Da Vinci Hacklab 2–4 October 2026
Le Fantastique 12 bis rue Lobin, Tours, France
A multidimensional hackathon for breakthrough innovations
Spend 48 hours taking your deep tech innovation to the next level
Da Vinci Hacklab gives you direct access to mentors, industry leaders and investors who can help you fast-track your prototype into a real-world venture.
Develop your idea, connect with exceptional talent, expand your network and perhaps even meet your future co-founder.
Pre-Hacklab team formation
15–30 September 2026
Have an idea? Need a team? Looking for technical talent?
Join our live online matchmaking sessions to pitch your project, discover innovative ideas, and find your dream team before the Hacklab kicks off. Session dates and times are below.
How it works
Over two weeks, we will organise 10 sessions to discover potential projects. Organisers can also present projects previously shared by project leads.
Project leads present their vision in a four-minute elevator pitch, including the key technologies needed and open roles, such as developers, biologists, designers and business leads.
Interested participants reach out directly to project leads to match their skills with open roles. Organisers will support this direct networking.
€60
Registration
Includes all lunches and dinners during the Hacklab.
Places are limited, and participation is based on your application.
Visit the Bio3 Institute
On the afternoon of Friday, 2 October participants will have the opportunity to visit the Bio3 Institute.
The Bio3 Institute is more than a traditional academic laboratory. It is a state-of-the-art centre dedicated to bioproduction. During the visit, you will discover bioreactors and specialist equipment in GMP-like environments and gain a clearer understanding of what it takes to move a biology-based solution towards scale-up.
Matchmaking sessions
30 minutes each · all times CET
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Tue 15 Sep
12:00
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Wed 16 Sep
18:00
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Thu 17 Sep
13:00
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Fri 18 Sep
10:00
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Tue 22 Sep
18:00
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Wed 23 Sep
10:00
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Thu 24 Sep
16:00
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Fri 25 Sep
12:30
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Mon 28 Sep
16:00
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Tue 29 Sep
13:00
One link for every session
Or dial +33 1 87 40 02 31 · PIN 162 777 414# · more phone numbers
Agenda
Open to the public
Da Vinci Labs is joining the Fête de la Science once again, with a special highlight as part of La Nuit de la Science.
As part of the Da Vinci Hacklab we are opening our doors to the public for two slots — the sessions marked in lime below. Come behind the scenes and discover how high-level scientific discoveries are turned into real-world ventures. All details and the public schedule are on fetedelascience.fr
17:00–18:30
Visit the Bio3 Institute
Exact time to be confirmed
19:00–20:00
Team registration & installation
20:00–23:30
Hackathon launch
20:00–22:30
Public opening — how science becomes a start-up?
Fête de la science 2026
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17:00
Visit the Bio3 Institute
until 18:30 · Exact time to be confirmed
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19:00
Team registration & installation
until 20:00
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20:00
Hackathon launch
until 23:30
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20:00
Public opening — how science becomes a start-up?
until 22:30 · Fête de la science 2026
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20:30
Opening keynote
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00:00
Lights off
07:30–23:30
Brainstorming & workshops
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07:30
Brainstorming & workshops
until 23:30
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00:00
Lights off
07:30–16:30
Brainstorming & workshops
Preparation for the pitch competition
16:30–19:00
Pitch competition launch
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07:30
Brainstorming & workshops
until 16:30 · Preparation for the pitch competition
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16:30
Pitch competition launch
until 19:00
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19:00
Awards ceremony
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19:30
Final cocktail
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20:45
Doors close
FAQ’s
Do I need to have a startup idea already?
No. You can join an existing team.
What is included in the Hacklab’s price?
The mandatory costs cover logistics: lunches and dinners.
Can I join if I am not based in the Centre-Val de Loire region?
Absolutely! The Hacklab welcomes candidates from outside the region to enrich the cohort’s diversity. If you are local to another site, you can join from there. You will need to join from a physical site — you cannot participate from your home.
What happens after the Hacklab if I want to pursue the Da Vinci Launchpad journey?
It is not binding to the other events of the Da Vinci Launchpad (but highly recommended!): the Da Vinci Challenge (December 2026, pitch contest) and the incubation programme. And if you choose not to move forward, no strings attached — test your entrepreneurial drive here with no obligation to continue beyond the event.
Who funds the programme?
The Da Vinci Launchpad is a France 2030 programme, co-financed by Da Vinci Labs, the Centre-Val de Loire Region, and the French State (operated by Bpifrance).
How is the confidentiality managed?
All participants, coaches and mentors will sign NDAs to ensure that information can be shared across teams for optimal collaboration. The Hacklab Tours site will open its doors to the general public during the opening and closing sessions; teams must ensure that no confidential information is accessible to the public during these times. Consequently, all final pitch presentations must be strictly non-confidential.
What environmental challenges does the Da Vinci Launchpad focus on?
The Da Vinci Launchpad is dedicated to backing deep tech founders who are tackling the world’s most pressing environmental crises. We focus on projects that address the following core challenges:
- Preserving biodiversity
- Reducing and neutralising GHG emissions
- Promoting a resilient food system
- Improving energy production and storage
- Developing eco-friendly and regenerative construction methods
- Finding sustainable alternatives to plastics
All other deep tech subjects are welcome.