EC launches online startup mapping platform
Thursday 24 September 2015 | 15:24 CET | News
The European Commission has announced the launch of a dynamic new project to map the scale of the startup ecosystem across Europe. Figures included in the map, available at www.startuphubs.eu, reveal a 174 percent increase in total investment in startups located in ten EU cities between 2013 and 2014. According to the research, the total funds raised by startups in Berlin, Bucharest, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Paris and Stockholm increased from EUR 2.4 billion to EUR 6.6 billion over the 12-month period. However, the total number of deals between 2013 and 2014 remained unchanged from the previous year, indicating an increase in the average deal size, said the EC. London currently leads the way in early-stage contribution, having generated more investment than Berlin, Paris and Stockholm combined over the 12-month period.
The www.startuphubs.eu platform is designed to track the performance of EU web startups throughout their lifecycle, following changes in investments, internationalisation, profit growth, jobs evolution and other measures to inform future policy and financing decisions. A further ten cities will be added to the next phase of the project by the end of 2015, with further cities to be added in 2016, said the EC.
The mapping project is part of the Startup Europe initiative to strengthen the business environment for web and ICT entrepreneurs so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU.
Source: http://www.telecompaper.com/news/ec-launches-online-startup-mapping-platform–1104390
MY-WAY Call for Expression of Interest
MY-WAY is launching a call for expression of interest to all stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem to find new collaboration opportunities and potential synergies to work together for supporting wannabe entrepreneurs.
If you are an accelerator, network or association for wannabe entrepreneurs, a co-working space, incubator, mentor, venture capitalist, an authority or educational programme or another type of stakeholder in the web entrepreneurship ecosystem aiming at supporting wannabe entrepreneurs, this call is addressed to you!
MY-WAY is looking for new ideas to develop synergies among key players in the European web entrepreneurship ecosystem and ultimately create new opportunities to support young adults wishing to launch their own business.
Among potential cooperation avenues, you may:
• Participate in Stakeholder Workshops, which will be organised in Brussels in the forthcoming months and planning novel ways for collaboration with student organisations;
• Cooperate in the development and implementation of Action Plans to help student organisations launch services for wannabe entrepreneurs and students;
• Engage in Stakeholders Conferences, which will be organised by the project in 2016;
• Contribute to Online Discussions with the project’s consortium and other stakeholders
If you are a contributor to the European web entrepreneurship ecosystem and are interested in being involved in MY-WAY, we would like to hear from you!
Please fill in the form at the following link by 30 September. We will contact you back to better discuss possible collaboration avenues.
http://www.mywaystartup.eu/expression_of_interest/
We hope to hear from you soon!
Open call announcement from the ePlus Project- Round 1 – Baker’s dozen
After the conclusion of the previous pilot call on August, ePlus has launched Round 1 of MG calls for applications to award Micro-Grants to European startups, as a way to support their business growth and to foster relationships and networking for scaling up in Europe and beyond.
These Micro-Grants are intended to support the participation in relevant Startup Europe events, relevant workshops, and use of local services in European regions/ecosystems other than the candidate’s base location, contributing towards the promotion and networking at a European level of startups and entrepreneurs with a high maturity level. In such intent, ePlus will provide Micro-Grants of up to 1.000€ each, covering participation costs such as travel, accommodation, subsistence, and whenever justified also other operational expenses.
Micro-Grants have the form of financial support towards specific costs (reimbursement based) with the objective of supporting a specific activity considered relevant within the ePlus goals. The specific objectives and conditions of access to Micro-Grants are described in the guide for applicants on Round 1. More info is available on: http://www.epluseurope.eu/
Startup Europe from the European Commission´s perspective
Startup Europe is an initiative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communication Networks, Content and Technology that aims to strengthen the business environment for tech entrepreneurs, so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU. Here, three coordinators of Startup Europe projects, Eurico Neves, Andrés Iborra and Alberto Onetti, explain their work and how they are helping to improve the business environment for EU entrepreneurs.
