StartupEuropeAwards
Kidibot, Best Social impact startup
This Romanian company motivates kids worldwide to read and learn more through playing using state-of-the-art educational system and won the prize
in the category Education of the StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition.
Country: Romania
Category: Social Impact
Project Aim:
Motivate kids worldwide to read and learn more through playing using state-of-the-art educational system.
What is the problem to solve?
The main problem we’re solving is the lack of interest for education of kids 6-18 years old all around the world. This happens due several reasons: curricula is not interesting enough, teachers are not very passionate, huge competition for eyeballs from video games, low social pressure, bad entourage, low GDP investment allocated to education (in some countries), historical and cultural issues and so on.
What does KIDIBOT do:
In case you didn’t know, Earth is under attack! There are some Crocobets aliens with funny names that are attacking our planet, through stupidity and laziness. The kids are the last hope. They have to prove they read and learn, so they can deflect the attacks. They act as lonely warriors or in teams, the engage in battles, quests, they earn badges, diplomas, certificates, funny Kidismiles, they get inspiration from 130+ VIP and many others. They learn mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics, English, French, read books and zillions of other topics. There are monthly contests with prizes, there are rankings and many battle related activities, from Special Forces, to Zen-Master. Epic battles are underway!
On what KIDIBOT is currently working:
Launching in 7 more countries- Further adding new features, to keep interested over long periods of time (years in a row), help teachers and parents have a better life- Creating a wonderful experience for all kids/teachers/parents, to help them achieve their educational potential.
CEO’s testimony:
Before Start-Up Europe Award we won in the past 2 years another 9 prizes. This one was the number ten. However, it was the biggest. We loved it! We’ve got a lot of media coverage and because of this prize, we successfully signed several partnerships with huge companies, with Ministry of Communication and Informational Society from Romania. It was our biggest boost forward so far! Strongly recommended to anyone!
Okra Technologies, Best Female-led startup
The English company won the prize at the StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition, which was focused on social impact
Country: England
Category: Female-led Startup
Project Aim:
OKRA is an artificial intelligence company for healthcare. We use AI-powered analytics to save and improve human lives, driving health and market outcomes where they matter most. Through the OKRA platform, healthcare professionals get one combined view of all their data, and create instant evidence-based insight. These insights include analyses, comparisons, suggestions and predictions of the future, which support faster and more accurate decisions for businesses and patients. Furthermore, we know that our clients must be able to ask why or exactly what has informed the OKRA platform’s insights. With every output, we have unique built-in explanations that give reasons behind each recommendation, including which drivers and data sources have been used. Our AI is not a so-called “black box” – we never keep our users in the dark – which couldn’t be more important in the realm of healthcare.
What is the problem to solve?
Our mission is to get the right treatment to the right patient at the right time, by building the world’s most trustworthy artificial intelligence engine.
What does OKRA do:
OKRA was founded with the vision to support the drive to greater precision and speed in healthcare. Our AI technology processes vast quantities of data at a fraction of the time – and a fraction of the cost – compared to humans. It can process data again and again for each individual patient, analysing and recommending personalised treatments rather than statistical averages. OKRA’s predictive technology, which has a high level of validated accuracy (we can achieve >90% prediction accuracy), opens up to a new range of questions: we can ask not only “how are my patients responding to Drug X”, but “how will they respond in future, and why?” AI ensures that the right drug reaches the right person, at the right time. It is a win-win technology for all healthcare stakeholders: the patient, healthcare provider, health authorities, drug provider and the insurer.
On what OKRA is currently working:
We currently work with 3 global pharmaceutical companies to improve the accuracy of their treatments and market outcomes, and in the longer term, we are also able to apply our technology to support clinicians’ decision-making at the point of care, including treatment decisions and diagnoses made by hospital staff and general practitioners. This will enable patients and practitioners to make better informed decisions about their health. In 2019, we are growing and scaling quickly.
CEO’s testimony:
On a European level, we believe AI technology will be of great importance. Today, Europe’s healthcare system is facing unprecedented pressures. Populations are ageing, chronic diseases are growing, and according to recent estimates, Europe’s healthcare staff will not grow enough by 2020. Meanwhile, 1 of 5 euros spent on healthcare are wasted, 50% of antibiotics are wrongly prescribed, and 10% of patients are hospitalised due to the medical care they have previously received. Drugs and resources are wasted in the current healthcare process, at the expense of EU citizens everywhere.
To support a continued thriving healthcare system and sustainable production of drugs and healthcare services, Europe must achieve greater efficiency and precision, and OKRA supports this shift with artificial intelligence technology.
In the picture: Part of the OKRA Team.
10 start-ups won the semi-finals of the PropTech StartUp Europe Awards
Be Park, Sensorberg, Halio Glass, Sensoneo, Realiz3d, Mapple, CAD42, Build Safe, Access Green and HomeBeat.Live are the selected start-ups that will participate at the Finals of the PropTech Startup Europe Awards at MIPIM Europe in Paris.
- The PropTech category was managed by Juanma Revuelta from Finnova, by Idriss Goossens and the EU PropTech House (www.proptechhouse.eu) board members, and Dirk Paelinck, Workero’s CEO & co-founder of PropTech House.
- StartUp Europe Awards is an initiative of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and the Finnova Foundation
- The finalists will go to the 1st and 2nd of July to the MIPIM PropTech Europe in Paris, the first leg of the MIPIM StartUp Competition
On Monday 6th May took place the semi-final of the 1st edition of the PropTech Start-up Europe Awards, event where more than 50 promising start-ups in innovation in real state from all over Europe competed to be within the 10 chosen ones to go the finals of the awards at MIPIM PropTech 2019 in July 2019. After a strong competition, the jury selected the Belgians Be Park and Halio Glass, the GermansSensorberg and HomeBeat.Live, the Slovakian Sensoneo, the Frenches Realiz3d and CAD42, the Finnish Mapple, the Swedish Build Safe, and the Irish Access Green as the finalist ones.
