10th Cycle of egg - enter•grοw•go
Egg - enter•grοw•go enters the 10th cycle of its egg Start-Up platform and its 10th year of dynamic presence in the Greek start –up community, strengthens its footprint as the most comprehensive startup accelerator in Greece.
Egg, designed and implemented by Eurobank and Corallia of the RC Athena since 2013 to support innovative entrepreneurship in Greece, aids young participants entrepreneurs who seek financing, extroversion and business networking, while it contributes in the effort for connecting the country’s academic, business and investment communities.
Based on its experience and modern structure, egg upgrades and intensifies its guidance to the business teams that will participate in the 10th cycle, aiming to accelerate the development of their business plans. An important factor towards maximizing the benefit from their participation in the cycle is grouping the teams in different business acceleration cohorts within the egg Start-Up platform, corresponding to specific milestones. The aim is to identify their real needs and even seek synergies with other participants as members of a development "ecosystem", enhancing chances of subsequent funding.
Eurobank’s General Manager Group Marketing & Corporate Communications and Chairman of egg Steering Committee, Mr. Michalis Vlastarakis, said: «Egg enters its tenth year, constantly improving its structure and services. It contributes to the development of the Greek ecosystem of innovative companies having supported more than 1.000 entrepreneurs and the creation of 150 companies. Eurobank, pioneer in supporting new entrepreneurship considers as a priority the development of innovation according to international standards. We invest in egg and support each dynamic initiative, as well as initiatives developed by the State, such as the establishment of the Cooperative Innovation Scheme in Tourism & Culture for the modernization of the Greek tourist and cultural product”
In the context of the 10th cycle dynamic characteristics of egg’s strategy are further strengthened taking into consideration the post pandemic context in the economy:
- Business groups that are innovative companies, already successfully registered in "Elevate Greece", the National Register of Start-ups, can apply for participation in egg’s Start-Up platform and once they successfully qualify in the first phase of the selection process (check of standard conditions – completeness of file) will proceed directly to the final stage of the evaluation.
- Applications can be submitted for business plans from any financial sector once they fulfil the preconditions and the standards set. However, particular business plans are encouraged in competing industries, such as 5G technologies, integrated solutions to ESG (Environment Social Government) standards. Also, projects that leverage years of research or make extensive use of innovation in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Travel Technologies & Modern Services, Fintech, Robotics, Virtual / Augmented Reality, Industry 4.0, Biotechnology, Medical Technologies & Methods, Agricultural Technology, Environmental Technologies, Energy, Education – Contemporary Methods & Tools are particularly encouraged as well as schemes that empower women entrepreneurship.
- A comprehensive set of financing options is provided for exploiting different financing channels for the implementation of business plans (provided the existence of a company that will implement the plan):
- Possible funding, under the European EASI program in cooperation with AFI (Action Finance Initiative) at the “hatching” stages within egg.
- Financing by Eurobank through working capital loans (short-term financing) aiming to improve liquidity, and through long-term loans, including loans for facilities and professional equipment.
- Raising capital through venture capitals for companies with a particularly competitive and innovative idea, which has reached an advanced development stage, by providing networking and supporting them when pitching their idea to active Venture Capitals in Greece, strategic partners and/or representatives of investment organizations.
- The Extroversion Program for teams that will participate is being strengthened through business missions to advanced innovation ecosystems abroad, as well as through initiatives for networking with the real economy and recognized local and international organizations.
Participation applications for egg - enter•grow•go are submitted from Friday, February 18, 2022 at 12:00 until Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 15.00. The first Open Day of the 10th cycle will be held, digitally, on Wednesday March 2, 2022 at 17.00.
Interested parties can acquire further information on egg - enter•grοw•go.