The first barrier we faced is that experts that are great teachers have a hard time providing general courses and mentoring at the same time. In other words, expert teaching is difficult to scale. At the same time, we notice that bringing start-ups together on specific dates can be an arduous task. We prefer highly customized, flexible online courses that contain the basics and fit concisely the needed information to go to the next stage. This gave the light to the first tool: a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

A total of 16 courses are included in this MOOC with the first 9 courses focused on business design and understanding customer requirements, and therefore are universal to all start-ups. The remaining 7 are more technical sessions that delve into IoT and GNSS aspects of a commercial solution. Throughout the trainings, the experts refer to a variety of external support materials. Links to these material can be found below each video. The learning can be tested at the end of each session with a fun quiz.

     

On a second note, we saw several founders struggling with finding the right process and structure to start and build new revenue streams. For this we developed the Entrepreneur’s Playbook providing a customized and comprehensive entrepreneurial toolkit. It allows promising entrepreneurs to unlock unique business opportunities in several interesting markets. This playbook will help teams go through their business journey with a series of self-directed exercises addressing key questions to understand customer challenges, define products & services, design a business model as well as get practical instructions in preparing to pitch. You can just skip and use whatever segment is relevant for you.

We are really happy with the results of these 2 tools and the great feedback we get from our start-ups. Even so that we are making these available for free to use for all of our start-ups. Let’s make new businesses fly through both tools.

For more information about our incubation program, visit our website.

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The CASSINI Hackathons and Mentoring, initiated by the European Union and its space program, is a series of 6 hackathons that tackle global challenges using European space technologies. Now in its 3rd edition, this hackathon provides access to European space data, information and signals from Copernicus, Galileo and EGNOS, plus other valuable tools to help participants take on one of our three pressing challenges. The top ideas will be awarded at both local and EU levels, and the overall winners will enter a 6-month mentoring program that includes 100 hours of customized expert mentoring.

Here’s what to expect

If you’re a rising innovator in Europe, you’re invited to participate in the CASSINI Hackathon at one of our 10 locations. Each hackathon location features its own unique set of experts, prizes, and additional special features. Once you select a location, it’s time for registration, team formation and ideation! Your team will choose to solve one of three challenges, all related to the theme of European tourism:

1. Creating sustainable destinations: Develop innovative ideas or design new products or services that reduce the carbon footprint of tourism travel. For this challenge, participants are encouraged to explore the areas of carbon footprint measurement, alternative destinations or modes of transport, online travel agents and other intermediaries, disruptive travel concepts, and understanding travel patterns between cities or countries.
2. Experiencing lesser-known cities and cultures: Develop innovative ideas or design new products or services to offer travelers a unique and sustainable way to experience local destinations while supporting local businesses and communities. For this challenge, participants are encouraged to explore the areas of crowd management and slow tourism, personal recommendations and itineraries, social recognition and social media, state-of-the-art virtual travel experiences, and supporting local businesses and communities.
3. Exploring nature with care: Develop innovative ideas or design new products or services to offer tourists a unique and sustainable opportunity to explore our nature. For this challenge, participants are encouraged to explore the areas of conservation of local nature and biodiversity, social recognition, and social media, supporting local businesses and communities, the generation of (new) routes and points of interest, and tourist information about the environmental state of areas.

Get your spot

Remember, no previous space experience is required! This is your chance to engage with the sector, even if it’s for the first time. The application process couldn’t be easier: simply choose a challenge and decide how you’ll leverage EU space technologies to reshape European tourism. Register here: hackathons.cassini.eu

Hackers aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of the CASSINI Hackathons & Mentoring. If you’d like to participate as an organizer or mentor, we’d love to hear from you. All interested individuals, organisations, companies, and institutions are invited to apply to support the next generation of space-based entrepreneurs. Information on how to get involved can be found here for mentors and organizers.

