Category: Calls Gr

The programme Waste-to-energy Startup Europe Awards  will start next Thursday, 18 June at 17:00 (CEST) with an informative webinar

The winners will be eligible for a project valued in up to €2 million in the framework of the LIFE programme

Over 2,500 million tons of waste are generated each year by the whole set of economic activities

Monday, 15 June 2020 – The municipality of Vilamarxant (Valence, Spain) launches the Accelerathon Waste-to-energy (WASTE2ENERGY) alongside the Centre d’Emprenedoria i Innovació del Túria (CEI Túria). It is an open innovation programme enshrined in the framework of the CIRCULAR ECONOMY STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS that counts with the support of the DG CONNECT at the European Commission and the Startup Europe Accelerator of Finnova Foundation.

This programme will start next Thursday, June 18 at 17:00 (CEST) with an informative webinar in which the funding possibilities for innovative projects or ideas regarding waste-to-energy will be introduced. The winners of the Accelerathon Waste-to-energy Startup Europe Awards will be eligible for funding from the LIFE programme 2020: up to €2 million will be allocated per project. In addition, this programme will grant a European acceleration ticket and will give candidates the possibility to participate in the Startup Europe Awards.

The competition will start after the launching webinar. The different multidisciplinary teams will be mentored by experts and will receive online training on Life+ projects in order for them to get to the final round. The winning project will be presented after registration to the Life programme – Environment on July 14.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the aim of the Accelerathon Waste-to-energy is to find innovative solutions focused on limiting significantly waste generation and promoting the principle of circular economy.

Our society is living a transition period towards a greener, more carbon-neutral, circular economy. Although efforts have been made at a national and European level, waste generation is not decreasing. According to the New Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Union, the whole set of economic activities generates up to 2,500 million tons of waste each year.

This is the reason why the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations includes Sustainable Development Goal 7 and 11 that address the issue of waste-to-energy. These SDGs are focused on sustainable consumption and production patterns based on the transformation of non-recyclable waste into energy, such as electricity, steam or hot water, for domestic or industrial purposes.

The Accelerathon is a programme addressed to civil servants and policymakers at municipalities, organizations and government agencies, trade unions, institutes of technology, universities, innovative companies with patents and corporations with environmental challenges that could be faced through LIFE Programme funding and a technological push.

You can now register to the informative webinar held next Thursday, June 18 at 17:00 by filling the following form:

Please register here if you want to participate in the Accelerathon: https://form.jotform.com/201621756281351

About

Accelerathon

Accelerathon is an acceleration programme for innovative projects fostered by Finnova Foundation. It is also a methodology designed by Finnova that consists of looking for solutions and funding through an applied, online open innovation system that binds together all the actors from the innovative ecosystem.

The Accelerathon also works under the methodology of the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. The challenge follows the SDG of the United Nations and brings support to other programmes related to the fight against COVID-19 and legionella, among others.

What is Startup Europe Awards?

It is an initiative of the DG CONNECT at the European Commission implemented by Finnova Foundation. It counts with the support of the European Parliament, some members of the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee.

What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It consists of a European, second-level acceleration programme specialized in the support of incubation programmes linked to regional and national entrepreneurship. The aim is to help startups access EU resources in order to internationalise their project, and break into the market through European projects, mentoring, networking, lobbies, legal advice and international communication.

Ajuntament de Vilamarxant

The municipality of Vilamarxant in collaboration with the Centre d’Emprenedoria i Innovació del Túria (CEI Túria) provides users with access to services and information, like the ones related to the Accelerathon Waste-to-energy.

It has a global perspective concerning projects, institutions and different types of entities that work in the same domain all over the world.

Alongside CEI Túria, Vilamarxant’s main objectives are to support innovation, to extend new technologies to society and to become a regional and international leader in this domain.

Centre d’Emprenedoria i Innovació del Túria (CEI Túria)

The CEI Túria aims to enhance entrepreneurship and new technologies at a regional and international level. Its main objective is to materialize and experience new ways of living, working, learning and interacting through entrepreneurship and innovation.

· It promotes entrepreneurship, the creation of startups and employment generation.

· It promotes new lines of business activities connected with innovation, new technologies and emerging sectors.

· It creates a community of entrepreneurs where projects and experiences can be shared, and where synergies and alliances with other municipalities can be established for the development of collaborative projects.