The PropTech category was managed by Juanma Revuelta from Finnova, by Idriss Goossens and the EU PropTech House (www.proptechhouse.eu) board members, and Dirk Paelinck, Workero’s CEO and co-founder of the EU PropTech House, the Alliance of National PropTech Associations which are dedicated to promote a sustainable European PropTech market, stimulating innovation and supporting new entrepreneurs.
It is the first European initiative to give visibility and support to the most promising start-ups in innovation in Real Estate. The mission of the EU PropTech House is to support a sustainable European PropTech market and to create a positive impact on the European living environment and beyond. The objectives will be to facilitate access to EU Funding, scale-up cross-border collaborations, to standardize and uniformize the European PropTech markets, and to create a legal framework adapted to the PropTech, and fostering innovations in Real Estate.
It is also a brand new category within the StartUp Europe Awards’ framework (22 categories), promoted by the European Commission in collaboration with Finnova Foundation, which presents a prize methodology for start-ups at local, regional and national level, fostering the open innovation and the collaboration between the different actors of the European ecosystems, through the private-public partnership supporting new entrepreneurs.
During the event, the start-ups in the categories of Manage&Operate, Market, Invest, Plan&Build and Smart City&Live, presented a private elevator pitch in front of an international jury in real time. This jury was composed by CEOs, CFOs, Directors and other distinguished members from the Real Estate and Digital transformation world. Among them there were also representatives of renowned companies, such as JLL, PWC, Innogy, BNP Paribas Real Estate, AG Real Estate, Deloite, Bexis or RICS.
In addition to the pitching session, the day featured authorized spaces for networking and workshops of the StartUp Europe Accelerator from the Finnova Foundation. These workshops addressed legal barriers in the European Union, EU funding programs such as SME Instrument from Horizon 2020, financial opportunities like the open LIFE and tips for building a successful proposal.
The finalists will go to the 1st and 2nd of July to MIPIM PropTech Europe in Paris, where the winner of the PropTech Europe Awards will be chosen from the final top ten. At the same time, around 2.000 participants and 1.000 companies from more than 50 countries will compete to see which are the most innovative start-ups that tackle the biggest urban challenges around the world.
StartUp Europe Awards recognizes the best 5 startups in a special edition focused on social impact
The awards ceremony was chaired by the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel together with the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc and the Minister of Communication and Information Society of Romania, Alexandru Petrescu.
- StartUp Europe Awards is an initiative of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and the Finnova Foundation.
- have been awarded as the best startups in the 5 different categories focused on social impact.
- The ceremony was celebrated in the frame of the Startup Europe Summit 2019, organized this year by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as part of the Presidency programme in Cluj-Napoca.
Cluj-Napoca, 21 March 2019. StartUp Europe Awards, an open innovation initiative of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and the Finnova Foundation, recognizes the best startups in 5 categories focused on social impact. The ceremony was chaired by the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, together with the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc and the Minister of Communication and Information Society of Romania, Alexandru Petrescu.
“Start-ups are essential for the future of Europe’s economy, its technological leadership and its capacity to deliver a human-centred and sustainable development. Four months after the Sofia Summit, we are together again to further strengthen the European network of start-ups, investors and policy makers and to foster cooperation across the whole continent, including in the Western Balkans. I am looking forward to inspiring discussions and would be happy to steer tangible solutions regarding the many challenges they fase”, states Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society.
The ceremony of StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition was celebrated in the frame of the Startup Europe Summit 2019, organized this year by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as part of the Presidency programme in Cluj-Napoca.
“Hosting such an event in the heart of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca offers us the opportunity to celebrate the boldness and innovation of the brightest minds in Europe. The future belongs to those who can see that talents are the resource for a better society. Nurturing them and offering opportunities to test and try their ideas is the way go towards the Europe of tomorrow, where courage and curiosity are used to do good, and to become better”, declares Emil Boc, Mayor of Cluj-Napoca.
“Great to host under the Romanian Digital Presidency of the EU Council the StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition in Cluj-Napoca, a place that’s been gaining european recognition for encouraging young entrepreneurs, innovative ideas, adoption of new technologies in a manner that has been proven beneficial not just for Romanians but for all European citizens and SMEs”, states Alexandru Petrescu, Minister of Communication and Information Society of Romania.
The most outstanding startups from the EU and neighbouring countries have been chosen out of 70 applicants through an open call for a special edition focused on social impact. The honored startups are: OKRA Technologies (Female-led startup) from UK; Bolt (Founder under 30 startup) from Estonia; NorthQ (UN Sustainable Development Goals startup) from Denmark; Kidibot (Social inclusion startup) from Romania;and Mama Organa (Job growth startup) from North Macedonia. Winning startupshave been promoting their projects and approach customers and potential investors during the summit in a dedicated exposition space.
StartUp Europe Awards proposes a methodology of open innovation through the public – private partnership, “that works for the public entities to find a solution for its local challenges and for the startups to try its innovations in pilots supported with European funding, generating social impact for the benefit of the citizens”, declares Juanma Revuelta, Finnova Foundation CEO.
In total, 70 startups from Poland, Romania, Estonia, Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, North Macedonia, Italy, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Spain, UK, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium, have opted for one of the 5 prizes.
All the winners of StartUp Europe Awards will obtain great visibility all around Europe thanks to the Media Partner Alliance of StartUp Europe Awards formed by 25 media partners from several countries in Europe (Spain, France, Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark).
The startups will also have access to specialized orientation in EU opportunities (in internationalization, European funds like SMEs Instrument of 50.000 € to 2,5 million € of non-refundable subsidy per project, international communication, etc.), through the StartUp Europe Accelerator by Finnova Foundation, which will allow them to boost their projects and to make them more viable worldwide.
StartUp Europe Accelerator is the unique accelerator specialized in European opportunities funding, which helps the entrepreneurs internationalize their business through European projects.
20 members of the European Parliament have come together in the StartUp Europe Awards as ambassadors, supporting the local events with their presence and following closely the progress of the startups.
