The Festival will feature three summits covering DeepTech, Industry Transformation and Global Leadership; a new Expo hosting up to 10 pavilions and 500 startups showcasing the very latest innovation; an incredible Executive Programme across the 80 suites on The O2’s levels 2 and 3; dedicated tracks and masterclasses on critical topics including Generative AI, AI safety, ethics and regulation across all three Summits; and the 7th annual CogX Awards for innovators and change makers. 

Charlie Muirhead, CogX CEO said: “ChatGPT’s viral adoption is just the latest reminder we live in an ‘Exponential Age’. There are extraordinary opportunities ahead of us in drug discovery, education, and clean energy, but challenges such as AI safety are raising legitimate public concern around the world. That’s why there has never been a more pressing time to convene global leaders, the tech industry and the public in-person to address the question: “How do we get the next 10 years right?”

"And The O2 is the only venue where we can do this both inclusively and at the scale needed. We can’t wait to help give thousands of people a chance to participate in the discussion at this critical time in humanity’s evolution. We look forward to welcoming everyone from CEOs to students alike.”

Steve Sayer, VP & General Manager of The O2 said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting CogX at The O2 for the first time ever. The festival programming sets out to explore some hugely important topics in what’s expected to be a fascinating few days of discussion. It’s great to continue to diversify the types of events we host here at the world’s most popular music, entertainment and leisure venue and we look forward to welcoming everyone in September”. 

The unprecedented adoption of Chat GPT reminds us that we live in a world of exponential change. Revolutionary educational tools, the transition to clean energy, innovations in life sciences - as well as the re-invention of financial services, angel and venture investing, fund management and LP capital allocation - present incredible opportunities. But it also raises existential questions in safety, societal and economic impact. Now more than ever, global leaders, the tech industry and the public need to convene in-person to address the question “How do we get the next 10 years right?”. 

What to Expect at the CogX Festival in 2023:

• CogX Deep Tech Summit - Hear from the world’s leading tech visionaries, scientists, and engineers who will present their cutting edge research and discuss the latest technical developments in AI, Energy, Life Sciences and Quantum. Deep dive Q&A sessions will allow delegates to understand the latest progress and discuss what’s coming next.
• CogX Industry Transformation Summit - Learn how new technologies such as AI are disrupting entire industries - from music to financial services to cinema, and from health to education - how to harness the incredible opportunities today and the skills that will be needed in the future organisation. 100s of Masterclasses will give practical lessons on platforms like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and more.
• CogX Global Leadership Summit – Hear from the world’s top thinkers in 6 themed half day blocks: Global Outlook; Climate and the Future of Energy; True Tech Transformation; Future of Industries; Health and Longevity; and the Creative Industries, the Metaverse and Web3. Global leaders from business, government and academia will address up to 10,000 participants and explore the opportunities ahead and actions we must take now and how if we are to get the next 10 years right.
• CogX Expo - Discover up to 500 of the most exciting start-ups, scale ups and enterprises in the 10,000 sqm Expo space. Join 100s of tutorials and masterclasses on topics from generative AI to fundraising to marketing to legal. And sign up for speed matchmaking sessions to generate new leads, find new employees, raise capital and find investment opportunities.
• CogX Awards - For the 7th year CogX will celebrate the innovators and change makers who have impacted our world over the past 12 months. All exhibitors and speakers are automatically entered into the Awards and this year CogX is introducing a new ‘Transformational/Rising Star Startup Award’ with a cash grant of £25,000. Submissions are open now and will close on the 30th May.

Russ Shaw CBE, Founder of Tech London Advocates commented: “I’m delighted that Tech London Advocates is partnering with CogX for the 2023 Festival, and with the move to The O2 the event is set to be bigger and better than ever. CogX is one of the first dates in my 2023 diary, and the theme of “How do we get the next ten years right?” coinciding with Tech London Advocates' tenth anniversary feels particularly fitting. 

“Technology holds incredible power and responsibility to effect positive change globally, and I share CogX’s belief that collaboration and the exchange of knowledge is essential to this end. I’m excited to meet the innovators and companies at the forefront of technological transformation, tackling the world’s most pressing challenges and shaping the world of tomorrow.”

The move to The O2 enables CogX to deliver on two critical goals:

1. Inclusivity at Scale - To address the critical questions of our time, the public must be part of the conversation. The scale of this year’s venue and the affiliate programme makes it the most affordable, and hence inclusive, Leadership Summit in the world with prices starting at just £95, and even lower for students.
2. Executive Programme - Executives value meeting in smaller groups. The new Platinum Pass provides access to The O2’s 80 executive suites levels 2 and 3 which offer the best seats, are hosted and curated on themes by partners to provide unmatched peer networking, and includes exclusive speaker lunches and dinners and bookable 1:1 meeting spaces.

Not Just a Think Tank But A Do Tank

CogX has always aimed to move the conversation forward with concrete action, beyond the event itself. The 2023 Festival will also:

• Engage participants throughout the Festival to crowdsource the questions and policy areas they want to focus on.
• Distribute a survey to all participants and the broader community to provide their feedback while the discussions are fresh in the mind.
• Publish the findings with recommendations and firm working groups for the conversation to continue in the months after the event ready to present outcomes in 2024.