· It helps organizations and projects to develop business plans and look for public, private or European funding.

· It contributes to the revitalization of the productive fabric in Vilamarxant, the region of Camp de Túria and neighbouring areas.

El CEI Túria represents an open innovation model where entrepreneurs, creators, the civil society and organizations cooperate in order to create wealth, employment and knowledge for the combat of this new ecosystem’s challenges.

Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the European foundation for innovation funding. Its main goal is to promote the cooperation between public and private sectors through the best low-cost, technological solutions, in order to address social challenges such as employment, entrepreneurship, the SDG of the United Nations, circular economy, waste recovery, sustainable tourism, and the fight against climate change.

Contact:

• For any question, please contact:

Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation.

Email: info@finnova.eu.Telephone: +32 475 97 42 77

• Press Head contact details:

Lola Bordás, Head of Communication and Marketing at Finnova Foundation. Email: cmo@finnova.eu. Telephone: +34 619 11 02 66

Brussels, 9 June 2020 – The municipality of Coria del Río (Seville, Spain) launches the Accelerathon Coria del Río with the challenge of Circular economy and rice straw. It is an open innovation programme organized by the Startup Europe Accelerator of Finnova Foundation. It will start next Tuesday, 16 June at 17:00 (CEST) with an informative webinar about the different possibilities of funding for innovative project and ideas related to rice straw, and the competition rules for participation. The winners of the Accelerathon Coria del Río will receive a European acceleration ticket in order to access funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. Around €2 million could be granted for each project.

The Accelerathon Coria del Río is enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It is focused on finding innovative solutions for the treatment of subproducts containing rice straw used as a resource and not labelled as waste. This way circular economy is fostered.

As an example, in 2019 more than 788,000 tons of rice, as well as rice straw and rice husk, were produced in Spain. When in contact with water, rice straw provokes a decrease of oxygen, rot and it can cause the death of birds and fishes. This is the reason why farmers burn rice straw, releasing greenhouse gas emissions. Rice husk is also considered as waste that should be eliminated because if not, it tends to accumulate due to its low level of degradability. As a general rule, producers get rid of it thanks to a controlled combustion process that generates as a subproduct rice husk ash. These ashes represent a high percentage of silica that makes it apt for its use in sectors such as the cement industry.

This programme counts with the institutional support of the DG CONNECT of the European Commission. It is addressed to civil servants and policymakers at municipalities, organizations and government agencies, trade unions, institutes of technology, universities, innovative companies with patents and corporations with environmental challenges that could be faced through LIFE Programme funding and a technological push.

You can register at the informative webinar by filling the following form:

About:

Accelerathon

Accelerathon is an acceleration programme for innovative projects fostered by Finnova Foundation. It is also a methodology designed by Finnova that consists of looking for solutions and funding through an applied, online open innovation system that binds together all the actors from the innovative ecosystem.

The Accelerathon also works under the methodology of the LIFE Programme of the European Commission. The challenge follows the SDG of the United Nations and brings support to other programmes related to the fight against COVID-19 and legionella, among others.

What is Startup Europe Awards?

It is an initiative of the DG CONNECT at the European Commission implemented by Finnova Foundation. It counts with the support of the European Parliament, some members of the European Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee.

What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It consists of a European, second-level acceleration programme specialized in the support of incubation programmes linked to regional and national entrepreneurship. The aim is to help startups access EU resources in order to internationalise their project, and break into the market through European projects, mentoring, networking, lobbying, legal advice and international communication.

Coria del Río

Coria del Río is a city 12 km away from Seville and strategically located besides the Guadalquivir river. This riverside town with thousands of years of history keeps under its streets the remains of important civilizations that settled here, such as Tartessos, Romans and Arabs, who turned Coria del Río into an ideal place for the promotion of culture, social development and economy through services such as livestock farming, agriculture and fishing. Over the years, the Corians had developed new techniques, and boosted riverside carpentry and sturgeon fishery, some things that made it the only place in Western Europe to have a caviar factory. It is also worth noting the close relationship that this town has had with Japan since 1614, when the Keicho Embassy led by the Samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga landed here and united both cultures. He left a legacy that more than 400 years later is still alive in more than 700 Corians who have inherited the surname “Japan” from that expedition. Nowadays, Coria del Río has more than 30,000 inhabitants and a tourist offer that makes thousands of visitors come to the town every year, attracted by its gastronomy, its rich landscape, its history, its festivities or its peculiar relationship with Japan.