The next general edition of StartUp Europe Awards will be launched in April 2019.
The Startup Europe Summit 2019 gathered 600 leaders from the European entrepreneurial ecosystem ranging from investors, CEOs, accelerators to European and local authorities and tech journalists in Cluj-Napoca.
“Romanian ICT sector has been delivering performance for years, constantly improving academia, offering better fiscal facility, attractive business environment, having a significant contribution to the European Union effort to achieve a higher competitiveness at the global stage”, concludes Minister Alexandru Petrescu.
About StartUp Europe Awards
StartUp Europe Awards of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and Finnova is an open innovation methodology that encourages collaboration between the public sector and businesses in the promotion of innovative initiatives. Its aim is to help create alliances that allow entities and support programmes for entrepreneurs to be added to local partners and to be a communication tool for society.
StartUp Europe Awards is also supported by the President of the European Parliament, the President of the Committee of the Regions, the Vice-President of the Economic and Social Committee and several members from the European Parliament. StartUp Europe Awards is sponsored by StartUp Europe Accelerator
SEUA serves as a communication tool for society, encouraging collaboration between the public and business sectors and promoting innovative initiatives. Its aim is to promote the creation of alliances enabling in every region concerned to gather entities and the support programmes for entrepreneurs with local and international partners.
For more information:
Press contact:
Catalina Valencia
INFORMATION ABOUT STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS SPECIAL WINNERS
Best Social Inclusion Startup
Kidibot (Romania)
CEO: Alina Ferseta
Website: https://www.kidibot.com/
Kidibot is an educational online platform for 6-18 years old, designed to motivate them to read and learn more, using fun, positive social pressure, contests with prizes, cognitive dissonance, local patriotism and many others.
Best Female-led Startup
OKRA Technologies (United Kingdom)
CEO: Loubna Bouarfa
Website: https://www.okra.ai/
OKRA is an AI analytics company for healthcare providing an online platform that allows healthcare professionals to combine all their data in one place and generate evidence-based insight in real time – including predictions of the future – to save and improve human lives.
Best Founder under 30 Startup
Bolt (formerly Taxify) (Estonia)
CEO and Cofounder: Markus Villig
Receive the award his brother and cofounder Martin Villig
Website: www.bolt.eu
Bolt (formerly Taxify) is a transportation platform from Estonia, which has become one of the leading ridehailing platforms in Europe and Africa in five years. They are focused on making urban travel easier, quicker and more reliable.
Best UN Social Development Goals Startup
NorthQ (Denmark)
CEO: Christian von Scholten
Website: https://www.northq.com/
Contact: cvs@northq.com –
Empowering consumer-led energy efficiency through intelligent data management. The one-stop IoT Platform transforms and enriches data from energy usage into complex analysis enabling operational and resource savings. Machine learning and AI continues to reinvent energy management.
Best Job Growth Startup
Production of organic fertilizers Mama Organa (North Macedonia)
CEO: Natalija Burgieva
Website: https://ceedhub.mk/social-entrepreneurship/mama-organa/
Mama Organa is a company formed to collect food waste and by adding value to it, to produce organic fertilizers in order to help farmers in growing healthy and clean food. They also provide jobs for socially excluded single mothers.
StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition winners will be honored in the Startup Europe Summit 2019 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania
The Summit is officially organised by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as part of the Presidency programme.
The awards ceremony will be chaired by the Commissioner Mariya Gabriel together with other leaders of the Member States and will be held in Cluj-Napoca during the morning of the 2
70 startups from all over Europe and neighbouring countries opt to be recognized as the best for any of the five categories of this special edition of the StartUp Europe Awards: Female-led startup; Young-led startup (founder under 30); UN Sustainable Development Goals startup; Social inclusion startup; and Job growth startup.
Brussels, 12 March 2019. StartUp Europe Awards, an open innovation initiative of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and the Finnova Foundation, will give recognition to the best European startups in the Startup Europe Summit 2019 framework, in a ceremony chaired by the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel; the Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc and the Minister – Ministry of Communication and Information Society of Romania, Alexandru Petrescu, among other Europan authorities and key players.
All financial institutions suchs as European Investment bank (EIB), European
Investment Fund (EIF), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and all
European Commission Services with programmes for startups (DG CONNECT, DG RTD,
DG GROW, DG REGIO, DG EAC and EIT) will be present at the Summit. Startup Europe Summit in its annual event will address technological leadership, financing of European ecosystems (more than 10 billion euros in the pipeline of the EU programmes) and business growth. During March 21 and 22 in Cluj-Napoca, the founding startup leaders, technological leaders and authorities will share knowledge and perspective of the requirement for building successful startups.
During the summit, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel will announce the winners of the“Startup Europe Awards Special Edition SES19”. The most outstanding startups from the EU and neighbouring countries will be chosen out of 70 applicants in each of the following 5 categories: Female-led startup; Young-led startup (founder under 30); UN Sustainable Development Goals startup; Social inclusion startup and Job growth startup. The Commissioner will also deliver the Zero Power Water Monitoring Horizon Prize. Winning startupswill have a stand to promote themselves and approach customers and potential investors during the summit.
As part of the Summit, Finnova, as a Startup Europe partner, and through its StartUp Europe Accelerator programme, will provide startups with information on the funding opportunities offered by European communication (up to 2.5 million euros per project) and networking in a dedicated side event on 22 March, and will also have a stand where it will provide tailor-made information for startups.
“Many startups do not know all that Europe can offer them and it is our mission from StartUp Europe Accelerator to guide them to request up to 100 billion euros that the European Commission will distribute in the next Horizon Europe period only for innovation” says Juanma Revuelta, Finnova CEO.
The complete agenda of Startup Europe Summit 2019 can be consulted here Registration to participate is free and compulsory and must be done here until 14 March.
StartUp Europe Awards of the European Commission’s Startup Europe initiative and Finnova is an open innovation methodology that encourages collaboration between the public sector and businesses in the promotion of innovative initiatives. Its aim is to help create alliances that allow entities and support programmes for entrepreneurs to be added to local partners and to be a communication tool for society.
