S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: Rosey's Mark
Rosey's Mark is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with the co-founders of Rosey's Mark, Rositsa Paunova and Ina Abadjieva, to learn more about how this Bulgarian startup is combining scientific innovation and culinary art to develop rose-based edible and functional products that heal from within.
https://youtu.be/gPPHxlW7QF8?feature=shared
Hi Rositsa and Ina! Tell us about Rosey's Mark, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
Rositsa: Ina and I are sisters, and we've been working with the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose for more than 10 years. We're focused on the less known edible side of this flower, which is considered a national symbol of Bulgaria; we develop functional foods that use the powerful elements of this rose as a base, combining its interesting floral taste with its medical herbal characteristics.
Ina: We are officially classified as an innovative enterprise, as all our work relies on innovation. To create our products, we apply the latest scientific research available that corroborate the health benefits of Rosa Damascena.
How would you describe your entrepreneurship journey so far?
Ina: We've been on quite a long journey! We started when we were just graduating from our masters degree, and we thought that in five years we would be rocking the world... but now we know that to build a successful company it takes much longer than that, especially when you're starting from zero, developing a new market and acquiring all the knowledge you need.
Our journey has been filled with lots of learning and continuous development. We've progressed hugely since we started 10 years ago, but there's still a lot more to experience and conquer!
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
Rositsa: Right now, our business is in its second stage. After finishing our maternity leaves, we are now back stronger and with much more knowledge. Our products have been very well received in different markets; we sell mainly in Bulgaria, but also in Japan and Saudi Arabia, so now it's time to scale up and continue growing internationally, which is why this acceleration program is very important for us.
What are the key ambitions for Rosey's Mark? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Rositsa: In the next 5 years years, we see our business blooming, literally! As we said, we want to grow our market reach and also enter the e-commerce space, which should also help with our international development goals.
Ina: When somebody asks me "how do you imagine your business in 5 years", a few milestones come to mind right away; first, we will be already over 1 million euro revenue, and second we will have spread our rose power products to more than 100,000 people, helping them feel better every day.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you share with a fellow entrepreneur looking to launch their own startup?
Ina: My advice is to think wisely about two things: first, the motivation behind the initiative. What keeps you moving? Why are you doing this? Is your drive strong enough? Because there are going to be obstacles along the way, and your motivation is what will get you through them.
My second piece of advice is to think about your audience, your clients. Is your project, your solution truly valuable for them? Does it really help them? Make sure you're creating something with value for people, so that way you will have enough clients to develop a sustainable business.
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: BAUKUNST
BAUKUNST is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Adolfo Ibañez, CEO of BAUKUNST, to learn more about how his company based in Valencia is using innovative technologies like photogrammetry and virtual reality for heritage conservation, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/TE-0THylRVM?feature=shared
Hi Adolfo! Tell us about BAUKUNST, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We are based in Las Naves, a centre for social and urban innovation in Valencia. We have been working in Heritage for more than 15 years, and we are now looking for new business models related to heritage preservation, divulgation and financing.
We work with different technologies to create innovative procedures to preserve national and local heritage, such as historical architectural sites, through the digitization, virtualization and tokenization of digital assets. We work with photogrammetry, laser scanning, augmented and virtual reality, and 3D printing.
Our company's DNA is characterised by our passion to protect the historical memory of the places where we come from. In my case, my love for Valencia, its culture and its history has defined me as a person and has led me to this journey, towards preserving its cultural heritage.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
We knew we wanted to be a part of a European acceleration program focused on technology, because we need help to continue developing that side of our business. We were particularly interested in receiving an expert assessment on what we have done to this point, from a diverse approach towards innovation and deep tech, and S3E Charge was the best option for us.
What are the key ambitions for BAUKUNST? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
My dream is to continue growing this company to become a worldwide foundation. In the future, I want BAUKUNST to be capable of funding the renovation and preservation plans of any heritage in the world through a circular economy approach, utilising the latest digital technologies to make sure no historical or cultural landmark ever gets destroyed or forgotten.
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: Intellectra
Intellectra is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Michalis Kyriacou, Co-founder and CEO of Intellectra, to learn more about how this startup from Cyprus is using machine learning and other emerging technologies to protect the global cyber security landscape, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/XyvazfsVSyM?feature=shared
Hi Michalis! Tell us about Intellectra, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
Intellectra was founded in August 2023, on the sunny island of Cyprus, with the mission to redefine the wireless cyber security landscape. We are doing this by developing solutions for safeguarding modern, critical infrastructure and IoT infrastructure from emerging threats, utilising technologies like machine learning and homomorphic encryption.
How would you describe your entrepreneurship journey so far?