Finnova Foundation

Finnova is the European foundation for innovation funding. Its main goal is to promote the cooperation between public and private sectors through the best low-cost, technological solutions, in order to address social challenges such as employment, entrepreneurship, the SDG of the United Nations, circular economy, waste recovery, sustainable tourism, and the fight against climate change.

Contact:

• For any question, please contact:

Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation.

Email: info@finnova.eu. Telephone: +32 475 97 42 77

• Press Head contact details:

Lola Bordás, Head of Communication and Marketing at Finnova Foundation. Email: cmo@finnova.eu. Telephone: +34 619 11 02 66.

Francisco Javier Sosa, Communication Manager at Coria del Río E-mail: comunicacion@coriadelrio.es. Telephone : +34 682 07 27 87.

The Water Accelerathon has already kicked off! The presentation of the programme was held during a webinar on 28th May with 24 speakers and over 500 participants from 15 different countries.

The Accelerathon is an open innovation programme organised by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE)and implemented by Finnova in collaboration with SEIMED, Aidimme and Redit. It counts with the institutional support of the DG CONNECT at the European Commission in the framework of the WATER STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS. 

This is a virtual competition for entrepreneurs, universities, public and private consortia, SMEs, institutes of technology and plenty more. If you think you can launch a challenge in the field of wastewater as a resource, sign up for the #Accelerathon. 

What is the Accelerathon?
Accelerathon is a programme for the acceleration of innovative projects promoted by Finnova Foundation and organised by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE). Finnova’s methodology aims to find solutions and funding through an applied, online open innovation system that brings together the most innovative actors of the environmental sector, in which the European Commission works in the framework of the LIFE programme.

OBJETIVE AND CHALLENGE
The objective is to address the SDG 6 of the United Nations through innovation in the treatment of wastewater from industrial processes in order to recover raw materials, reuse water and minimise environmental impact.

This challenge aims to identify innovative solutions on the one hand, and on the other, companies, municipalities or entities that define their environmental challenges on water. The objective is to create different multidisciplinary teams on wastewater that propose solutions to the water Accelerathon challenge in order to design realistic projects on advanced treatments, and water, energy and raw materials recovery.

WHY SHOULD YOU  PARTICIPATE?
The Accelerathon IVACE Water Challenges Programme will last two months and as reward you will be eligible for an European acceleration ticket that will grant you access to EU funds, go international or receive funds of up to €2 million from the EU LIFE sub-programme on Environment, concretely the subproject on Environment and Resource Efficiency. You can present your project to the call that will be opened until 14th July!

During the competition, the different teams will be able to make use of e-learning tools and apply the LIFE methodology. A joint work will be developed in order to achieve optimal and feasible solutions on innovation in the  Community of Valencia.

Registration is now opened. You can take part in this competition as:

–MENTOR TEAM

–MEMBER CREATOR OF YOUR OWN CHALLENGE 

-MEMBER OF THE JURY

–SPONSOR OF THE EVENT,CHOOSING THE THE LEVEL OF COLLABORATION YOU CONSIDER THE MOST APPROPRIATE

In order to register, please complete the following application form:

We are waiting for you! #WaterAccelerathon

It is a pleasure to invite you to the webinar launching of the ACCELERATHON program promoted by the IVACE. You can reserve your place at the following LINK

The Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) invites civil society, entrepreneurs, technology institutes, companies and universities to participate in the webinar launching of the Aguas-IVACE Accelerathon, an open innovation programme organised by the Startup Europe Accelerator of the Finnova Foundation, in collaboration with SEIMED, Aidimme and Redit with the institutional support of the European Commission DG CONNECT in the framework of the WATER STARTUP EUROPE AWARDS.

In addition, the webinar will have the privilege of having the presentations of several experts from Finnova; Julia Company, general director of IVACE; Massimiliano Dragoni, Senior Officer DG Connect; José Luis Muñoz, general director of EIT Climate; Carolina Lechado, independent professional; Gonzálo Belenguer, general director of Redit; Mark Beker, CEO Wex Global; David Schoth VP Europe; Rafael Mezquita, Minister of the Ministry of Panama and Iris Barrios, head of Startup Europe Accelerator Panama.