Startup Europe Summit will give attendees the opportunity to learn about European funding opportunities directly from Brussels. With more than 10 billion Euros in the pipeline, the EU is becoming the main investor in Europe. In addition, networking with key decision makers and technology leaders within the EU, especially in the Central and Eastern Europe and Western Balkans regions; and having access to commercial agreements with corporations, investors and public administrations for startups and scaleups.
For more information:
Press contact:
Catalina Valencia
El programa SGBnet culmina con la estancia formativa en Bruselas de nueve personas emprendedoras del sector de medio ambiente.
Bruselas, 15 de diciembre de 2018. SGS concluye en Bruselas el programa formativo de la Red de Negocios Verdes y Sociales – Social & Green Business Network (SGBnet), desarrollado en el marco del Programa empleaverde de la Fundación Biodiversidad del Ministerio de Transición Ecológica a través del Fondo Social Europeo.
proyecto que durante tres días, con la colaboración de la StartUp Europe Accelerator de la Fundación Finnova, ha dado la posibilidad a nueve emprendedores de Andalucía, Extremadura y la Región de Murcia, de recibir formación y realizar networking en la capital europea. En palabras de Cristina Gironés, Project Manager de SGS, “el emprendimiento verde y social debe estar en el ADN de los negocios y a su vez estas iniciativas empresariales han de hacerse visibles para potenciar su sostenibilidad, es por ello que la SGBnet ha potenciado las mejores iniciativas verdes y sociales ofreciéndoles la oportunidad de hacerse eco en los principales foros de Bruselas, conectando así a nuestros emprendedores con otras experiencias y actores europeos”.
Los nueve finalistas del programa formativo de la Red de Negocios Verdes y Sociales, llevaron a cabo su estancia formativa: StartUp Europe Accelerator en Bruselas.
Durante la jornada del lunes, previa visita a las instalaciones de Finnova, los emprendedores verdes pudieron acudir a la de la Oficina Regional de Extremadura en Bruselas, en la que participaron Lucía Huertas, Directora de la Oficina de la Región de Murcia en Bruselas, y César Morcillo, Director de la Oficina de Extremadura en Bruselas. Igualmente, las personas emprendedoras de las tres comunidades autónomas acudieron a Comité Económico Social Europeo, en el que recibieron los consejos de Arturo Iñiguez
Yuste, Administrador en Sección NAT de Agricultura y Pesca del Comité Económico y Social
Europeo. Por último, se reunieron con Blanca Sáez, de la Unidad LIFE de la UE en la Delegación ante la Unión Europea de la Cámara Oficial de Comercio de España en Bélgica y Luxemburgo. Para finalizar, y después de una sesión de mentorización sobre fondos de la UE a cargo de Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO de Finnova, los participantes pudieron disfrutar de una cena debate.
Durante la segunda jornada, los ecoemprendedores visitaron el Comité de las Regiones, donde fueron recibidos por Gustavo López, Responsable de Políticas de Cohesión del CDR. Los participantes también tuvieron la oportunidad de visitar la Comisión Europea, donde Cristina Lobillo, Jefa del Gabinete del Comisario Europeo de Acción por el Clima y Energía, los recibió para hablar sobre oportunidades para sacar adelante los distintos proyectos dentro de la UE. Los emprendedores también acudieron a la presentación de la European Water Platform WSStp sobre gestión de agua por parte de Durk Krol, Executive Managing Director. Una jornada que terminó en con una sesión de mentorización, por parte de Wilber Díez, Araceli García y Javier Monteagudo sobre acciones de comunicación y marketing en el ámbito de proyectos y eventos de emprendimiento. Como afirmó Javier Monteagudo, “en la actualidad, con el auge de las redes sociales, el modo en que comunicamos nuestros proyectos o los actos institucionales de nuestras empresas marca la diferencia entre el éxito o el fracaso de las mismas. Conocer las claves para comunicar de manera rápida y efectiva, adaptando nuestro mensaje a los distintos públicos, es esencial para las startups en su camino para abrirse paso en el mundo empresarial”.
Para finalizar, el miércoles los emprendedores acudieron a la sede de la UNED en Bruselas, donde pudieron aprender acerca del marco jurídico y administrativo de la UE ofrecida por María Casado, Directora de la UNED. Una charla a la que siguió una masterclass sobre financiación de la UE para startups medioambientales y de energía a través de un encuentro con startups belgas del programa Start it @KBC.
Un acercamiento al tejido de las instituciones europeas, sin duda necesario para los emprendedores verdes debido al gran peso que la legislación UE ejerce sobre los distintos países miembros. En palabras de Juanma Revuelta, “lo que se pretende con una agenda de este tipo es que adquieran de manera rápida una comprensión de la Unión Europea dirigida a tres objetivos: las herramientas financieras y subsidios que da el ente europeo, desde formación para la internacionalización e innovación, el Marco jurídico, la legislación, que tanto puede afectar a empresas del sector medioambiental, y la importancia de la comunicación institucional, enfocada a cómo establecer estrategias de Networking”.
Se cierra así el programa formativo del proyecto SGBnet, cuyo objetivo principal ha sido el desarrollo de acciones formativas que capaciten a personas emprendedoras en la creación y consolidación de negocios verdes y sociales, SGBnet ha llevado a cabo dos fases en su programa formativo previas a la estancia formativa en Bruselas:
Una fase inicial, para la que se ofertaron 75 plazas y que abarcó 25 horas de formación (25 en Extremadura, 25 en Andalucía y 25 en la Región de Murcia), en la que las startups analizaron las claves para consolidar un proyecto de emprendimiento verde y social, así como impulsar la conexión y conversión de los negocios verdes también en iniciativas sociales, y una fase de Comunicación, para la que se ofertaron 30 plazas (10 en Extremadura, 10 en Andalucía y 10 en la Región de Murcia) y que abarcó 45 horas de formación relativa a la implementación de las estrategias de comunicación de un negocio verde y social.
