S3E Charge: Meet the startups selected to join the 2024 cohort

After a very competitive and thorough selection process, and thanks to the expert help of the S3E Evaluators, we are very excited to announce the startups that have been selected to join the second edition of S3E Charge!

During the second Open Call for S3E Charge — which launched on 18 September 2023 and closed on 12 December 2023 — we received a total of 47 applications from growth startups from all across Southern Europe. From those, 17 have been selected to conform the new cohort of S3E Charge. Keep on reading to find out who they are!

Meet the 17 startups selected for S3E Charge 2024

Baukunst 🇪🇸

Based in Valencia, Baukunst is a heritage preservation specialist startup building 3D and Augmented Reality applications to build immersive experiences around monuments and cultural sites. They embrace tradition and modernity to provide solutions that transcend temporal boundaries, while fostering appreciation and understanding of historical heritage. The team is led by CEO Adolfo Bartolome Ibañez Vila, CTO David Cervera Vila and CDO Sebastians Jans.

BEDEV 🇵🇹

Founded by Gonçalo Pereira da Fonseca, BEDEV is a Portuguese medtech startup using 3D printing to develop early stage medical devices that are environmentally, socially and economically friendlier, while keeping patient safety at their core.

Bomensoft 🇹🇷

Turkish startup Bomensoft Computer Technologies is specialised in artificial intelligence technologies. It operates as an R&D company, conducting research and leading on designs around AI-related concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Learning. Founded in 2020 in Konya, Türkiye, by Bora Ozdemir.

CRIAM 🇵🇹

Headquartered in Braga (Portugal), CRIAM follows a clear mission: to ensure every patient that needs help is adequately diagnosed and treated. With this aim in mind, this startup has developed a multi-purpose, electricity independent, easy-to-use and portable single-test Point of Care (PoC) diagnostics tool for rapid, highly accurate, automatized (no human error) and affordable blood testing. The team is led by CEO Victor Crespo and CSO Ljiljana Dukanovic.

DataFruit IIoT 🇧🇬

Bulgarian startup DataFruit IIoT is building an integrated platform which gathers, monitors, manages and analyses trends for sustainable manufacturing of goods and green energy. Their ambition is to help organisations become more effective and adopt planet-friendly practices.

Ecobubble 🇮🇹

Established in Rome in 2019, Ecobubble is an innovative green tech startup that promotes new ways to design and manage green areas by optimising water management, reducing local pollutants and improving the quality of agricultural products in urban environments – they’re current developing their newest project, Plantiverse. The team is led by Co-Founders Nicola Nestacelli and Federico Di Vincenzo.

ELNAV.AI 🇭🇷

Croatian startup ELNAV.AI works with the latest technology in speech recognition to offer a competitive advantage in the maritime industry, enhancing communication and reducing navigational errors. The team includes CEO Hrvoje Mihovilović, Software Developer Ivan Biliškov, and Marketing Director Mislav Biondić.

EntoProtein 🇬🇷

Co-founded by Greek entrepreneurs George Rodopoulos and Alexandros Simalidis, EntoProtein are committed to providing innovative and sustainable insect-derived protein products to help solve global food challenges. Their mission is to create a healthier, more sustainable food system, having sustainability, innovation and compassion as their flagship values.

eXRciser 🇪🇸

Spanish health-tech startup eXRciser combines the power of wellness and extended reality (XR) to take the workout game to the next level, implementing elements of immersive technology, gamification and hyper-personalisation to enhance individuals’ physical activity and overall wellbeing. The core team, located in Madrid, is led by Co-Founder Francisco Ros Peran and CTO Manuel Pasamontes.

Innervoices 🇪🇸

Innervoices is a revolutionary app designed to reconnect with inner selves. By providing personalised insights and guidance, it empowers individuals to navigate life’s dilemmas thanks to cutting-edge technology and social science research. This Barcelona-based tech startup was co-founded by Maja Završnik and Mel Awasi.

Intellectra Technologies 🇨🇾

Headquartered in Nicosia, Intellectra‘s mission is to reshape the wireless cybersecurity landscape for safeguarding and supporting the digital infrastructures of the future. They focus on pushing boundaries in multiprotocol wireless systems and platforms, as well as developing intricate mechanical solutions like Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing. The core team includes CEO Michalis Kyriacou, CTO Makis Christou and Projects Director Christos Mavrides.

ivoluntry 🇬🇷

Greek startup ivoluntry has built a digital platform focused on organising and improving the conditions of volunteering activities. It connects volunteers with actions, offers appropriate digital support to institutions, enhances scientific research through volunteer actions and contributes to the development of voluntourism. The team is led by CEO Andreas Kountouras, CMO Errika Zeler and CTO Antipas Azoidis.

MOVEN 🇪🇸

MOVEN is a Spanish innovation consultancy specialised in bringing new solutions into the urban mobility sector, with a key focus on helping Southern European cities and businesses transforming their approach to urban design, transportation, and more. The team is led by CEO Sergio Diez and Innovation Manager Inmaculada Caballero.

Nanomik Biotechnology 🇹🇷

Turkish startup Nanomik develops and produces microencapsulated biopesticides for food and agricultural products that protects them against food spoilage without affecting their quality. Their R&D team, led by Aslı Erdoğ, is specialised in formulation development, new bio-molecule discovery, bio-engineering of microorganisms and process development for bio-manufacturing. The rest of the core team includes Co-Founders Buse Berber Örçen and Arda Örçen.

Orbiba Robotics 🇹🇷

Agri-tech startup Orbiba Robotics operates under a well determined philosophy: “People become what they eat”. To support organic agriculture practitioners become highly efficient, they design and build small, affordable robots that have a minimal carbon footprint, operate on renewable energy and offer a high-return on investment. Funded by ilker Bektas.

QX 🇲🇰

An innovative tech startup from North Macedonia, QX is pioneering a decentralised consumer network that reshapes European B2C retail interactions, leveraging blockchain for enhanced consumer and retail experiences. The team is led by its Co-Founder and CEO, Zoran Nasteski.

Rosey’s Mark 🇧🇬

With a combined knowledge in high-tech and cosmetic science, Rosey’s Mark uses the Bulgarian rose flower as a valuable multi-purpose ingredient to create high quality and clean label functional food products. Their goal is to support the wellbeing of the conscious consumers around the world in a sustainable and non-invasibe way. The team is led by Co-Founders Rositsa Paunova-Dlagnekova and Ina Abadjieva.

S3E CHARGE is a program that we have designed for growth start-ups with deep tech products, services, or process concepts, grounded in a scientific discovery or meaningful engineering innovation and at a growth development stage, that are already in the market. The program will facilitate selected growth startups to be better aligned with Horizon Europe’s goals, namely by better positioning them to apply for public or private funding and programs, assisting them in linking their business offerings to market needs and becoming market ready to pitch and attract investments whilst having validated and honed their business plan and value proposition.

During the following 14 weeks, the selected startups will participate in a tailor-made mentoring and networking program that aims to provide skills to growth startups to enable them to:

link the product/service/process product with market needs,
better communicate their offerings to potential clients and investors,
become market ready to pitch, persuade and readapt the business offerings to different audiences, depending on market needs
connect to ‘Innovation Leaders’ and ‘Strong Innovators’ Ecosystems
better understand to protect IP
prepare an investment ready business plan
get access to funds and funding

The whole South3E consortium is very proud to welcome these 17 startups into the S3E Charge program. Stay tuned for more updates on their journey with S3E!