The EIC Tech to Market (T2M) Venture Building Programme hosted the last Tech Demo Day of this year. Held in November, the event was focused on Space systems & technologies, and it was done in collaboration with the EIC Programme Manager on Space systems & technologies, Stela Tkatchova.
The EIC T2M Venture Building Programme aims at helping to build startups to exploit promising research results through venture building services. On the Tech Demo Day, a bright group of EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition projects pitched their innovations to a diversified panel of experts.
The Tech Demo Day phase of the programme is composed of three main events: a training workshop, where the beneficiaries receive the first feedback on their presentation, an individual session with an expert, to further develop the feedback received, and the Tech Demo Day, where the beneficiaries present to a panel of experts with different backgrounds.
For Stela Tkatchova, “the T2M initiative is helping the innovators and preparing them for early commercialisation. Projects are already able to start targeting potential commercial customers, suppliers and strategic partners, ones that will help them develop a product or service that can easily be commercialised”.
EIC beneficiaries had their say
We spoke with Andrea Lani, from KU Leuven, representing the project MEESST, and with Ana Pires, from University of Porto, representing the project WiPTherm.
MEESST proposes magnetic shielding as a game-changing solution for tackling critical issues affecting (re-)entry phases in a wide range of space missions, namely high surface thermal loads, radio communication blackout and, potentially, cosmic radiation hazard for astronauts. This project proposes a “full chain” solution including innovative software and hardware to predict and mitigate heat fluxes and radio blackout in (re-)entry conditions.
WiPTherm focuses on addressing the growing energy demands of the rapidly expanding CubeSat market special for the deep space exploration. In response to the heightened need for larger deployable solar arrays and efficient energy storage systems in CubeSat technologies, WiPTherm proposes a groundbreaking Wireless Energy Transfer system. This innovative solution aims to wirelessly recharge energy storage components, introducing a clean, cost-effective, and easily deployable approach to energy transfer.
For Andrea Lani, “the most interesting part was having the chance to present the project to an audience with expertise in both technology and business development and get relevant feedback from them. I also appreciate the two-step approach, having the chance to have initial feedback from a couple of experts before attending the main event”.
By participating in the Programme, Andrea and his team aim to gain “more insight into the preliminary steps which are involved in the path to market and in the valorisation of the technology”.
Ana Pires explained that “the inputs from the experts were highly beneficial for the WiPTherm project. Their guidance extended to market dynamics, regulatory considerations, and potential collaboration opportunities, enhancing the overall viability of the project. The constructive critiques and suggestions not only helped refine our approach but also allowed us to anticipate challenges, playing a significant role in the maturation of the project”. For the WiPTherm representative, “the most captivating aspect of the initial phase of the program was the exploration and refinement of our project concept. The opportunity to align our technological innovation with market trends and demands proved invaluable”.
What’s next?
Both projects moved to the Opportunities’ Exploration phase in the Programme, where they will receive guidance on feasibility from a team of experts with business insights that can support them with recommendations for improvement.
What did experts have to say?
For this Tech Demo Day, we had the opportunity of hearing from Claude Rousseau, Research Director at Northern Sky Research, and Noelia Sánchez Ortiz, Co-Founder at Arribes Enlightnment, two members of the panel of experts.
For Claude Rousseau, the EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme is very valuable in the sense that it encourages the project’s teams “to start having discussions and thinking of a market orientation earlier on, which will help them make the adjustments and the changes required to have a product that will fit the market needs earlier”. Claude found the projects very interesting, with mid to long-term applications, some of which linked to many of the challenges existing in the Space activities.
For Noelia Sánchez Ortiz, “the different background and experience of the experts on the Tech Demo Day was good to provide different points of view over each innovation, which complemented each other, and also complemented the vision of the entrepreneurs themselves”. Noelia was impressed by the quality of the technologies presented and the researcher’s willingness to receive the experts’ feedback.
If you have an EIC-funded project and you are interested in participating in future Tech Demo Days, read more and apply here.
About the EIC Tech to Market (T2M) Venture Building Programme
The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme aims to help build start-ups to exploit promising research results through venture building services, comprising a range of activities from identification of promising business ideas to venture creation and development.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.