Now is your chance to become part of this exciting European initiative to promote EU Space technology and its many applications. Hack with a purpose and leverage EU space data, services, and signals to strengthen and transform the way Europe does tourism! More information: hackathons.cassini.eu

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Start-ups pitch innovative solutions

At the end of September seven start-ups started the Medical Solutions Accelerator. During the pitching day that followed, they each presented their innovative idea to a jury of experts in medical product development and investors. The jury assessed the start-ups based on their product or service, action plan and the competences within the team.

A-Sense Lab was named winner of the accelerator thanks to their strong concept, plan and team. This start-up develops a new, pioneering photo-electrochemical detection technology for biomarkers in cancer research. These markers are important for cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow up.

“At the start of this accelerator, we mainly focused on the detection technology. During the workshop we could develop the underlying concept, plan for the future, map stakeholders and their needs. This way we can start building a groundbreaking platform for cancer diagnosis and follow-up based on photo-electrochemical biomarkers. This will make the treatment process faster, easier and less expensive,” Elise Daems, Sara Melis and Simone Bassini from A-Sense Lab, managed by professor Karolien De Wael.

Guidance by medical, R&D and technology

The Medical Solutions Accelerator is an initiative of the city of Antwerpen, UAntwerpen, UZA and Verhaert to stimulate Antwerp entrepreneurship and medical innovation. During six intense workshops and coaching sessions, the teams were structurally guided and challenged to finetune their product or service, and to consider their value proposition, users and potential market. The unique combination of experts in medical innovation, product development and clinical research gave them a new perspective on their challenges and necessary insights to tackle them

“We’ve seen the start-ups grow enormously in the last three months. The pitching day showed that these teams are ready to start looking for investors and roll out their action plan. These disruptive innovations are poised to shake up the medical landscape,” says An-Katrien Huijghebaert, coordinator Medical Solutions Accelerator for Verhaert.

Connect with the coaches & start-ups

Keeping an eye on new players in the medical and healthcare market can help your company to stay on top. Interested to connect with the coaches from this accelerator program and its start-ups? Leave your details below!

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Why is it so important to support innovative start-ups?

“Nobody doubts the importance of innovation. It’s increasingly seen as the solution to just about every social problem. However, innovating isn’t easy. In fact, the success rate of innovation is statistically rather low. As a service provider, we therefore help companies and entrepreneurs to innovate successfully by taking a systematic approach. We do this extensively with corporations for both their core innovations and for developing adjacent products and new product lines. In addition, we support disruptive innovations that typically challenge the rules of a particular sector. That kind of innovation is best done in a start-up setting.”

What exactly does Verhaert do in that context?

“We launched the ‘MyStartUp initiative’ about four years ago. With this, we support start-ups all over Europe in their very first phase, that is conceptualizing and realizing a proof of concept, both on a technical and commercial level. We do this in the form of various local and international thematic incubation and acceleration programs, and in partnership with various European, Belgian and Flemish initiatives. More information about these thematic programs can be found at mystartup.be.”

“Specifically, we coach start-ups in data, medical and IoT applications and space technology to help them to receive government support. Moreover, we provide access to our engineering services at a discount rate. In this way, we have already helped about five hundred start-ups from Finland to Greece get off to a good start in recent years. So we can surely say that we are successful at this.”

The need for support does not end for start-ups after realizing a proof of concept.

Why did you choose to also collaborate with imec.istart?

“The need for support does not end for start-ups after realizing a proof of concept. To take the next steps in further developing and launching their product, they need venture capital and additional substantive guidance. Verhaert also wants to give substance to this. Preferably, we do not do this by investing directly ourselves, because that could lead to conflicts of interest. We therefore chose to collaborate with the imec.istart fund based on their proven track record as a leading business acceleration program and more than two hundred participants, their sector independence, and the corresponding market approach and complementarity in coaching towards business and product readiness.”

What type of start-ups do you specifically target with this?