OBJETIVE AND CHALLENGE
The objective is to address the challenge number 6 of the United Nations SDG to innovate in the treatment of wastewater from industrial processes to recover raw materials, reuse water and minimize environmental impact.

The challenge posed aims to identify innovative solutions by the one hand, and companies, town halls or entities that define their environmental challenges on water to create different multidisciplinary teams on wastewaters by giving solutions to the water Accelerathon challenge to design realistic projects on advanced treatment, water, energy and raw materials recovery.

                    Now you can register for the informative webinar.

WATER ACCELERATHON

Who?
This is an innovation competition in which entrepreneurs, universities, technological institutes, business associations, town halls, industrial parks, SMEs, and public and private entities from all over the world, committed to water challenges, can participate.

A team competition with training in the UE LIFE PROGRAMME
The competition of the different teams will be carried out with e-learning tools and with the LIFE methodology a joint work will be made to obtain optimal solutions that provide innovation in the Valencian Community.

Duration and Rewards
The Water Challenges Accelerathon IVACE programme will last two months and as reward you will be eligible for an European acceleration ticket to access EU funds, go international or access to funding of up to 2 million euros form the European LIFE Environment and Resources Programme with the presentation of the project to the call on July 14th.

Spain is a leader in the LIFE programme in which a total of 495 projects have been approved. This activity has meant a contribution of more than 550 million euros for our country. The Valencian Community has contributed with a total of 78 projects, which has meant 60 million euros in return.

More information
Those interested in knowing the project and how to participate in it can already register for the webinar on May 28th at 18:00 (CET). The deadline is open until the same day and registrations can be made through the following LINK

Accelerathon Registration
If you have it clear, and you want to compete in the Accelerathon by participating, training and contributing all your value in the process to get the reward, you can, from now on, register in the Accelerathon IVACE program in this LINK.

The Accelerathon will be presented in the Webinar next Thursday, May 28th

Winners will be eligible for a European acceleration ticket to access EU funds, go international or access investment of up to 2 million euros per project

05/25/2020 Brussels. The Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE), in collaboration with the Metalworking, Furniture, Wood, Packing and Similar Technologic Institute (AIDIMME) and the Network of Technologic Institutes of the Valencian Community (REDIT), has launched the “Accelerathon Water Challenges” initiative; an open innovation competition on wastewater challenges: treatments, water reuse, energy and war materials with the institutional support of the European Commission’s Startup Europe.

The competition is open to Start-ups, universities, technological institutes, business associations, town halls, industrial parks, SMEs and entrepreneurs. Among all the challenges and solutions presented, the best proposal will be selected and then accelerated for presentation to the next LIFE Programme call.

Minister of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Work, Rafa Climent has remarked “the acknowledged role Ivace has in Europe and its activity in line with the objectives of sustainable development of the UN”

The initiative, which is coordinated by IVACE at national level on water, also takes advantage of the wealth of resources and knowledge of the European Interreg Europe TRIS Project in which IVACE and AIDIMME are taking part. The aim of this project is to share best practices on industrial symbiosis between European regions and to support public authorities and organisms in the efficient use of resources and the competitiveness of their SMEs through the improvement of regional policies.

In this regard, Climent has shown that “Accelerathon Water Challenges” responds to the 6th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal which points to the need to have clean water, residue-free and that can reuse and recovered”.

On the other hand, Fernando Saludes, president of REDIT and AIDIMME has said that “these initiatives are really interesting as they allow us, on the basis of certain definedchallenges, to propose creative solutions and provide different approaches that will enable us to make progress in improving a process as important as water treatment”.

Webinar presentation on Thursday, May 28th

In order to explain all the details, IVACE has organized a Webinar presentation next Thursday, May 28th at 18:00 (CET).

Webinar registration: https://finnova.typeform.com/to/xvsJPI

The competition aims to identify innovative solutions and environmental sub-challenges on water defined by companies, town halls and entities.

From there, several multidisciplinary teams will be formed to design projects on advanced treatments, water, energy and raw materials recovery from wastewater, giving possible solutions to the global challenge launched at the Accelerathon.

Winners will be eligible for a “European Accelerathon ticket” that will allow then to access networking initiatives, reach international markets, contact potential investors or successfully apply for European Union grants for pilot demonstrations projects of up to 2 million euros in the Valencian Community.

It is organized by IVACE and Startup Europe Accelerator of the Finnova Foundation, in collaboration with SEIMED, REDIT and AIDIMME with the institutional support of the European Commission within the framework of the Water Startup Europe Awards.