Intense but very rewarding. I'm doing something that I enjoy and it fulfils me, it completes me professionally as an engineer, but also as a personally because I can see that what I'm doing has a positive impact.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
We have joined the S3E accelerator to validate our business idea and also to benefit from the opportunities this program can offer, like learning opportunities, ideas exchange, and of course the networking.
What are the key ambitions for Intellectra? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
In five years, we want to to see Intellectra growing and leading the way in making wireless networks and devices safer. We want to establish new standards which can help rebuild the trust within society and contribute to secure our wireless interconnected world.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
Just go for it! It's tough, it's not an easy task, but it's totally worth it. And never let any opportunity slip away!
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: eXRciser
eXRciser is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Francisco Ros, Executive Chairman and CEO of eXRciser, to learn more about how this Spanish startup is bringing the latest AR and XR technologies into the wellness and health sectors, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/wU7EKhH4JBc?feature=shared
Hi Francisco! Tell us about eXRciser, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
After four years of working with advanced technologies for the wellness sector, at the end of 2021 we realised that virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) commercial devices were ready to be applied to the fitness world. We did some testing and we found that there was a need for an app which could guide users to execute physical exercises in a correct way. Gaming was good, but correct guidance to avoid injuries were clearly lacking.
We put together a multidisciplinary team and started to develop a virtual technology platform with that focus in mind; we successfully implemented an MVP (minimum viable product), and in September 2022 the eXRciser company was created.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
After making our product commercially available for the user via Meta's App Lab store, we have seen that our platform and app are uniquely positioned to be used across the health sector, in areas such as rehabilitation, cardiology, and to monitor and fight some chronic diseases, obesity and sedentarism, and more.
We are convinced that S3E can help us expanding our European footprint to identify both synergistic institutions and projects, as well as additional funding sources.
What are the key ambitions for eXRciser? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
We want to be the mixed and extended reality company of reference for safe and monitored wellness applications, both domestically and for specialised health applications. We are the only company offering adjustable body tracking and a private recording system for easy use by professionals, like personal trainers, physiotherapist or coaches. One of our mottos says: "Do it right, do it with us, don't be injured and enjoy the benefits."
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
Be brave, be focused, be creative, never forget the user. And be prepared to resist — receiving external funding takes longer than you expect.
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S3E celebrates the Charge Open Day 2024 to introduce Southern Europe's top deep tech startups
Want to find out more about the teams pitching on the Open Day? ➡️
The South3E consortium is thrilled to be hosting an online Open Day on 24th April to introduce the 17 startups participating in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded Acceleration Program for deep tech growth startups.
After completing the 14-week program of training and mentoring focused on developing an investment-ready business plan, the 17 selected startups are now ready to start accessing dilutive and non-dilutive funding opportunities within Europe and beyond. Thanks to the upcoming Open Day, all the startups' teams will have the opportunity to pitch in front of international investors looking for innovative and disruptive deep tech solutions across diverse sectors — from agritech and healthcare, all the way to naval, tourism and cultural industries.
Read the official Press Release
When
The event will take place virtually on Wednesday 24th April 2024, 13:00 - 16:00 CET
How to participate?
Register to the Open Day following this link. We strongly encourage Investors, Business Angels, Business Support Organisations, Innovation Agencies, Accelerators and Innovation Hubs to attend!
Programme
- 13:00 Opening session by Stella Konakchieva, Project Officer at European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)
- 13:10 Welcome to S3E Deep Tech Revolution: Introduction to Innovation and Sustainability by EPLO Institute for Sustainable Development
- 13:20 Startups presentation - Part I: Baukunst | BEDEV | Bomensoft | CRIAM knowledge | DataFruit IIoT | ELNAV.AI
- 14:05 Inspirational Speech by Sonia Marzo Arnaez, Customer Success Manager at Microsoft
- 14:15 Startups presentation - Part II: EntoProtein | eXRciser | Innervoices | Intellectra technologies | Ivoluntry | Moven
- 15:00 Inspirational Speech by Dimitrios Kalavros-Gousiou, Venture Character and Capital Investor
- 15:10 Startups presentation - Part III: Nanomik Biotechnology | Orbiba Robotics | Ecobubble | QX | Rosey's Mark
- 15:50 Closing session by Spyros Kouvelis, Director EPLO Institute for Sustainable Development
Register now!
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: Orbiba Robotics
Orbiba Robotics is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with ilker Bektas, Founder and CEO of Orbiba Robotics, to learn more about the how this Turkish startup is planning to combine deep tech and traditional farming techniques to revolutionise the agricultural sector globally, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/N8O87f9fbWI
Hi ilker! Tell us about Orbiba Robotics, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We founded our venture in 2022 with a clear aim: to provide the easiest regenerative farming experience in the world by enabling farmers to work with innovative, small and smart robots. We want to establish an organic bond between deep technology and farmers.