“We focus our fund on young technology companies, but our substantive contribution is strongest in start-ups with a hybrid proposition with both a physical product and software. We have seen this type of company emerge more and more frequently at imec.istart in recent years because of the rise of IoT. Consequently, the fund broadened from software technology ventures to deep technology ventures. These ventures involve more physical products and therefore more substantial R&D and product development. Start-ups with concepts in IoT, life sciences and even space often need a hardware component and guidance in product innovation.”

How do Verhaert and imec.istart complement each other?

“The guidance of this type of start-up requires specific expertise. In this respect, the collaboration between imec.istart and Verhaert is an enormous added value. After all, we specialize in hardware and hybrid systems, while imec.istart focuses more on digital and micro-electronics. We provide a flow-through to start-ups from our own early stage acceleration programs to the imec.istart business acceleration program.”

“Complementary to imec.istart’s coaching towards investment and business readiness, we guide the start-ups in their product readiness track. Verhaert also co-invested in the capital increase, which allowed the fund to grow from 12.5 million euros to more than thirty million euros. Finally, we also participate in the board of Istart Fund and its investment decisions.”

From an interview with MediaPlanet for ‘De Kracht van Vlaanderen’.

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7 ambitious medical start-ups

The second edition of this accelerator consists of another varied group of start-ups. For example, there are start-ups that focus on medical software and diagnostic and imaging devices, others focus on digital innovation with user apps and IoT solutions.

“It’s nice to see how these start-ups dare to challenge the status quo and implement new technologies in a crucial market. We’re honored to help these start-ups during these important steps within their entrepreneurial process and to help innovate the medical sector,” says Wouter Hendrickx, Manager Innovation Acceleration Solutions – Smart Life Sciences at Verhaert.

Coaching program for successful medical innovation

Developing a successful innovative medical product or service requires an iterative learning process of analyzing and adjusting. The Medical Solutions Accelerator accelerates this process with innovation methods provided by experts in medical and technological innovation in 5 intensive workshops.

The start-ups themselves are already enthusiastic, as Sara Melis, Project Manager of Enviromics (UAntwerp) agrees: “Challenging, stimulating and inspiring! The first session of the Medical Solutions Accelerator was an eye-opener for our A-Sense Lab Team. Thanks to the support of experts, we can develop our new technology for cancer detection in the most optimal way with great attention to the needs of pathologists and cancer patients.”

Pitch & networking event on 3 December

The program finishes on 3 December with a pitch and networking event. During the pitch event, a jury of experts in medical product development, MedTech entrepreneurs and investors will choose the most promising start-up. This will be followed by a networking event where the start-ups and companies from the MedTech sector can meet.

Connect with the coaches & start-ups

Keeping an eye on new players in the medical and healthcare market can help your company to stay on top. Interested to connect with the coaches from this accelerator program and its start-ups? Leave your details below!

The post Second edition Medical Solutions Accelerator starts successfully appeared first on Verhaert Masters in Innovation.

The post Second edition Medical Solutions Accelerator starts successfully appeared first on Verhaert Masters in Innovation.

Why this program

The Medical Solutions Accelerator gives medical start-ups access to a unique mix of state-of-the-art technology with breakthrough product innovation services. In addition, they’ll get input from end-users and medical experts in a clinical setting, and access funding and investment opportunities. Thanks to this program start-ups will launch a valuable and successful medical solution, validated by user and patient experience in clinical testing.

What to expect

This year 8 ambitious start-ups will be selected to refine their innovative idea with coaches from UAntwerpen, UZA and Verhaert. The 3-month program consists of:

• 5 inspiring workshops to guide the medical solutions towards market success,
• One-on-one coaching from industry experts & access to specialist equipment,
• A pitch event in which a jury of innovation experts, entrepreneurs and investors will select the most promising medical business and product concept.

Join the Medical Solutions Accelerator

Are you the ambitious start-up we are looking for? Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to boost your innovative idea. Submit your idea before 2 July 2021. Visit the Medical Solutions Accelerator website for more information and application.

