Recap Next Icons 2025: a lucky night
Last Wednesday, May 21, the fourth edition of Next Icons took place. This year, a surprising setting was chosen in The Old Irish Pub, where the theme ‘luck’ was central. Twente Medical Optics, AnGard Microwave, Reeply AI, Homemade, Pentas Moulding, and Schmits Chemical Solutions were the six companies that were named Next Icon 2025. A look back.
A pub may not be the location that comes to mind when you think of a respectable networking event. However, The Old Irish Pub was the setting for the evening, where ‘Irish luck’ merged with the Twente ‘Geluk in ‘n tuk’. That was also the gist of the opening of the evening, which set the tone. Hosts Cindy Marsman and Mike Verkouter expertly presented the evening again.
After a Q&A to introduce Roy Spit as the new CEO, it was time for the ‘moment suprême’. Each Next Icon was given 60 seconds to do their pitch, during which the audience listened attentively and wrote down connections. Each entrepreneur had their own story and appeal to the audience. This was willingly responded to in the networking rounds that followed.
The Next Icons look back positively on the evening. Max Nols of Reeply AI: “A stage and the right connections are essential for an emerging startup. The right connections help you reach the market and acquire more customers. It also has a multiplier effect, where one partner can actually lead to much more. A stage like this helps us to bring Reeply AI to the attention.”
Finally, there was a playful interaction with devilish dilemmas for the Novel-T partners Rabobank, BDO, EP&C and Eqib. After that, the evening changed into a more average pub night - but with a golden edge. The stories of the Next Icons can soon be read in the Next Icons magazine.
NEXT ICONS 2025
Spin-off
Twente Medical Optics: a handheld device that can measure blood flow after a skin transplant
AnGard Microwave: high frequency microwave amplifiers to disable hostile drones
Startup
Reeply AI: tool to set up effective online marketing campaigns
Homemade: an alternative to Thuisbezorgd with hobby chefs that promotes social cohesion
SME
Pentas Moulding: custom-made plastics manufacturer with an innovative AI method
SCHMITS chemical solutions: sustainable chemical solutions for textiles and cleaning products
