Octopus Energy Tech Summit 2026

Whilst it wasn’t innovation focussed I thought it would be just as interesting to share. It’s not everyday I see the likes of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Secretary of State John Kerry, Astronaut Tim Peake, Jimmy Wales Founder of Wikipedia and Dr Hannah Fry on stage.

Octopus Energy put on an amazing free event each year for its customers. Last year I had the opportunity to go but faffed on so much that I didn’t book in time. I annoyingly missed out on seeing Rory Sutherland, but this year’s line up was amazing, and I am sure I will see him at a more marketing and business focussed event.

I will share a short video from the event below but the key things I heard and stuck with me are

• Every geopolitical issue is an energy issue
• There may be technologies that we have lost the battle on, but doesn’t stop us partnering with overseas businesses and start building back in the UK
• Swappable batteries for lorries are on the way
• Whilst there are security concerns with Chinese businesses, they are moving ahead at pace and we should be looking at partnerships
• CATL is dominant in the world of EV batteries
• Misinformation and propaganda is getting in the way of progress
• Data centres, EVs and air-conditioning are going to be the global consumers of electricity and we need adaptable infrastructure to manage energy usage
• The founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, doesn’t trust AI because it can’t return correct results for who is his wife.

Some photos of speakers from the event.

Other images from the event away from the stage.