News: Twelve startups selected to participate in deeptech venture builder

Twelve startups based in Europe have been selected to participate in the first cohort of Ventures Thrive – a deeptech pan-European venture builder funded by the European Innovation Council (EIC) of the EU.

The selected startups, listed below, are now in with the chance of receiving up to €100,000 in cash and services equity-free.

·  Useful Gravity LDA (Portugal)

·  Anteja ECG svetovanje d.o.o. (Slovenia)

·  EMMA TRIAGE PRIVATE COMPANY (Greece)

·  Seasoil biopolymers sp. z.o.o. (Poland)

·  Bluana Foods srl (Romania)

·  WindTAK sp. z.o.o. (Poland)

·  IQ3SOLAR LIMITED (Cyprus)

·  Digital Bites I.K.E. (Greece)

·  Digital & Legal, s.r.o. (Czechia)

·  Biorefic SIA (Latvia)

·  Ara Robotik ve Yapay Zeka Teknolojileri (Turkey)

·  Avrio Energy Sp. Z.o.o. (Poland)

These startups were selected following the launch of an open call for applications last January, which attracted a total of 74 applicants from 20 different countries appertaining to the Widening Area.

This result renders the Ventures Thrive consortium’s efforts to target deeptech founders from Central Eastern Europe and Widening Countries a resounding success. Applicants’ countries of origin included Cyprus, Greece, Poland, Slovenia, and Portugal, amongst others.

The selected startups are now working with Ventures Thrive-appointed coaches to produce a Master Plan catered to their needs and addressing the following:

1. Sales and business development
2. Product development
3. Fundraising from private and public sources

The 12 startups will also commit to pursuing a set of realistic KPIs.

What’s next for the selected startups?

The shortlisted startups’ Ventures Thrive journey will come to an initial climax at Wolves Summit 2023, a three-day festival full of investment, networking and talent marketing, corporate innovation challenges, and themed-stage tracks, running from 23^rd to 25^th May in the Wrocław Congress Centre, Poland.

This festival will be hosting a highly anticipated ‘Pitch Contest’ on its second day, wherein participating Ventures Thrive startups will pitch to industry leaders and corporate partners in hopes of making it to the next phase of the programme.

By the end of the ‘Pitch Contest’, the final six startups will be selected to continue to the full Ventures Thrive programme, whilst the remaining six will gain exposure and have the possibility to tap into the Ventures Thrive investor network.

All participating Ventures Thrive startups that draft a Master Plan and pitch at the ‘Pitch Contest’ will receive €5,000 equity-free to cover travel and accommodation costs incurred during the event.

‘Pitch Contest’ aside, Wolves Summit 2023 is expected to welcome thousands of attendees, startups, investors, and executives from around the globe.

To learn more about Wolves Summit 2023 kindly click here.

About Ventures Thrive

The Ventures Thrive programme was launched on 1^st November 2022 by a consortium consisting of Acceler8 Venture Builder (Malta), Wolves Summit (Poland), and Anthology Ventures (Bulgaria).

Over the course of two years, Ventures Thrive is expected to invest a cumulative €1.5 million in 32 startups (split in two cohorts). The second cohort of Ventures Thrive startups will be inducted into the programme towards the beginning of 2024, following the launch of a call for applications in December 2023.

Ventures Thrive is already working closely with 38 community partner organisations from around the bloc, and this number is expected to keep increasing in the coming months. Community partners can get involved at all stages of the Ventures Thrive Growth Programme, be it through mentoring startups, hosting masterclasses, or organising proof-of-concept activities.

For more information about Ventures Thrive and to remain updated with the latest open calls, readers are encouraged to check the programme’s website regularly as well as follow its official LinkedIn page.