– The virtual conference will take place next Tuesday May 30th, 2020 streaming

– The deadline for submissions is July 14th, 2020

– The budget for the work programme 2018-2020 amounts to 2,592 million euros

Brussels, April 29th ,2020. The European Commission organises the virtual conference “EU LIFE Information and Networking day, an informative meeting on the LIFE 2020 Call aimed at all those who wish to present projects related to environment and resource efficiency, nature conservation in the areas of biodiversity and habitats and climate change adaptation. The meeting will take place next Tuesday May 30th at 10 a.m. in streaming through the following link: http://eu-life-2020.b2match.io

Following the interventions of Angelo Salsi, Head of LIFE and Eco-Innovation Unit; Maja Mikosinska, Head of Sector “Nature and Biodiversity”; Fabio Leone, Head of Sector “Environment and Resource Efficiency” and Anne Vermaelen, Head of Sector Finance Unit, EASME, it will proceed to answers the questions of the participants regarding both LIFE 2020 Call and the implementation process. Participants can send their questions regarding both LIFE 2020 Call and the implementation process through the platform Sli.do using the #EULIFE2020 code. Following that conference will start the networking meetings. Participants can register on these meetings until next Friday, May 15th at 5:00 p.m. through the event website: http://eu-life-2020.b2match.io

The LIFE 2020 Environment Subprogramme is a European Union financial instrument exclusively dedicated to the environment. Its main objective for the period 2014-2020 is to contribute to sustainable development and to the achievement of the objectives and targets of the Europe 2020 strategy and the relevant EU environment and climate strategies and plans.

Priority Area of Environment and Resource Efficiency

This subprogramme focuses on projects specially related to sustainability, environmental care or environment recovery, without specifying a sector. The work programme 2018-2020 has a total funding of 2,592 million euros. Projects receive up to 55% non-refunding co-funding. The average duration of the projects is between 3-5 years.

“LIFE is the only specific EU financial instrument for projects related to environment, sustainability and the fight against climate change,” afirms Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO at Finnova Foundation.

Beneficiaries

Consortium between public and provide bodies at local level: provincial councils, town halls, universities, public and private companies (including SMEs) and associations. Startups and entrepreneurs can also apply for this grant. MORE DETAILS: http://life.finnovaregio.org/

Finnova Foundation

Finnova’s staff has experience in more than 30 projects for 20 years, and an example of this is Ecobus, an initiative that collects and recycle cooking oil from restaurants to make into biofuel and subsequent use in diesel engines. This project took place the Valencian Community with a total budget of more than 1.675.000€.

Finnova Foundation is committed to environmental entrepreneurship and innovation as well as to finding solutions to the COVID-19 health crisis by helping researchers seek European funding for their projects, just as motivating and offering workspaces and networking where they can collaborate with a wide network of professionals. For this purpose, we have three projects linked to entrepreneurship such as Startup Europe Awards, Startup Europe Accelerator and Accelerathon. More details about the projects can be found on the Finnova website: web.finnovaregio.org

Contact in Brussels:

– Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Finnova Foundation juanma@finnova.eu – (+32) 475 97 42 77

Contact in Spain:

– Lola Bordas, CMO of Finnova Foundation cmo@finnova.eu – (+34) 619 110 266

The Escalar programme of the European Commission will double the investment already given to the most promising European Scaleups/Start-ups.

· A financing tool to support the growth of innovative companies that develop their activity in Europe.

· The 25% of European funds are guaranteed.

The main challenge of many companies nowadays that try to scale up in Europe, is not having enough money to grow. This problem could disappear with the call ESCALAR of the European Commission. Its main objective is that companies can continue growing and creating jobs in Europe. This programme will double the funds already given to European Scaleups/Start-ups with a financing budget of 100,000€ minimum, as well as specialised management. 50% of investment is backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) of the European Investment Bank (EIB) with a guarantee of 25% DG-GROWTH through ESCALAR. Therefore, ESCALAR will enable the risk capital funding to increase a lot their investment capacity by financing the quasi-debt with EIB funding, guaranteed by the EFSI.