Después de este proceso competitivo y mediante su estancia en Bruselas, algunas de ellas han sido evaluadas y nominadas para los StartUp Europe Awards a nivel regional. los StartUp Europe Awards (SEUA) es una iniciativa promovida por la Comisión Europea y apoyada por el Presidente del Comité de las Regiones, varios miembros del Parlamento Europeo y ejecutada por la Fundación Finnova en colaboración con Startup Europe. El objetivo de SEUA es identificar modelos locales en cada nuevo ecosistema empresarial en Europa. Estos empresarios locales se convertirán en ejemplos inspiradores para las generaciones más jóvenes, que tendrán un impacto positivo en la mejora de la cultura empresarial en Europa. En cualquier caso, los empresarios locales identificados como exitosos serán cruciales para que las autoridades locales definan programas hechos a medida para vigorizar sus ecosistemas locales y mejorar la colaboración público-privada.
Dentro de Murcia, los seleccionados han sido: Animación y Aventura, S.L. (Social), VITA XXI (Agritech), y el proyecto de Sandra María Bonmatí (Gastronomy). Para Andalucía, S.A.T. Las Haciendas y General Machines Technology S.L en la categoría Green y HHO System en Mobility. Finalmente, para Extremadura, Sostenibiliza-t ha sido seleccionado en la categoría Energy y el proyecto de Juan Carlos Rojas en Tourism.
Para más información:
Fundación Biodiversidad: https://fundacion–biodiversidad.es/es
Programa emprendeverde: https://www.redemprendeverde.es
SGS: https://www.sgs.es
Fundación Finnova: https://www.finnova.eu
StartUp Europe Awards: http://startupeuropeawards.eu
StartUp Europe Awards recognizes the best European startups in 18 categories
- The European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel chaired the final ceremony of StartUp Europe Awards at the Startup Europe Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- StartUp Europe Awards is an initiative of the European Commission and the Finnova Foundation – StartUp Europe Accelerator in collaboration with Startup Europe.
- Enova, Biomyc, Simbound, Sky Tronic, Macedonian Honey, TOMMI, Cyclefi, Corrata, Helperbit, FuVeX, Uncovercity, Eyesynth, Courtsdesk, Plactherm, Live Electric Tours, Italian Artisan, Evvos and Popertee, have been awarded as the best startups in Europe in the 18 different categories.
- The special recognition “Best Public Administration for startups” has gone to Budapest Enterprise Agency and to Xunta de Galicia. They have been recognized for their efforts in supporting entrepreneurship in their respective territories.
Sofia, 16th of November 2018. One more year, the so-called “Eurovision for startups” recognizes the best startups in Europe in 18 categories, this time in an event chaired by the European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, who showed the commitment of the European Commission supporting startups. “The startups are motors for innovation, dynamism, growth, jobs and technological advances. Supporting them is in interest of our economies and our citizens who benefit from their stimulating energy” she stated.
The final ceremony of the StartUp Europe Awards initiative, promoted by the European Commission and the Finnova Foundation in collaboration with Startup Europe, took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, within the framework of the Startup Europe Summit. The Summit gathered more than 500 leaders from the European entrepreneurial ecosystem ranging from investors, CEOs, accelerators to European authorities and technological journalists.
It counted with the honorific presence of the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova; the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov; the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić; the Prime Minister, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev; the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Duško Marković; the Deputy Prime Minister from Bulgaria, Tomislav Donchev; the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo[1], dr. Enver Hoxhaj; the Founder & CEO of Factory, President of Startup Portugal and Angel Investor in Europe, Simon Schaefer and the Senior Vice President & General Manager at Dell EMC, CEE and chair of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Governing Board, Anja Monrad, among other personalities.
StartUp Europe Awards proposes a methodology of open innovation through the public – private partnership, “that works for the public entities to find a solution for its local challenges and for the startups to try its innovations in pilots supported with European funding”, declared Juanma Revuelta, director of StartUp Europe Accelerator by Finnova Foundation.
The European winners of StartUp Europe Awards according to the 18 categories are: Enova (Water), Biomyc (Green), Simbound (EdTech), Sky Tronic (IoT), Macedonian Honey (Climate), TOMMI (E-Health), Cyclefi (Smart Cities), Corrata (Cybersecurity), Helperbit (FinTech), FuVeX (Space), Courtsdesk (Legal), Uncovercity (Gastronomy), Eyesynth (Social), Plactherm (Energy), Italian Artisan (Fashion), Popertee (Creative), Evvos (AgriTech) and Live Electric Tours (Tourism).
Eighteen startups that, thanks to this recognition, continue the path towards success and business stability, taking as a reference other companies which are, nowadays, positioned as some of the most important in their sectors. Regarding this, Commissioner Gabriel pointed out “few years ago when young companies like yours were receiving such awards. We know them today very well: Prezi, Soundcloud or Klarna. This time you will be on the spotlight, this time you are the ones that get the applause”.
In her speech, the Commissioner also congratulated all the European winners and encouraged them to continue working hardly as they have been doing until now. “Europe wants to have more emerging companies like yours (…) You showcased that success can come from anywhere in Europe. And you showcased that in order to succeed you must be bold and brave”, she said.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, also wanted to refer to the responsibility of companies towards society, proposing innovative solutions that serve not only to improve socially, but also to inspire other startups: “I would like to see companies proposing solutions to transform our society and make our lives easier”, he stated.
For the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova “innovative young people are biggest potential we have in town”.
In total, 134 finalists startups from Ireland, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Spain, Macedonia, Portugal, Hungary, Ukraine and Belgium, will opt for the recognition of best startup in the 18 categories of SEUA.
The Startup Europe Awards also awarded the special “Best Public Administration for Startups” recognition to Budapest Enterprise Agency (BEA) for Municipality Category and
Xunta de Galicia (Xesgalicia) in the Region category, awarding the work of these administrations within the local and regional landscape to boost the work of startups.
