🚀 Join the Spin-Off Launchpad

Be part of a highly interactive session where science meets investment.

🎟️ Up to 50 selected companies will receive tickets to attend EBAN Congress 2026 Vilnius (one ticket per company). Additionally, they will gain access to one of the largest technology conferences in the Baltics – LOGIN 2026.

👉 Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/S0FQfN04PG

The managing authority of the 2022-2030 Development Programme is the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania. The project is co-financed by the European Union.

_______________________

Main Moderator

Dominykas Milašius
Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee

Moderators

Laura Anne Edwards
NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

Adrian Flynn
Programme Coordinator, The Karman Project Foundation

Programme

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome & Framing

Setting the stage for both audiences — Lithuanian spin-offs and international investors.

Speakers:

Dr. Lina Kisielė — Head of the Research and Business Cooperation Unit, Research Council of Lithuania
Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee

PART 1 — Foundations

10:15 – 10:25

From Class to Industry

A brief overview of the actors in the innovation chain and a reflection on the lessons from the Oxford Space Initiative.

Speaker:

Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

10:25 – 10:35

Building an Ecosystem: Bold Collaborations Across Disciplines

A brief, inspirational reflection on what happens when people gather with open minds and a genuine eagerness to build new partnership pathways, drawn from Karman’s experience facilitating cross-boundary space endeavours.

Speaker:

Adrian Flynn — Programme Coordinator, The Karman Project Foundation

10:35 – 10:50

Opening Talk: Science in Space

An inspiring first-person account of what it means to carry science into orbit, and what that teaches us about translating research into real-world impact.

Speaker:

Tuva Cihangir Atasever — Astronaut, Turkish Space Agency

10:50 – 11:35

Panel: The Anatomy of a Fundable Spin-off

What investors look for in academic founding teams · How to cross the commercialisation gap · Lithuania as an opportunity.

Panelists:

• Péter Kristóf, PhD — Award-winning Space & Innovation Expert; Faculty, Óbuda University; OpenExO Community
• Dr. Chris Puhl — Manager, ExoBiosphere
• Gražina Mykolaitytė-Nielsen — CEO & Co-founder, VUGENE; Board Member, LithuaniaBIO
• Isabel Antholz — xscalyn ventures

Moderator:

Adrian Flynn — Programme Coordinator, The Karman Project Foundation

11:35 – 12:20

Break

PART 2 — Practice

12:20 – 12:40

Warm-Up: Role Reversal Exercise

Participants pair up — one as founder, one as investor. 90-second pitch, immediate feedback, swap. Designed to break the ice and shift from observer to participant.

Facilitators:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

12:40 – 13:10

Case Study with Facilitated Group Discussion

Small groups of 6–8 analyse a real or composite spin-off case. Structured questions, group discussion, plenary debrief, synthesised lessons.

Facilitators:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker
• Adrian Flynn — Programme Coordinator, The Karman Project Foundation

13:10 – 13:50

Pitch in 90 Seconds — Live Practice Round

Each spin-off participant pitches to a small group. Investor mentors rotate across groups and provide rapid structured feedback.

Facilitators:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

13:50 – 14:00

Bingo Card Launch

Facilitators:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

14:00 – 14:30

Coffee break

PART 3 — Sandbox Networking

14:30 – 15:30

Bingo Card Exercise and Individual Consultations

Rules and mission card explained. Participants must complete at least 5 bingo squares — each square prompts a real conversation with an investor or peer.

Facilitators:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• Laura Anne Edwards — NASA Datanaut; Smart Space Lecturer, University of Oxford; Founding Member, Oxford Space Initiative; TED Speaker

15:30 – 16:00

Entrepreneur Showcase "From Dr. to Manager"

Speakers:

• Dr. Chris Puhl — Manager, ExoBiosphere
• Dr. Philipp Bauer — Founder and CEO, Starflight Dynamics
• Dr. Linas Gelažanskas — Founder and CEO, IT Logika – DBOX

Moderator:

Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences

16:00 – 16:30

Closing Remarks and Informal Speed Networking with Angel Investors

Thanks to speakers, moderators and participants. Signpost follow-up resources. Formal handoff to the main EBAN Congress programme.

Speakers:

• Dominykas Milašius — Co-founder & CEO, Delta Biosciences; EBAN Space & Defence Committee
• LRC Representative,
• Dr. Lina Kisielė — Head of the Research and Business Cooperation Unit, Research Council of Lithuania

More information:
Lilita Liaudanskaitė
📞 +370 603 38 189
✉️ [email protected]