Now that the South3E consortium has officially announced , you may be wondering which of the 3 available tracks is the right one for you. We spoke with Christina Deligianni, Policy and Programmes Director at Institute for Sustainable Development at EPLO and leader of S3E Charge, to share all the key insights about this accelerator program created to support Southern European startups at their growth stage.
Hi Christina! Tell us, what is the ethos behind S3E?
Our mission is to foster innovation and an entrepreneurship mindset in the South of Europe.
We want to do this by accelerating and incubating research teams and startups, and brokering deals and agreements between big corporations and SMEs. We focus on technologies that are grounded on either scientific discovery or meaningful innovation, so we can contribute towards deploying all those deep tech solutions that come from Southern European countries.
Social impact and economic growth are also two very important factors for us — all the nurturing we do within the European innovation ecosystem aims to build a more sustainable future. Therefore, all the projects, all the startups that are part of the S3E Program also have to be aligned with at least one of the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations.
What does the S3E Charge track offer to startups?
This is an acceleration program, so we’re looking for startups that have a product or a solution based on deep tech research and sustainability, and that wish to be accelerated.
The S3E Charge track is 14-weeks long, which requires a big commitment from the participants; in return, each startup is paired up with their own mentor – someone chosen from a pool of experts in their sector – and they get to attend our series of tailor-made webinars where they learn about a variety of topics: from marketing and sales, all the way to sustainable business models and strategies.
We also bring the selected statups closer to dilutive and non-dilutive funding opportunities, as well as networking with industry leaders and other innovators and entrepreneurs.
The participating startups will work on two deliverables: a business-ready plan and a professional pitch deck, which they will get to use when they pitch in front of potential investors at the celebratory open day that marks the end of the program.
How can startups apply to join the S3E Charge Program?
The first step would be to read all the information about the Program available on the Apply Now section of the S3E website. Those interested in applying need to and make sure to read them carefully before starting filling up their application on the F6S online platform.
Once we receive all applications, our panel of experts will review them; the selected startups will be publicly announced on 12 January and the program will officially start on 18 January.
If you are a startup in the growth stage and are looking for new opportunities to learn how to pitch your business to investors and access networking opportunities, I strongly encourage you apply for the S3E Charge Program. Remember, the application deadline is 15 December 2023. We look forward to, hopefully, welcoming you into the S3E Charge cohort of 2024!
Do you have any questions you’d like to ask Christina and the S3E team directly? Come along to one of our Info Webinars! Check all the upcoming sessions and register via Eventbrite.