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European space hackathons & mentoring

The contract has a potential value of up to €3.6 million and will implement the European Space Hackathons & Mentoring program on behalf of the European Commission. It includes a series of 2 hackathons in 2021 and another 4 hackathons in the following 2 years upon renewal of the contract. It is a first step within the Competitive Space Start-ups for Innovation (CASSINI) initiative of the European Commission to grow the number of start-ups that successfully commercialize innovative European space technologies.

Each hackathon runs simultaneously at up to 10 locations. For the organization of the hackathons and mentoring, we count on the support of local organizers, for whom this is a great opportunity to enter the fascinating market of space-based innovation and entrepreneurship.

Boost chances to succeed & accelerate growth

The CASSINI initiative will boost the opportunities for space start-ups to succeed thanks to technical and business support. On the other hand, it will accelerate their growth and scale-up by attracting more private investors. CASSINI streamlines existing initiatives and contemplates new ones, to support innovation and start-ups. As part of the European Strategy for SMEs it will create a coherent, long term, structured, focused and scalable public support mechanism.

Foster the commercialization of European space technologies

Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship among the space community in Europe is a topic close to the hearts of Verhaert Masters in Innovation and SpaceTec Partners. Thomas Tanghe, Partner at SpaceTec Partners: “The new CASSINI hackathons will build on the legacy of innovation programs our companies jointly implemented for space such as the Copernicus Accelerator and Point.IoT. Together, we are looking forward to continuing our efforts toward fostering awareness and user uptake for the components of the European Space Program: Copernicus, Galileo, EGNOS, GOVSATCOM and Space Situational Awareness (SSA).”

Sam Waes, Program Manager for the OpenLab at Verhaert Masters in Innovation, adds: “We want to integrate the CASSINI hackathons in a relevant space ecosystem. Thanks to our well-developed methodology and innovative approach, we are experienced in reaching audiences in- and outside the space community, covering multiple professional fields with a very broad geographic coverage in Europe. During the hackathons, we want to encourage human interactions and give start-ups access to a wide pool of mentors.”

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Start-ups pitch innovative solutions during jury moment

At the end of September, 5 start-ups started the Medical Solutions Accelerator program, an initiative of UAntwerp, UZA and Verhaert. With this initiative they joined forces to stimulate the Antwerp entrepreneurial climate and the medical innovation landscape. During the jury moment on 4 December, each participating team pitched their innovative idea.

A jury of experts in medical product development, venture capitalist QBic and an external venture capital consultant assessed the pitches. It then chose a winner based on the disruptive nature of the product, plan of action and competences within the team. The start-up that best meets these criteria is EmboCraft Medical. They developed a dynamic stent solution and won a follow-up trajectory, provided by the 3 partners of the acceleration program.

We believe that our technology offers a new treatment in which stents adapt after implantation. We first focus on a specific type of blood vessel dilation and rupture in the brain, fusiform brain stem aneurysms, because they are still very challenging to treat and deadly for most patients within 1 to 2 years. In addition, this technology will be valuable for cardiovascular or abdominal aneurysms by modifying the stent.
Mark Vekemans, founder and CEO of EmboCraft Medical

Expert guidance in the medical sector, R&D and technology

The 5 promising start-ups each took part in the Medical Solutions Accelerator to contribute to the medical sector. Over the past months, the start-ups were challenged during 6 intensive days to think about their ideas, stakeholders and the different facets of both product and company development.

The start-ups could explore and define their ideas thanks to the successful combination of guidance by experts in the medical sector, product development and scientific research. This way they gained insight into their current challenges on the one hand, and how they can refine their product in order to tackle these challenges head-on on the other hand.

