SPREAD2INNO Press Release Fifth Local Event Patras

SPREAD2INNO: Boosting Startups in Patras, Greece

The EU-funded project SPREAD2INNO continues to close the geographical innovation gap: After completing a full circle, starting from Thessaloniki, continuing in Rimini and closing the first round in Sofia, the second round is well under way, starting in Sofia and continuing in Patras, Greece. This was the fifth SPREAD2INNO local event and the second one in Greece, and, for its implementation, SPREAD2INNO joined forces this time with the 8^th Patras IQ (Patras Innovation Quest) Fair on Innovation and Technology Transfer that took place on 26 and 27 November, 2023. The agenda included focused workshops, a roundtable and pitching sessions aimed at the local ecosystem actors, in an attempt to demonstrate the startup community’s potential and to create links with the SPREAD2INNO partner organizations.

The key takeaways from the sessions and the list of the 20 startups which participated in the event are provided below:

Presentation: Presenting Your Risks as an Opportunity to Early-Stage Investors

This presentation was held by Abel Fernandez, EU Projects Manager at European Business Angel Network (EBAN). He shared a valuable and comprehensive overview of fundamentals to successfully pitch to early stage investors. He shared a valuable and comprehensive overview of why investors reject deals, understanding the investor’s perspective, and emphasizing the importance of risk identification.

Seminar: The Perfect Pitch

This workshop was held by Ina Todorova, Project Coordinator at Cleantech Bulgaria. She shared a valuable and comprehensive overview of the techniques to be used to create a compelling pitch to be presented in front of an investor. 

Seminar: Business Modelling

This workshop was held by Katrin Singer-Coudoux and Henry Nicolai Buxmann who are research associates and project managers at Fraunhofer IPK. They conveyed the importance of Business Model development and shared information on important tools to develop a sound business model and choosing a fitting business model pattern. The typology of business models, approaches to it, and the business model canvas were presented and discussed theoretically and via several real-life examples that captivated the audience.

Panel discussion: Past achievements and visions for the future

This Roundtable discussion was moderated by Dr. Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos, EU projects Manager at Patras Science Park. He was joined by the distinguished plenary speakers Dr. Valerio Roscani, Technology Analyst at Fondazione E. Amaldi, Eleonora Lombardi, Henry Nicolai Buxmann, Research Associate at Fraunhofer IPK and Ina Todorova, Project Coordinator at Cleantech Bulgaria. The speakers provided in-depth insights into their respective innovative ecosystems highlighting success stories, methodologies, and best practices, providing startups, SMEs, and companies with a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities available to enhance innovation in regional and local businesses. Furthermore, they highlighted the significance of methodologies such as the one applied by SPREAD2INNO, and the need for further enrichment of the existing network with local sub-networks.

Seminar: Tech due diligence

This workshop was held by Valerio Roscani, who is a senior Technology Analyst at E. Amaldi Foundation, Italy. He conveyed all the issues that constitute Tech Due Diligence, i.e., identification and management of the need, examination of alternative technologies, presenting a value proposition, technology status, IP, team capacity, market characteristics, competition, and a roadmap for development and commercialization. Furthermore, he presented two valuable tools i.e., SWOT analysis and Overall Risk Assessment and Control (ORAC).

Pitch presentations

On the 27th of November, the 17 start-ups selected by the SPREAD2INNO project had the opportunity to present their businesses to the audience composed of investors and entrepreneurs in the Conference & Cultural Center of the University of Patras. These start-ups benefited from immediate feedback provided by the audience after their presentations. Once all the pitches were completed, the 5 successful finalists were revealed at the conclusion of the event’s second day during an Award Ceremony. The 17 start-ups that had the opportunity to present their innovations are the following:

• WS-AS Work Station Analysis System, development of smart factory software tools and solutions tailored to any process
• NO WASTE a specialized online Marketplace exclusively designed for products near their date marking (Best before & Use by)
• MOOD a mobile app that allows users to listen to the music playing in venues around them in real-time, while amplifying exposure for DJs and venues
• Vivestia a pioneering online booking platform specializing in luxury villas, 5-star hotels, and yachts, uniquely presented through Virtual Reality Tours
• Carexchange a game-changing donation marketplace for bridging the gap between people’s donations and charities’ real needs, while converting all money into goods directly, in order to minimize the risk of corrupted donation management and maximize donors’ impact
• iCadran enhancing the safety, trustworthiness, and adoption of automated vehicles by tackling technical and non-technical hurdles via a comprehensive and interdisciplinary strategy, fostering collaboration between subject matter experts and the general public
• Chiron Sports a platform where anatomic and technical metrics are used to design the perfect personalized footwear
• Altosight a trusted source for flexible data-driven pricing strategies that offers advanced price monitoring and market insights to help eRetailers and brands thrive in a competitive landscape, simply and effectively
• TERRA+ monitoring and recording agri-food products during their life in the supply chain, from the production unit to the consumer’s shelf
• AI and Cannabinoids a platform presenting trained AI ChatBots that provides specialised information on cannabinoids and their therapeutic applications
• C-BEMS a cloud-based solution, which provides the strong computational power to implement advanced algorithms for any range of buildings, and also it helps to reduce the initial investment cost for various buildings as it transforms the calculation power to the cloud
• H-CAM a one – stop – shop in Southeastern (SE) Europe, providing integrated services and technological solutions, research, training and education to all interested in the field of Additive Manufacturing
• Luca a low-cost, data-driven tool for identification of mental health problem symptoms, targeted mainly at athletes
• AUTONOMA creation of autonomous systems for defence and civil applications through the experience gained by participation in several RTD European projects
• LCLCLC (Lunar Cargo) Two complementary designs for delivering Cargo to the Lunar surface, where one is capable of landing payloads of very large dimensions and mass (OPLONAS) and the other for express deliveries of parcels (MACEDONAS)
• Dataphoria an innovative analytics-as-a-service platform designed specifically for sustainability metrics, that helps any company, organization, or city that wants to measure, optimize and communicate its sustainability transition accurately and effectively
• PHEE A clean-tech technology for the production of bio-based composite surfaces for the construction industry, using the dead leaf of the vascular sea plant Posidonia Oceanica as the main resource

The five selected startups that won the competition and will have the opportunity to take part in our SPREAD2INNO Academies are Dataphoria, LCLCLC (Lunar Cargo), H-CAM, C-BEMS and iCadran. To learn more about the individual startups please visit the official SPREAD2INNO website. The competition was a resounding success, with participating companies showcasing a diverse range of innovative solutions to address pressing challenges in a variety of sectors. The presentations were of high quality and they indicated creativity and commitment.

Overall, the fifth SPREAD2INNO local event was a success, as demonstrated through the evaluation that was performed by the startups themselves, connecting important innovation ecosystem stakeholders, and supporting promising startups, in the context of a major innovation fair (Patras IQ).