For Piroska Szalai, Chair of Board, BEA, “receiving this recognition is a great honour for Budapest and for the Budapest Enterprise Agency (BEA) since BEA is the only organization of Budapest founded for the development and promotion of startups and SMEs. We help startups and SMEs national and international expansion, collect best practices, search and mentor outstanding startups and ensure them possibilities to show themselves in the most important innovative events of the world. This award is a recognition from the European Commity for our multiannual work –
“This award is very timely and helps us to better communicate the ecosystem we have created in Galicia to help startups and scaleups. An ecosystem that allows the growth of the startups, thanks to very different and complementary programs. It is an opportunity to visualize all this work, so that the startups consider Galicia as a strategic place in which to develop their proposals”, stated Fernando Guldrís, CEO of Xesgalicia by Xunta de Galicia.
The other special recognitions went to Justyna Gudaszewskas, Sky Tronic co-founder, as Best Female Entrepreneur and for the Colombian startup Interacpedia, recognised as Best LATAM startup within the StartUp Europe Awards.
All the winners of StartUp Europe Awards will obtain great visibility all around Europe thanks to the Media Partner Alliance of StartUp Europe Awards formed by 25 media members from several countries in Europe (Spain, France, Belgium, Latvia, Luxembourg, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark). The startups will also have access to a programme of mentoring (in internationalization, European funds like SMEs Instrument of 50.000 € to 2,5 million € of non-refundable subsidy, international communication, etc.), through the StartUp Europe Accelerator by the Finnova Foundation, which will allow them to boost their projects and increase their viability worldwide.
StartUp Europe Accelerator is the unique accelerator specialized in European opportunities funding, which helps the entrepreneurs internationalize their business through European projects.
About StartUp Europe Awards
SEUA serves as a communication tool for society, encouraging collaboration between the public and business sectors and promoting innovative initiatives, as well the creation of alliances enabling in every region concerned to gather entities and the support programmes for entrepreneurs with local and international partners.
“From the Commission, we want that entrepreneurship generating growth and employment not to be only present in a few cities or regions. Thus, more people can benefit from the impact and can have inspiration by other role models” assures Isidro Laso, Head of Startups and Scaleups Sector (Startup Europe), DG CNECT.
20 members of the European Parliament have come together in the StartUp Europe Awards as ambassadors, supporting the local events with their presence and following closely the progress of the startups. More than 20 local events and 16 national awards have been celebrated under StartUp Europe Awards´ frame in 2017, with 134 startups winners. 25 media partners of the whole Europe, as The Independent in Ireland or Emprende TVE in Spain, they have helped to give visibility to this initiative.
StartUp Europe Awards (SEUA) is an open innovation initiative promoted by the European Commission and Finnova Foundation in collaboration with Startup Europe; it is supported by the President of the European Parliament; the President of the Committee of the Regions; the Vice-President of the Economic and Social Committee and several members from the European Parliament. StartUp Europe Awards is sponsored by StartUp Europe Accelerator.
Press Contact:
Catalina Valencia.
INFORMATION ABOUT STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS WINNERS BY CATEGORIES
Water Category
Country: Bulgaria
ENOVA
The BOD monitoring system ENOVA designed is based on new generation of biosensors capable to detect and quantify the organic pollution in water. The systems could be used for monitoring of water bodies such as lakes, rivers and wetlands or to be a part of the control systems in different industries dealing with water. The main advantages of the product over the conventional approaches applied currently are: 1) the instant result and data generation by the biosensor system; 2) the opportunity to perform a real time monitoring and remote access to the data sets via web-based platform; 3) the system could be easily integrated into the GIS and SCADA environments.
Green Category
Country: Bulgaria
Biomyc
Biomyc’s aim is to develop an economically viable, fully biodegradable composite material, made of agricultural waste as a feedstock (straw, corn husks, tobacco stems etc.) and mushroom mycelium as a binding agent. The fungal organism feeds on the lignocellulose rich feedstock and produces hyphae that connect and bind the waste particles to form a bio-mass composite material, from which a multitude of products can be created – particle boards, protective packaging and construction materials.
EdTech Category
Simbound
Country: Romania
The startup Simbound, by creating a content experience that includes simulation games and courseware tools, allows you to do online marketing in a realistic environment. It is the 1st Digital Marketing Simulation Game, used by more than 13.000 people.
IoT Category and Special Recognition as Best Female Entrepreneur:
Sky Tronic
Country: Poland
http://www.skytronic.com.pl/pl/
This startup aims at solving unstable flight of drones in difficult weather conditions as strong wind and the change of mass when carrying and dropping of cargo, because traditional PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controllers use linear approximation about reality and do not take into account unpredictable events.
The novel fuzzy logic steering controllers (FLC) are intended to transform the UAV industry for professional applications due to the more precise, autonomous, safe and stable flights in strong wind and carrying the cargo. FLC controllers use artificial intelligence algorithms to observe and steer the flying objects as human brain and correct deviations in real time. The FLC controller is targeted at professional drone producers and their unmanned helicopters for more efficient coordination of public safety and life rescue operations of mountain and water rescue agencies, police, fire department, border control, forest services and the surveillance of the areas in danger of natural disasters, ski runs, ski resorts, cable cars.
Climate category
Macedonian honey
Country: Macedonia
https://www.macedonianhoney.com/
By creating a new way of beekeeping and inventing a new hive -Elle Hive- MACEDONIAN HONEY works for one common goal: survival of the honeybee. Their bees become stronger, and their genetic material provide future bee generations easily to deal with predators and climate changes. Protecting the endangered honeybee is not an altruistic venture – they are attempting to safeguard our own future. Honeybees are essential for the plant and ecosystem biodiversity. Climate change and biodiversity are inextricably linked.
E-Health Category
TOMMI
Country: Italy
TOMMI is designed to improve patient’s therapy experience, engaging children senses and focusing their attention out of their negative feelings, also involving their parents to offer them a more active role during therapy. At the same time, TOMMI is designed to test children psychomotor skills using AI to collect and analyse therapy related data useful to doctors to track patient’s performances in time.