From Finnova Foundation, we invite all companies that are interested in scaling up (“ESCALAR” in Spanish) their business to continue growing and creating jobs. For more information, this afternoon the WEBINAR ESCALAR will take place: “EUROPEAN FUNDING FOR SCALEUPS” in the MIPIM webinar about Proptech House with professor Rudy Aernoudt, Chief economist of the European Commission, and Dirk Paelinck, co-founder of Proptech House. The call is today afternoon, 28th April at 4pm. To sign up: HTTP://bit.ly/3eAqPGJ

Finnova Foundation, Proptech House partners and boosters of Proptech Startup Europe Awards

CONTACT:

For any other enquiry: info@finnova.eu

In Brussels: 0032 475 97 4277

– Press officer:

Lola Bordás cmo@finnova.eu, Phone: +34 619 11 02

OKRA Technologies was named the best Female-Led startup in 2019

The company aims to transform healthcare by developing solutions that help bring the right treatment to the right patient quickly

15/04/2020 Brussels. Technology has become one of the best allies for scientists to continue research and for health care providers to save lives. Loubna Bouarfa, is the founder and CEO of OKRA Technologies , the startup of artificial intelligence that empowers life science professionals with AI driven insights anywhere and at any time. The company, located in Cambridge (UK) and in Leiden (Netherlands), is leading the implementation of AI in life sciences at the European level.

Dr. Loubna Bouarfa has fought tirelessly to move her project forward and has won several awards, including the Best Female-Led in 2019 at the special edition of the European Startup Awards. The Finnova Foundation helped her a lot, and thanks to this award the company has achieved visibility across Europe.

We spoke with Loubna Bouarfa to find out what OKRA Technologies is all about. A company that, without a doubt, can contribute its grain of sand to help healthcare professionals in the fight against coronavirus.

Q- What prize have you won, on which date and through by what means or institution?

A-My company OKRA.ai was named Best Female-led Startup in 2019, at the StartUp Europe Awards Special Edition.

Q-What has Finnova helped you with or is helping you with?

A– StartUp Europe Awards is a fantastic initiative of both the European Commission and Finnova Foundation. This award has given us visibility across Europe, which is absolutely essential to boost small innovative companies like us and help us scale globally.

“The Eurovision for Startups” has built a powerful ecosystem, and has connected us with relevant stakeholders across Europe.

Q- How did you meet Finnova?

A- I met Finnova Foundation thanks to this initiative. I am very impressed by how Finnova is promoting a culture of innovation across the EU and beyond.

Q-Are awards for entrepreneurs or startups important?

A-Absolutely. As an entrepreneur, to me an award is an absolute honour, as it means a clear recognition of the value that my company is bringing to the world.

Q- What is your project about and how do you differ from the rest?

A- At OKRA, our mission is to support and transform healthcare, developing AI solutions that help bring the right treatment to the right patient at speed. We are here to unleash the potential of AI and use it to save and improve human lives.

We collaborate with the life science industry to create AI systems that accelerate thegrowth and create real value for healthcare, with the aim of having a direct impact on every step of the pipeline – from drug to patient.

The big breakthrough for OKRA’s technology lies not only in our capability to integrate huge amounts of data and extract relevant insights to drive actions, but also in the delivery of this information in a very user-centric way. Our AI systems are not black boxes: they are powered by explainability. This means that our predictions and suggestions are coupled with explanations, so that users understand the situation and are empowered to make the right decisions consistently.

What makes us different is that we develop trustworthy AI. I am a member of the European High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on AI, so at OKRA we implement the European AI strategy and guidelines, making sure that AI is lawful, ethical and robust.

Q- Do you think it’s hard to invest in a startup?

A-Investing in startups may be generally considered to be risky, but I believe that it is really necessary. Investing in a startup means putting money into a revolutionary idea that has the potential to change reality. For me, innovation is where money should be spent.

If a great idea turns out to be unprofitable, you can confidently say that at least you madean effort to challenge the status quo . But if a great idea comes to life, the consequences are unimaginable.

Q- How has your company evolved since you won the acceleration ticket?

A– Over the last year, OKRA has experienced great growth. Our team has doubled in size and we have a team of brilliant professionals who go the extra mile every single day to develop the best AI solutions for life sciences.

At OKRA, we develop AI products that are easily scalable. We believe that strong foundations and agile methodologies are the key to success in the technology industry.

This acceleration ticket has brought us really far.

Q- Do you consider that Startups are the future on a global level?

A– Definitely. Startups are the future because they can literally change the world. We need revolutionary ideas on a global scale, so that we can solve current problems and thrive with innovation.

