Insights

Nomain partnered with Brighten to clarify its strategic messaging and sales story, creating a shared language for founder and enterprise conversations and a stronger foundation for growth.

The strongest product, marketing and go-to-market decisions are grounded in real customer understanding. For innovative, deep tech and research-based companies, insight helps clarify which customer problems matter most and how technical potential can become relevant, credible and valuable in the market.

Deep tech companies are often built on scientific research and advanced technologies that have the potential to transform industries. These research-based technology companies are uniquely positioned to build thought leadership because they combine scientific expertise, technological innovation and original research. However, technical expertise does not automatically translate into authority. To build thought leadership, deep tech companies need to turn their technical expertise into an industry perspective, support their claims with credible evidence, and actively engage the broader ecosystem.

Thought leadership used to mean shaping industries. Today, it is often reduced to posting on LinkedIn. The label remains the same, but the meaning has quietly changed: what was once about influencing how markets think has increasingly become a personal branding exercise. For companies operating in complex B2B technology markets, that interpretation misses the point. Posting regularly may create visibility, but authority is built differently and far more strategically.

In this interview, Vesa Valonen, Chief Business Officer at QHeat, shares how demand generation and systematic marketing have become key enablers of the company’s shift from local drilling projects to an international, licensing-driven deep tech business.

SemiQon partnered with Brighten to build a strong foundation for growth through clear positioning, thought leadership and demand generation.

QHeat, a pioneer in deep geothermal energy, partnered with Brighten to accelerate international growth by strengthening positioning, generating demand, and developing scalable commercial marketing.

Relationships matter. In many B2B industries, growth begins with trust built through shared history, reputation, and personal connection. But what happens after the first meeting? When decisions stretch across organisations and buying teams, trust needs to travel further. That is where marketing comes in, carrying trust forward when you are not in the room.

Marketing leaders are under pressure to deliver results fast. Leads matter, deals are prioritised, and anything that cannot be tied to immediate sales is easily overlooked. In this environment, brand awareness is often treated as optional. But for B2B companies focused on long-term growth, that assumption is risky. Brand awareness is not a nice-to-have. It is one of the foundations of sustainable growth.

Social media has fundamentally changed, and the old playbook no longer works. With platforms shifting towards algorithm-driven content, short-form videos dominating and new metrics emerging, businesses must rethink their approach. If you want to future-proof your social media strategy, now is the time to adapt.

Startups are often seen as chaotic, especially when it comes to marketing and communications. But with a clear brand foundation and the right focus, they don’t have to be. Brand activation is what turns strategy into action and sets the tone for growth from day one.

With SemiQon's groundbreaking advancements in quantum computing, CEO Himadri Majumdar sheds light on the pivotal role of strategic marketing in steering startups towards success, along with his top 3 key learnings for fellow startup CEOs in their early ventures.