TOMMI is a product realized by Softcare Studios Srls, a digital health company using virtual reality and artificial intelligence in healthcare and wellness.
Smart Cities Category
Cyclefi
Country: Greece
The startup Cyclefi, through an innovative waste-tracking technology, has brought a mechanism that interconnects recycling performance & discounts for online deal, revolutionizing the Smart Cities in the area of recycling.
Cybersecurity Category:
Corrata
Country: Ireland
To become a pre-eminent provider of enterprise mobility solutions to organizations globally by providing them with technology which protects their organization from the risks (cyber, reputational and economic) associated with their employees use of mobile devices without compromising their employees user experience.
Fintech Category
Helperbit
Country: Italy
https://app.helperbit.com
The startup Helperbit, through the creation of a donation transparency platform and using the math-based currency bitcoin, has helped to make clear and visible the flow of money, avoiding the inefficiencies in the management of funds for humanitarian emergencies.
Space Category
FUVEX
Country: Spain
FuVeX has developed and filed a new patent on QPCA (Quadcopter Plane Convertible Aircraft) technology, an aircraft that facilitates flight in large extensions thanks to its vertical takeoff / landing on any surface and its flight aircraft mode, with the double of autonomy than conventional drones. These features allow clients to save 50% in costs compared to other drones currently on the market. One of the main pretensions of the Navarrese startup is to facilitate the access of aeronautics to large companies and institutions, providing them with drones that allow them to solve their monitoring or transport needs flying long distances in a safe, easy and legal way.
Gastronomy Category
Uncovercity
Country: Spain
Uncovercity takes you by the hand of Cabify to enjoy gastronomic experiences without knowing the destiny until you are there. It includes a round trip with Cabify with a closed menu (Dinner + Drink). The experience can be booked for a minimum of two people.
Social Category
Eyesynth
Country: Spain
After being born in Castellón, Eyesynth has incorporated an innovative software system to create glasses that register the space around us in 3 dimensions, in what they call “increased sense experience”. This advance is an exponential impulse for the visually impaired, since, through a microcomputer, information about the space around them is processed and converted into comprehensible audio for the blind. In this way, the glasses send images to the microcomputer and process them in real time, so that the user obtains an instantaneous response. The environment is captured and processed in 3D, which means that the user also has information about the depth. Finally, the computer converts all this information into a series of sounds that can be used to interpret open spaces, shapes and obstacles.
Tourism Category
Live Electric Tours
Country: Portugal
Live Electric Tours is a Self Drive experience in 100% electric vehicles for tourists in the City of Lisbon. Their vehicles are the only ones in the world, because they are equipped with Free Wi-Fi, GPS Audio Guide, and a live camera that lets you share the whole experience with family and friends through social media.
Fashion Category
Italian Artisan
Country: Italy
http://www.italian-artisan.com/
The startup Italian Artisan, by giving accessibility and sustainability to the Made in Italy manufacturing tradition, has helped international brands to produce their Made in Italy collection and grow their premium business in a sustainable way through digital tools.
Agritech
Evvos
Country: Luxembourg
Evvos designs and develops hardware, firmware and cloud integration services platform. Their in-house hardware and software teams collaborate to ensure optimal interoperability between sensors, data acquisition devices and software.
Legal Category:
Courtdesk
Country: Ireland
Courtsdesk is a breaking news service and research database for case details across all UK and Ireland court levels, and in future, the world. As a research tool, the platform allows users to monitor companies and people for involvement in litigation, as well as carry out statistical and relational analysis of key protagonists, the first such service to capture the 98% of cases currently taking place with no public or private searchability. By using Courtsdesk, financial, news and legal services firms can improve their business risk awareness and their own regulatory and commercial reporting. For the first time legal services – one of the most opaque industry sectors in most countries – is opened up to statistical and relational performance analysis of all law firms. As a news service, Courtsdesk is an entirely new model of journalism, built on bespoke software for professional court reporting. Their tools capture the data content of what happens in court rooms as well as the news content, and allows for collaboration by multiple organisations for mutual gain. Courtsdesk puts the content generated by its operations at the heart of value creation – eschewing the broken model of advert-funded journalism, using digital tools from the social media and big data age.
Energy Category
Plactherm
Country: Spain
Plactherm is a revolutionary heating system through which, through an intelligent radiant floor system, independent thermal zones are generated, saving up to 30% of energy consumption. The Plactherm system can be controlled remotely, is highly efficient, compatible with renewable energies, environmentally friendly and, most importantly, capable of generating independent thermal zones. If each person has a different type of comfort temperature, Plactherm gives the user the ability to control it. This increases comfort and reduces consumption.
Creative Category:
Popertee
Country: Ireland
Popertee is building artificial intelligence that matches the perfect audience with the perfect location, enabling brands to discover and book spaces for their marketing and retail campaigns. Their platform will enable brands to select spaces based on their audience requirements. Brands can select demographic, location and socio-economic details based on their requirements and our platform will present to them spaces based on a “Popscore”. This recommendations engine gives a percentage match based on the brand requirements and available spaces. The spaces are taken from 3rd party property websites including estate agents, marketplaces and short-term space providers. We aim to build a global platform that leading marketing agencies and brands will use when seeking physical spaces for retail and marketing campaigns. The location intelligence market is one of the fastest growing markets globally (expected to reach $20billion in 2021) and Popertee wants to specifically address the large part of this market where brands want to intelligently find the best location to locate for their campaign.
OTHER SPECIAL CATEGORIES:
Best Public Administration for startups Award:
Municipality Category
Budapest Enterprise Agency
Country: Hungary
Budapest Enterprise Agency is the only organization founded by the Budapest City Council back in 1993 for the development and promotion of the micro, small and medium enterprises of the Hungarian capital. Their mission is to contribute to the development and expansion of viable, new and existing entrepreneurs based on the market needs, thus contributing to the creation and preservation of workplaces in Budapest and to the facilitation of the economic growth of the Capital.