Q- Do you think there should be more Startup Europe Awards? And what would you say to those entrepreneurs who are thinking of approaching European projects?

A- Of course there should be more Startup Europe Awards! There are many exceptional people in Europe and worldwide, and their game-changing projects need to be valued and recognised.

I would encourage all entrepreneurs to actively approach European projects, because they offer fantastic support and help boost companies to the next level.

In this video Loubna Bouarfa, Founder & CEO of OKRA Technologies, explains her journey in AI, the company mission and the amazing OKRA team.

• Send your proposals to participate in the Hachathon before Saturday 11 April at 10:00
• Finnova, official partner of the European Commission, calls to participate in the Pan European Hackathon #EUvsVirus from 24 to 26 April.

10/04/2020 Brussels. The Finnova Foundation invites civil society, entrepreneurs, companies and universities from all over Europe to participate in ‘EU vs Virus’, the Pan-European Hackathon organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Innovation, in close collaboration with the EU Member States, on 24, 25 and 26 April.

The objective is to develop possible multidisciplinary solutions to fight against COVID-19 and other viruses such as SARS, Ecoli, Dengue or Malaria in order to offer practical, affordable initiatives.

The Finnova Foundation and its Startups Europe Awards program are official partners of the European Union and those interested in making suggestions or proposing challenges related to the coronavirus or others can send them to us at the following form: http://covid19.finnova.eu before Saturday 11 April.

From the registered challenges, between 150 and 200 will be selected at international level and then they will be worked on in the Hackathon #EUvsVIRUS.

Receive information and personalized mentoring on EU tools through the startup Accelerator

What is Pan-Eu Hackathon EuvsVirus?

It is a Hackathon with international and multidisciplinary teams whose primary objective is to respond with innovation to the crisis of the COVID-19 epidemic. In this first phase, a European call is made for the proposal of challenges to be discussed in the Hackathon. This event is an opportunity to align efforts with the European Commission and subsequently access European funds with different financial tools such as the LIFE or Horizon 2020 programme.

In this call the European Commission expects challenges defined by sectors affected by the coronavirus, which affects most sectors, economic activities and therefore it is necessary to identify them to find multidisciplinary solutions to provide practical initiatives, affordable and low cost.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?

Specific challenges can be proposed through the following link

Challenges will be received until Saturday, April 11th at 10:00 am Brussels time.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

This Hackathon is open to innovators, companies, startups, universities from all over Europe, and partners at municipal, provincial, regional or national level.

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE?

The aim of Finnova and the Startup Europe Accelerator is to inform the winners about the challenges of EU financial opportunities and the different programmes to subsidise and implement new solutions, new jobs, remove legal barriers and help attract private investment and internationalisation.

Video #EUvsVirus: videocovid19.accelerathon.com

STARTUP EUROPE COVID-19 & STARTUP EUROPE ACCELERATOR

The winners will be eligible as finalists for the COVID-19 Startup Europe Awards, a new category aimed at finding solutions to combat the coronavirus or other viruses such as malaria or legionella. This 2020 edition is aimed at innovative ideas from startups, universities and companies in all categories and that are focused on fighting the virus. The Finnova Foundation, through the Startup Europe Awards Accelerator, will mentor the winners in the categories of health, water, agri-food and environment with regard to European grants, calls, European legislation, networking and internationalization. The winners will participate in calls for proposals from the European Union, opting for up to 2.5 million euros in grants and 15 million euros in capital investment from the EU.

Open Covid-19 Startup Europe Awards Partner Search

To be able to carry out Startup Europe COVID-19 we call for the support of European, regional and national partners so that they can implement the awards in their field of action.

What is Startup Europe Awards?

It is an initiative of the European Commission, DG Connect implemented by the Finnova Foundation, supported by the European Parliament, members of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee.

  What is Startup Europe Accelerator?

It is a second level European Accelerator specialized in supporting regional and national entrepreneurship incubation programmes so that their best startups can access the resources offered by the European Union to internationalize their project and access the market through European projects, mentoring, networking, lobbying, legal advice and international communication.

CONTACT US:

-For any other question: info@finnova.eu

Juan Manuel Revuelta, General Director of the Finnova Foundation: 0032 475 97 4277

-Press officer:

Lola Bordás cmo@finnova.eu, Contact telephone: +34 619 11 02 66