Secure Your Place at The Startup Europe Summit 2018
The fourth edition of the Startup Europe Summit takes place on 15 November, in Sofia, with 400 key actors from the European startup “ecosystem”. The event will bring together some of the best European startups with investors, media and policy makers. Aside of interesting speakers, who will be analysing key technological and policy trends for European startups, the event provides a great opportunity to mingle with people building the European startup ecosystems, identify new funding opportunities and get a feel of what is happening in the startup world, notably from Central Eastern Europe and Western Balkans regions.
Keynote speakers this year include Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, Simon Schaefer, Founder & CEO of Factory, President of Startup Portugal and Angel Investor in Europe and Anja Monrad, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Dell EMC and chair of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Governing Board. The meeting will also be attended by Boyko Borissov(tbc), Prime Minister of Bulgaria, as well as Yordanka Fandakova (tbc), Mayor of Sofia. You can consult the programme here.
This year’s Startup Europe Summit will be linked to the Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, launched earlier this year by the European Commission. The aim of this initiative is to support the transition of the region and bring the benefits of the digital transformation to its citizens, by helping modernise public administrations, strengthen cybersecurity, increase connectivity, and improve the business climate.
The region has major assets with its large pool of talented people with strong ICT skills, dynamically growing start-up community and its rapidly improving infrastructure, connectivity and proximity to large markets. The digital transformation is also crucial for the growth of this Region – it can help transform local economies and societies while creating high-quality jobs.
The conference would also be an opportunity to be briefed by experts from the European Commission on the progress in establishing a Digital Single Market policies and what we are doing to support the growth of startups and young innovative companies and to help to SMEs to help take advantage of the digital transformation.
MY-GATEWAY project wants 22 CEE and Western Balkan startups to attend Startup Europe Summit!
In total twenty-two startups, twelve from Central and Eastern Europe and ten from the Western Balkans, will be selected to attend this year’s edition of ‘The European Startup Event’. A committee comprised of leading startup support organizations from the CEE and Western Balkan countries will select the startups through specific criteria.
Selected startups will be given the possibility to meet high-profile people such as Prime Ministers and European Commission policymakers to discuss European entrepreneurship and new opportunities. The one-day Summit will be filled with workshops on how to access venture capital, business angel funding, EU funding and panel talks on how to scale-up. Travel and accommodation expenses of one representative per selected startup selected will be reimbursed by the European Commission.
Take a look at the Summit’s agenda here.
Would you like to apply? Click here.
‘We need to create programs and policies to connect ecosystems, founders and startups at European level.’
Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, and also key-note speaker at the Summit, said at her speech on Masters of Digital.
‘This is with a view to accelerate growth, cooperation and diversity.’
In order to be considered for the application process and be eventually selected to attend Startup Europe Summit, startups need to have a high growth potential, a prototype or viable business plan and a unique business idea.
What is Startup Europe Summit?
Startup Europe Summit is a European Commission event which aims to bring together startup founders and policy makers. More than 400 people will attend this year’s Bulgarian edition to learn about new funding opportunities, meet entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders and benefit from the possibility of closing a business deal.
Check out the agenda here.
What is MY-GATEWAY?
MY-GATEWAY is an initiative of Startup Europe that aims to strengthen the capacities of high-tech start-ups and innovative SMEs in the CEE region to become better connected, gain higher market exposure, and have improved streamlined access to funding opportunities and talents.