Our basic philosophy is the idea that “People become what they eat”. We believe that the cleaner the basic foods that sustain a person's life, the cleaner their body, spiritual and intellectual development will be. In order to contribute to the field of clean agriculture, Orbiba Robotics uses agricultural technology to produce affordable robot platforms.
We want to support organic agriculture practitioners who take the initiative to solve the issue of access to safe food, which is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, by designing and building small robots that have a minimal carbon footprint, utilize renewable energy, and are affordable and high-return on investment.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
We have participated in various accelerator programs before, but we noticed the S3E Charge accelerator program is different because it focused on deep tech startups.
Even still now, deep tech startups are really very new to the innovation system, so we see this accelerator as was a good medium to introduce our startup into new networks and gain a better understanding about the deep tech landscape in Europe.
What are the key ambitions for Orbiba Robotics? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
We want to become a very strong partner for organic farmers. As a society, we are very dependent on agriculture and the people in the sector, so we believe it's our duty to support them with our technology. In 5 years, we envision Orbiba Robotics will be the major stakeholder in robotic field for organic regenerative farming globally.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
From my point of view, the most important thing to remember is that, whatever you do, make sure that your startup's solution will help people in a good way. Before thinking about generating a revenue, focus on the impact first.
If you want to run your own startup, be prepared for a very amazing adventure!
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: ELNAV.AI
ELNAV.AI is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Hrvoje Mihovilović, CEO of ELNAV.AI, to learn more about how this Croatia-based startup is revolutionising the maritime sector with their innovative AI-powered monitors, and hear why they’ve decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/7JaE1GSTIaI
Hi Hrvoje! Tell us about ELNAV.AI, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
Our startup based in Split, Croatia, was founded in April 2021 with a mission to revolutionise navigational safety in the maritime industry.
Having worked at sea for many years, we have observed first-hand that the maritime transportation sector has not seen significant technological upgrades in the navigation for over three decades. To address this, we've developed the Helm Order Monitor, a state-of-the art device combining automatic speech recognition and sensor data analysis to ensure that the helm orders are clear, confirmed and correctly executed.
Not only we are introducing a new technology, we are also changing the way safety is approached in the maritime industry.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
The decision to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator was driven by the need to amplify our impact and expand our reach. We are particularly interested in support related to market access, networking opportunities with industry leaders and guidance on scaling our operations efficiently.
What are the key ambitions for ELNAV.AI? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Looking ahead, our ambition is to become a leader in maritime safety technology. In 5 years we aim to see our Helm Order Monitor become a mandatory installation on all merchant and passenger ships globally, which will significantly reduce navigation related incidents at sea.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
For anyone looking to start their own venture, my advice is to be persistent and adaptable. Transform challenges into opportunities for growth and never lose sight of your mission.
The entrepreneurial journey is very demanding, but staying committed to your vision is key to making a meaningful impact.
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: MOVEN
MOVEN is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Sergio Diez, CEO of MOVEN, to learn more about how this Spanish startup is helping cities achieve their sustainable mobility goals thanks to their AI-powered data platform, and hear why they've decided to join our accelerator program.
https://youtu.be/SGTMdPwTs1c
Hi Sergio! Tell us about MOVEN, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We launched MOVEN in 2020 after having spent several years working in different ecosystems focused on innovation for sustainable mobility. During that time, we realised there was an interesting gap in the market for a new technology to access private data in a secure way, paired with AI-based algorithms to better understand what is happening in different cities and how local administrations and companies can use that data to improve local infrastructures.
Our mission is to provide access to data to accelerate the shift towards more sustainable mobility in cities.
What has your entrepreneurship journey been like so far?
I haven't followed the typical entrepreneurial path. I've always worked in the corporate sector and it wasn't until 5 years ago that I decided to launch my own startup.
I'm an industrial engineer and I've always had a big passion for innovation and R&D. I wanted to be involved in the development a piece of technology that would be more focused on people rather than the product itself, so after a long career working with big companies like Renault, IBM and Airbus, I decided it was time to pursue a new venture. That's what led me to start MOVEN.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
One of the main goals we want to achieve through this program is to finally establish our business model in order to commercialise our data platform. We're also very interested in accessing other ecosystems, because MOVEN is mainly based in Spain, so we'd like to understand the needs and requirements to enter other markets in Europe. And, of course, we're looking forward to meeting potential investors and learning what options we have for financing our startup.
What are the key ambitions for MOVEN? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Once we consolidate our business model, which is our top priority right now, we'd like to scale up our platform and see how we can impact other cities in Europe and South America to help them achieve their sustainable mobility plans.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
It's very important to have a lot of energy and time. You're going to come across many challenges along the way, so from the start you have to be really confident in what you want to do. Be persistent and persevere until you reach your objective.
