As one of many main pan-European competitions, EIT Digital Challenge goals to establish one of the best European deep tech entrepreneurs and assist them scale up internationally. Since its launch in 2014, the competitors has attracted 1000’s of purposes from greater than 33 European international locations. Again for its Ninth Version, EIT Digital Problem seeks fast-growing corporations with a differentiated product providing throughout Digital Tech, Digital Cities, Digital Business, Digital Wellbeing & Digital Finance. Lots of the earlier successful scaleups have moved on to develop into internationally profitable corporations.
Uncover SidekickHealth – an EIT Digital Success Story
In 2019, Nordic digital therapeutics (DTx) innovator SidekickHealth competed within the EIT Digital Problem and from a discipline of tons of of candidates was chosen as a finalist within the Digital Wellbeing class.
Beginning in January 2020, Sidekick was actively supported by the fundraising specialists in EIT Digital Accelerator’s Entry to Finance crew. The crew’s specialists helped Sidekick launch and coordinate a spherical that closed at USD 20 million. The spherical was led by Wellington Companions (Germany) and ASABYS Companions (Spain), with participation by current traders Novator (UK) and Frumtak Ventures (Iceland).
“The EIT Digital Accelerator crew delivered crucial help throughout this course of and was key within the profitable closing of our fundraising: along with offering invaluable suggestions and recommendation, their systematic administration of the method and coordinated efforts allowed us to satisfy with all the fitting traders from throughout Europe in a really brief time period.”, says Dr. Tryggvi Thorgeirsson, CEO & Co-Founding father of SidekickHealth.
Study extra from EIT Digital’s Fundraising Specialists
We spoke to Francisco Ibañez Diez & Daniel Auriel, Fundraising Specialists from EIT Digital’s Entry-to-Finance Workforce to study extra in regards to the prize – entry into the EIT Digital Accelerator price € 50 thousand – in addition to in regards to the EIT Digital Problem.
The success of SidekickHealth is inspiring – what are the important thing components that, in your opinion, permit scaleups to get essentially the most out of a collaboration with the EIT Digital Accelerator program?
Sidekick Well being was certainly a fantastic story. The credit score belongs to them. They’re the most effective groups we’ve labored with in this system: they have been so quick and environment friendly that we may nearly barely sustain with them, to be trustworthy.
On the whole, scaleups get essentially the most worth out of participation within the EIT Digital accelerator after they come effectively ready however are nonetheless desirous to study. These founders which have given numerous thought to the small print of their enterprise might be in a fantastic place to behave on the skilled recommendation EIT Digital’s entry to finance crew can present.
In your expertise, why do you imagine EIT Digital is ideally positioned to assist startups & scaleups increase funds and speed up their enterprise?
Our crew of expertise financing specialists is aware of what it takes for digital ventures to safe funding from skilled enterprise capital traders. Our data of the funding course of and deep understanding of traders’ exacting necessities make all of the distinction to your funding success.
Leveraging a community of 1000+ traders, EIT Digital Accelerator has straight facilitated over €130 million in funding for its portfolio corporations. In whole, the portfolio and alumni scaleups have raised near €1 billion.
Moreover, one of many challenges of fundraising startups is getting investor consideration, as everyone knows. With the ability to have heat introductions via our intensive “reside” community makes an actual distinction. Not solely that, however we are able to additionally leverage our place within the EU-Fee ecosystem after we “cold-reach” traders exterior our unique community as we repeatedly discover potential matches for our portfolio corporations.
The EU-Fee model is understood by just about everybody, all over the place, and it’s acknowledged that gamers belonging to this ecosystem are severe, credible, {and professional}. This permits us to open many doorways that may in any other case not react to chilly outreach efforts.
Are you able to introduce our readers to the EIT Digital Entry-to-Finance crew? What are its features and the way can scaleups profit from interacting with them?
The Entry-to-Finance crew is made up of very senior people with various and complementary backgrounds. All of them have a direct startup and/or enterprise capital expertise, i.e. they’ve all been on one or either side of the fundraising/funding fence. They every intently cowl a area the place they preserve direct private contacts with dozens, even tons of, of traders.
Every firm that joins this system is mentored and supported by certainly one of them personally, and by the entire crew collectively because the progress and challenges of every firm are debated in weekly crew conferences. Right here, every part related is addressed, from fundraising technique and investor focusing on to knowledge room and documentation, from presentation abilities to due diligence – it’s all lined. Every entrepreneur is uniquely refined, and we regulate how we help them as wanted, all the best way till the funding is signed and wired.
The method by which this help is given is characterised by two phases:
- Funding Readiness (Section 1): The EIT Digital Accelerator will overview and talk about with the scaleups relating to fundraising materials and assist them to current their exercise precisely in enterprise phrases and a construction acquainted to monetary traders. The fundraising materials features a crisp Two-Liner, a One-page Teaser, and a Pitch Deck. As well as, the Accelerator will coach the administration and founders of the scaleups by way of particular person and group coaching to professionalize presentation methods and abilities with the intention to make one of the best impression and promoting level to potential traders.
- Assembly Traders (Section 2): After efficiently finishing the primary section of the Entry to Finance Program, the Accelerator will introduce potential traders from its ecosystem to the scaleups. The target of those introductions is to set off curiosity from potential traders who might request follow-up conferences and discussions.
What can the finalists of the EIT Digital Problem count on from the unique closed-door occasion?
Every of the 20 chosen finalists will obtain an all-expenses-paid journey to Brussels for the ultimate occasion. At this unique occasion, finalists could have non-public entry to dozens of VCs. And naturally, they’ll achieve this within the firm of different high-performing scaleups from throughout Europe. The spotlight of the day might be a pitch competitors the place every finalist could make the case for why they are going to be Europe’s subsequent digital unicorn.
The day will wrap up with a VIP dinner the place all finalists could have one more probability to carry direct conversations with VCs. Whereas the 5 winners will stroll away with a spot within the EIT Digital Accelerator program, all 20 finalists will obtain free advertising and marketing promotion by EIT Digital, acknowledging their distinguished place amongst Europe’s finest deep tech scaleups.
Are there any further advantages corporations ought to count on by accessing the EIT Digital Accelerator program?
In addition to every part talked about above, the Accelerator will present a wide range of progress and help providers to scaleups to permit them to increase all through and probably past Europe. For instance:
- EXCLUSIVE INVESTOR MEETINGS & EVENTS – Focused connections to the fitting VCs and company enterprise funds & entry to unique investor occasions.
- EXPERTISE ON DEEP TECH SCALEUPS – Our crew consists of specialists with engineering backgrounds that perceive effectively the potential of applied sciences and their associated enterprise fashions.
- MARKET READINESS – By way of the help of a devoted crew of Enterprise Builders, the Accelerator will present help to scaleups to get able to launch their enterprise in a number of European international locations and even the US.
- STRATEGIC COACHING – Provisioning of skilled teaching and strategic recommendation to speed up progress & go-to-market methods to commercialize mature applied sciences and progressive options.
- ACCESS TO MARKET – EIT Digital Accelerator will actively help scaleups by figuring out worldwide prospects and facilitating introductions.
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