Due to the successful start of the acceleration program and the commitment of the different start-ups, the partners are already preparing the next edition. Supporting start-ups and sharing passion not only gives us satisfaction, it also ensures that we remain resilient as a society in these challenging times.
Wouter Hendrickx, Business Development Manager – Smart Medical at Verhaert

Visit medical-solutions-accelerator.be

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Coaching trajectory for starting medical entrepreneurs

The ultimate goal of the Medical Solutions Accelerator is to bring innovative medical technology to the market in a sustainable way. A successful product focuses on the needs and requirements of the end user, in this case the patient. Developing such an innovative product requires an iterative learning process and adequate adjustments. It is precisely this gap that the short-term medical acceleration program of UAntwerpen, UZA and Verhaert Masters in Innovation fills in.

Medical Solutions Accelerator wants to nourish starting medical entrepreneurs. We offer them support of innovation experts and medical R&D insights of Verhaert, technological IP and testing facilities of UAntwerp and access to high quality medical experts of the University Hospital of Antwerp.
Silvia Lenaerts, Vice-Chancellor Valorization at UAntwerp

Unique combination of R&D, technology and clinical experts

The acceleration program unites expertise in technology and product development in the medical sector, as well as in public and private funding sources and patient testing. By applying this unique combination of expertise in the early stages of development, many of the fundamental conditions are met for successful innovation.

With the Medical Solutions Accelerator, business world, university and healthcare work hand in hand to support start-ups and help them become successful start-ups.
Wouter Hendrickx, Business Development Manager – Smart Medical at Verhaert

Pitchevent on December 4

The accelerator consists of a five-day program spread out in the coming months, in which 5 motivated teams refine their product. On the 4th of December, the program ends with a celebratory pitch event. A jury of innovation experts, entrepreneurs and investors will announce the most promising medical business and product concept.

medical-solutions-accelerator.be

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Develop IoT solutions with satellite positioning

The uptake of IoT is growing rapidly and immense amounts of data are being generated every day. Using these interconnected devices enables new insights and faster reactions and responses. Using Galileo, on the other hand, allows for more reliable and accurate positioning. Its increased availability enables IoT devices to determine their position even in demanding urban environments. Combining IoT and Galileo technologies can make a positive impact on industry innovation and result in breakthrough solutions, which is the purpose of Point.IoT.

Point.IoT in a nutshell

Each year, ten teams of at least two ambitious entrepreneurs will be selected to develop the next generation of IoT solutions. Point.IoT will help turn their ideas into real-world solutions as teams engage in a 3-month virtual sprint. Discover the full program.

The application process is simple, and our online platform provides step-by-step guidance. Make sure to review the evaluation criteria to ensure you have the best chance of being selected for the program. Next, you choose an industry challenge, apply on the platform and wait for confirmation.

More than a start-up accelerator program

For start-ups

Aside from the chance to win €20.000, we provide tailor-made training, tasks and advice from industry experts to transform your ideas into reality. We partner with real companies faced with real challenges, which means access to industry partners who will validate your solution throughout the program. Your technical, business and creative skills will be tested as you generate innovative solutions that have real market needs. During the virtual design sprint our industry experts and mentors will roll up their sleeves together with you to give a boost to your development journey.

For corporations

Point.IoT allows you to find solutions and/or start-ups for your industry needs. Supply your specific challenge and the selected teams will create innovative solutions, guided by our industry experts. Get connected to the Point.IoT community to explore further collaboration with the developers, startups and technology expert community. Moreover, the Point.IoT entrepreneurs will showcase their successful projects during our demo day as a door-opener for fruitful collaboration and lasting partnerships.

For investors

Find new promising start-ups and investment opportunities during our demo day. Throughout the Point.IoT program ten teams of ambitious entrepreneurs will develop IoT solutions using Galileo technologies guided by industry experts.

Get started with Galileo and IoT!

Think you have what it takes to design the ultimate industry solution?
Point.IoT wants to hear from you.

Interested in becoming an industry representative, investor or partner?
Leave your information through the Verhaert contact form or the Point.IoT contact form to get involved.

For more information, please visit: www.point-iot.eu

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