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: BEDEV
BEDEV is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Gonçalo Fonseca, Founder and CEO of BEDEV, to learn more about how this Portuguese startup is planning to make medical devices environmentally and economically friendlier, thanks to the use of 3D printing technologies.
https://youtu.be/aOUMIiTmnzs
Hi Gonçalo! Tell us about BEDEV, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
We founded BEDEV in February 2019 from a research scholarship that we won in the previous year, which allowed us to start our company. Our main focus is the development of early stage medical devises using 3D printing, with the ambition of bringing medtech to greener pastures by making them long-lasting (instead of single use), without putting patients at risk.
How would you describe your entrepreneurship journey so far?
Challenging, but in a good way! When you enter the entrepreneurial world there's all these questions that you need to answer, which makes it very challenging from the very beginning. We've faced some difficulties but we were always driven by our willingness to keep moving on and continue developing our business idea.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
We heard about S3E Charge through our incubator, Ubimedical. When we started researching about the program it we realised it was a perfect match for us — not only because it can support us to consolidate and evolve our business plan for our technology, but also to meet and learn from other startups in a similar situation to ours. It's also amazing that it will help us to pitch and connect with potential investors, which is crucial for us at this stage.
As a startup based in Portugal, it's very important for us to meet other companies from countries close to ours. Entrepreneurs in Southern Europe share similar difficulties, especially in terms of financing, so it's great to learn from their perspectives and how they're evolving their business plans.
What are the key ambitions for BEDEV? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
Of course we'd like to grow BEDEV and become as big as other tech startups like Google or Amazon, and we're aiming to achieve that type of success in the long term.
But, thinking about the next 5 years, after completing the necessary clinical trials and receiving the approval from regulatory agencies, our plan is to enter various international markets with our medtech device. We want to get well established in countries like the US, Germany and China, and from there continue expanding globally — it sounds ambitious, but with the right investment, we believe we can do it, without a doubt.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
Don't be afraid, and cancel the outside noise. If you believe in your idea, just go for it! There are a lot of opportunities in your country and within the European Union, and even abroad, that you can access to develop your own project into a business. None of us are born with the knowledge required to set up a startup, we all have to learn as we go.
Remember we learn more from our mistakes than from our successes, so don't be afraid to follow your dreams and look for those opportunities that can help you get to where you want to be.
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S3E Charge 2024 | Meet the startup: CRIAM
CRIAM is one of the 17 startups selected to participate in the 2024 edition of S3E Charge, the EU-funded accelerator program fostering deep tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Southern Europe.
We spoke with Afonso Pinheiro, Biomedical Engineer and Researcher at CRIAM, to learn more about how they've grown this Portuguese medtech startup from a PhD research project to create a portable and fully automated device for blood testing, and their ambitions to make this technology accessible to patients and medical professionals around the world.
https://youtu.be/3ezuVn2cRV8?feature=shared
Hi Afonso! Tell us about CRIAM, the mission behind the business and the technology you’ve developed.
CRIAM — which stands for Chemical Reaction and Image Analysis for Mobility — was founded in 2016 at University of Minho, in Braga (Portugal). It started as a PhD thesis on blood grouping, while exploring different ways of using automation for emergency services to have a fully mobile, fast, and accurate way of testing a patient’s blood, anywhere.
The key ingredient is the ability to take this device anywhere, no cables required, and to have a fully automated test; while the reaction is taking place inside the device, the medical practitioners can be confident that their results will be as accurate as on the lab bench.
Why have you decided to enrol in the S3E Charge accelerator?
Our main objective with the S3E Charge accelerator is to get in contact with more funding opportunities so we can reach our final device requirements, while getting to know where our technology can be of most use in the EU. We're also excited about meeting upcoming startups and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds, outside our field.
What are the key ambitions for CRIAM? Where would you like to see the business in 5 years?
In five years, I see our device and testing cartridges being fully optimised, ready for large-scale manufacturing, and a small set of units being used around the world to collect feedback on its usability. I also envision a broader portfolio of patents, and clinical trials, for infectious diseases of several kinds — from sexually-transmitted infections, like syphilis, to respiratory diseases, like tuberculosis, covid, and other inflammatory conditions.
Our goal is to scale blood testing services to those most in need, by bringing a reliable and affordable diagnostic solution closer to everyone, be it in a city, a rural area, or remote villages in a developing countries. That is our vision.
Drawing from your own experience, what piece of advice would you give to an entrepreneur who’d like to launch their own startup?
During our journey we've had a lot of opportunities to meet incredible people, to partner with them, to hear their stories and learn from them. That would be my main advice for someone looking to grow their startup, to go out there and connect with people — from end users and stakeholders, to practitioners and experts in the field; it's always valuable to have a diverse range of feedback on your ideas and ambitions. Communication and humanism, that's my main takeaway from my experience with CRIAM.