Region Category
Xunta de Galicia – Xesgalicia
Country: Spain
XesGalicia is a venture capital management company made up 100% of the Instituto Galego de Promoción Económica (Igape), whose purpose is to finance business development through temporary and minority shareholdings in the share capital of companies.
Contact: Fernando Guldris | Email: fguldris@xesgalicia.org
Best LATAM Startup
Interacpedia
Colombia
Interacpedia reinvented the connection between universities and organizations, making student projects generate value in society, solving real challenges!
SOCIAL NETWORKS STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS
Twitter: @StartUpEUAwards
Instagram: @StartUpEUAwards
Facebook: @StartUpEuropeAwards
LinkedIn: /StartUp-Europe-Awards
Hashtags of Startup Europe Awards Final: #SEUAFinal
Hashtags of Startup Europe Summit 2018: #SES18
[1] This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Be the next partner of StartUp Europe Awards!
The StartUp Europe Awards recognise the effort of European startups in various categories: Creative, Energy, Fintech, Green, e-Health, Fashion, Gastronomy, Large Industry, Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Social, Tourism, Water, Agritech, Legal, Space, Govtech, Proptech, Cybersecurity, Climate, Automotive and Edtech.
SEUA is an extremely useful tool to build the European ecosystem connecting all the players across the continent: “The Eurovision for Startups”. And now we’re looking for you!!!
Our goal is to promote local entrepreneurship and open innovation. In the last edition of SEUA we have reached more than 132 startups from 16 countries, involving 17 Members of the European Parliament as Ambassadors and over 100 partners from all over Europe. This time we want to make it bigger! And we need your help. Are you an accelerator in any of our categories? Are you an expert used to work with startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems? Are you running a local or national contest in any category? Join us!
Why become a SEUA partner?
Visibility and recognition
◦ To identify yourself as an organization concerned with promoting entrepreneurial activity in Europe, contributing to growth, job creation and wealth creation
◦ Your organization logo on SEUA website and social networks as a partner
◦ StartUp Europe Awards logo to use in your communications, that recognizes you as a partner of a European initiative backed by EU Commission
◦ Exposure to European authorities and European media
Opportunities
◦ Networking with other similar organizations and European institutions
◦ Information about events, funds, calls, best practises and training programs for entrepreneurs for your organization and your startups
◦ Possibility to develop a business model
◦ Our support on developing the StartUp Europe Awards methodology
What we are looking for:
◦ Organizations that have experience with startups and preferably in doing startup accelerator programs and contest, whose mission is innovation.
◦ The organization should find local media partners, which will depend on the level at which they operate (local, regional, national or European).
◦ The organization must have a multidisciplinary jury, or create it involving experts linked to the European Union.
To apply for being PARTNER for StartUp Europe Awards, please send an email to request the registration form. Deadline extended: September 23th.
Helperbit is the Italian winner of Fintech category
Country: Italy
Category: Fintech
Project Aim: creation ofdonationtransparency platform, through the blockchain, using the math-based currency bitcoin.
The Creation of HELPERBIT:
Helperbit is an Italian startup born from an idea of the engineer Guido Baroncini Turricchia, as a result of the increased awareness about inefficiencies in the management of funds for humanitarian emergencies.
Realizing in how many scandals the emergency management had been involved after the earthquake in L’aquila, Guido Baroncini Turricchia came with the idea: to use the blockchain public register to make visible the flow of money.
What is the problem to solve?
National and international organizations, UN agencies and governments allocate funds to mitigate the devastating effects of natural disasters, supporting the needs of the concerned population. But there are problems related to inefficiency, opacity, delays in the distribution and bad administration of funds. These issues lead to a lack of trust in the institutions and the organizations involved, which results in a drop in donations.
The insurance system related to natural disasters faces similar problems. Complexity of the refund process, bureaucracy, lack of trust of the clients toward the insurance companies…
What does FINTECH do?
A parametric p2p insurance service for the pre disaster phase service and when the event happens, a P2p donation system that empowers donors to have more control over their donations. Developed solutions:
Transactions are made through the blockchain, using the math-based currency bitcoin. It is not necessary that the donor or the recipient use this method, as we have already integrated credit and debit card donations.
The platform doesn’t charge additional costs related to charitable transactions because the business model is based on the insurance premium service. Thanks to premium service individuals will be able to subscribe a blockchain –based policy that will cover collateral damages caused by natural disasters through a fair, transparent and automated system.
What did Helperbit accomplished?
The startup launched the donation transparency platform in November 2017 in the Italian parliament and more than 10 non-profit organization are already raising funds with this innovative approach.
Helperbit has been selected for the blockchainSpace accelerator program and has been featured on Nasdaq, techcrunch and many more. Helperbit won 4 Italian and European startup competition awards and was selected in the top 100 innovative projects for the world humanitarian summit, which was sponsored by the United nation.
Cubbit is the Italian winner of IoT category
Country: Italy
Category: IoT
Project Aim: Cubbit offers a Forever-Free Dropbox to final users, and is a provider of cheaper and boosted web services for corporates.
What is the problem to solve? : Inefficiency of the centralized Cloud.
What does CUBBIT do?
A centralized Cloud is inefficient: Web farms costs are transferred both to Users (100Euro/TB/Y) and corporates (CDN 6 Euro/GB streamed)
Cubbit Creats the community Cloud. Thanks to an IoT device that leverages on existing Inter-connectivity infrastructures, we crowd-source the first distributed data-center: from one web farm for all, to small servers in everybody’s home or office.
Cubbit Offers a Forever-Free Dropbox to final users, and is a provider of cheaper and boosted web services for corporates.
Our business model: we acquire users by offering the first forever-free cloud. Each of them grows our distributed data-center with bandwidth, storage and CPU. We then sell web services like hosting, CDN and Cloud computing boosted by the proximity of Data to final Users.
Each Cubbit can generate revenues up to 11euro/month, while it only costs 0.20euro/m to coordinate its role in our network.
The core technology has been proved with private Alpha-test started in June 17 and in Jan 18 the public Alpha will be released.