Different perspectives
“Capitalist” is a word that has slightly different connotations depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on. While in the US capitalists are revered, Europeans have more mixed feelings about them.
But after years of envying the US entrepreneurship system from afar, Europe seems to be waking up to the importance of capital – in both its human and currency forms – for the creation of companies and, consequently, jobs. And if human and currency capital come in one single package, even better! After all, business angels are both talented capitalists and powerful business accelerators.
At EU level, there is a new focus on investment. As President Juncker’s Investment Plan is moving towards implementation, the Capital Markets Union pursued by the Commission will reduce fragmentation in financial markets, diversify financing for businesses, including start-ups, and offer better opportunities for investors. A Capital Markets Union will make it easier for these capitalists to meet, invest and support promising business.
At a more practical level is the Commission’s Startup Europe initiative. Working bottom-up, it funds projects that interconnect start-up ecosystems and links entrepreneurs in one country with investors in another.
Facilitating access to capital
The five main “connectors” projects, which encompass 16 cities across Europe, are working to facilitate access to capital (both currency and human) for start-ups that are aiming to expand and compete in the global market. They are, among other things, working with local partners to identify and engage the most relevant players in the techstart-up ecosystem, providing services for tech entrepreneurs hoping to scale up and helping them navigate through the main challenges.
One example of a business that has been helped by these projects is Spanish online cleaning start-up Wayook. Launched a year ago out of Salamanca, a small Spanish town known mostly for its university, the start-up is now active in 40 cities across Spain. In part thanks to the help and advice of one of the connectors projects, Wayook recently managed to raise its first funding round – a €640,000 investment.
Connecting start-ups is not enough, however. SEP Investors Forum aims to bring together investors from all over Europe and open an internal communication channel with the European Commission and the European Investment Fund. Startup Europe Partnership helps create bridges between start-ups and established corporates, providing concrete business, investment and exit opportunities.
On top of these ventures, the Startup Europe Partnership initiative is connecting the European Ecosystem to Silicon Valley through Startup Europe Comes to Silicon Valley (SEC2SV).
With these kinds of projects, Startup Europe is helping Europe become a place-to-be for new businesses and finally grow to be proud of its entrepreneurs, business owners and – who knows – even its capitalists.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/fisma/item-detail.cfm?item_id=25521&newsletter_id=166&lang=en
Startup Europe launches tech database, powered by Dealroom.co
We are excited to announce a data partnership with dealroom.co, a European tech database. As of today, startupeuropeclub.eu will contain a Europe focused database on all things tech just by clicking at the database bottom on the main menu or navigating directly to http://app.startupeuropeclub.eu.
In this database you will find:
- Key facts and performance indicators on Europe’s tech companies
- Global data on 3,500 tech funds and corporate investors
- Information on funding rounds and exits
- Strategic insights by tech subsector (such as fashion, IoT, FinTech, etc)
- Overviews by country
Dealroom obtains its data from four sources:
- User generated by VCs and founders who have a Dealroomaccount (free)
- Curation by Dealroom analysts
- Artificial Intelligence to aggregate and organise big data from the web
- Incoming data feeds from other data partners
This partnership builds on Startup Europe aim of being a comprehensive platform useful for startups and ecosystem builders across Europe, a common place which provides opportunities for the birth and growth of new businesses.
About Dealroom
Dealroom is a Europe-focused database and online network, used by tech founders en venture capital firms. It’s website provides key facts and performance indicators on 500,000+ tech companies across 10,000+ tech subsectors. From seed stage to mature stage companies, analytics are used to benchmarking company performance against global peers.
About Startup Europe
Startup Europe is a European Commission initiative that aims to strengthen the business environment for web and ICT entrepreneurs so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU.
Uniting European startup ecosystems is its value proposition. Some of its concrete activities are:
- Connecting startup ecosystems throughout Europe.
- Bridging the gap between investors, corporates and startups.
- Creating a bottom-up movement across Europe.
- Giving voice to startups to influence new policies (capital markets union, digital single market).
- Celebrating entrepreneurship.
More information at startupeuropeclub.eu @StartUpEU
The exclusive launch event of the Europe’s startup ecosystem mapping project is coming
The European Commission is delighted to announce the formal launch of the dynamic mapping of tech startups across Europe (www.startuphubs.eu), part of the “Startup Europe initiative”. This ambitious and unique project provides a unparalleled insight into the emerging startup ecosystem in Europe, focusing initially on 10 hubs – Berlin, Bucharest, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Paris, Stockholm – with a further 10 hubs to be mapped in 2015.
The event will be next September 24 simultaneously in Brussels and other 8 cities mentioned, it promises to be an insightful mix of presentations and discussions.
Speakers include:
European Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip, who is leading the Digital Single Market. Vice President Ansip will open the event and set the context in which the map is being developed and how it will support his aim to create a connected digital single market and making Europe a world leader in ICT.
Charles Armstrong, an entrepreneur and the CEO of Trampoline Systems, will then provide a comprehensive overview of the map; what it is telling us, why it is important and the value it can bring.
A panel of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and co-working space owners will meet at the venue of each city to continue the discussion around how the dynamic map can help in the promotion and development of tech startups across Europe and their specific ecosystems.
ePlus Micro-Grant has its winner
We are happy to announce that the Micro-Grants Evaluation Committee has completed the selection process on the pilot call and the application from Tripaya to attend STARTUP OLE 2015 in Salamanca has been retained for receiving a Micro-Grant covering travel and accommodation expenses up to 1.000€.
STARTUP OLE is an event created to boost the tech-entrepreneurial ecosystem and engage the most relevant startups, accelerators, incubators, corporates and investors from all over Europe. Tripaya´s team will have the opportunity to be there next September 9, 10 and 11 sharing with a pretty big network and promoting their business.
We remind you that the first full round of MGs, in which many more startups will be able to obtain support, will be announced shortly. So don’t miss the opportunity next time, we invite you to participate! All the information you need to know at http://www.epluseurope.eu/
500.000 € in new funding to attract international startups to locate to Ireland
Enterprise Ireland launches new Competitive Start Fund aimed at overseas entrepreneurs and Irish diaspora
Enterprise Ireland is pleased to announce a Competitive Start Fund aimed at attracting international startups to locate to Ireland.
Ten companies will each receive an investment of €50,000 for a 10% equity stake. In addition the winning companies will receive a package of other supports including mentor, development program, etc.
Applications are made online and the twenty best companies will be invited to Ireland to pitch for the ten investments during The The Startup Gathering 2015 in October.
The Competitive Start Fund aims to accelerate the growth of startup companies that have the capability to succeed in global markets. The fund is designed to enable those companies reach key commercial and technical milestones, for example:
- Build a prototype.
- Secure a reference customer.
- Achieve “product-market fit”
- Secure a Seed Round investment from business angels, Seed Funds, VCs etc.
Applications are considered on a competitive basis. Closing date for completed applications is the 9th September. Further details of the rules and application form are to be found Here
The website for online applications will open on Wednesday 26th August and close on Wednesday 9th September 2015
Ireland is a hotbed of entrepreneurship and home to some of the world’s leading companies. As a leader in key innovative sectors (including ICT, Life Sciences, Gaming, Financial Services and food & beverages) and a perfect location from which to serve key world markets like the US, Europe and the Middle East, Ireland is the perfect location for your startup.
Enterprise Ireland is the state industrial development agency for Irish controlled businesses. It supports over 400 start-ups each year and awards Competitive Start Fund to approximately 100 start-ups and makes a Seed Round investment into another 100. In numerical terms, Enterprise Ireland is one of the largest start-up investors in Europe.
The Startup Gathering 2015 is set to be one of the world’s biggest startup events. It will will take place across Ireland from the 5th to 10th October, with events being planned across 5 days, 5 cities and 5 industries, promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and Ireland’s start-up sector. The Startup Gathering 2015 is being led by Startup Ireland, a public private partnership dedicated to the goal of making Ireland the best place in the world to create and scale a startup.