The 9th cycle of the egg Start Up platform of egg – enter•grow•go, an initiative jointly designed and implemented since 2013 by Eurobank and Corallia of the Athena Research Centre to support young, innovative entrepreneurship, is kicking off.
egg is further solidifying its position as the most integrated startup accelerator in Greece. It is reinforcing the support offered to innovative entrepreneurship that leads to investment growth prospects and commercial activities, making the most of its modern structure through two distinct yet complementary platforms, egg Start Up and egg Scale Up, while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic conditions and makes the most of modern digital tools, facilitating the seamless operation and business growth of participants.
The General Manager of Group Marketing & Corporate Communications at Eurobank and Chairman of the egg Steering Committee, Mr Michael Vlastarakis, noted, “In the eight years since its inception, egg is being constantly upgraded, supporting many new business to strengthen their business plan and grow commercially. Through the two distinct egg Start Up and egg Scale Up platforms, we provide multilevel support to new innovative entrepreneurs at all stages of their business development, enhancing their momentum to interconnect with markets and international organisations, in order to raise the necessary capital. Eurobank actively contributes to the development of the Greek innovation ecosystem, cooperating with the State to improve the ecosystem’s institutional framework and promote healthy entrepreneurship, and supporting its extroversion and globalisation.”.
Teams or individuals can participate in the new, 12-month, 9th cycle – even if they have not already set up a company – as long as they have a certain business idea:
- The guidance offered to participating business teams is further intensified and streamlined aiming to accelerate the implementation of their business plans, by making the most of the possibilities and benefits offered by the Start Up platform. The business groups that will qualify will be initially assisted in setting up a company, if they have not done so already. Then, based on the stage of maturity of their business plan, they will be grouped and placed in different business acceleration cohorts within the Start Up platform, with specific business milestones, adapted accordingly, even monthly. The aim is for them to identify their real needs, and even seek synergies with the other participants as members of a growth ecosystem, enhancing their chances of subsequent financing.
- Applications may be submitted for business plans from any financial sector.. However, business plans in competitive industries are particularly encouraged, such as 5G technologies and integrated ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) solutions, but also plans that build on long research activity or extensively use innovations in sectors including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Tourism Technology and Modern Services, FinTech, Robotics, Virtual/Augmented Reality, Industry 4.0, Biotechnology, Medical Technology and Methods, Agricultural Technology, Environmental Technology, Energy, Education / Modern Methods and Tools, etc.
- A useful package of financing options to make the most of various financing channels is also provided:
- Microfinancing in the context of the European EaSI programme, in partnership with AFI (Action Finance Initiative) at the incubation stages of egg.
- Working capital and loans for investments.
- Access to capital through three (3) funds, Velocity.Partners, Uni.fund and Big Pi Ventures of EquiFund, the investment platform that invests in startups and operates under the auspices of the European Investment Fund (EIF).
- The Extroversion Programme is further enhanced for qualifying companies, as well as the actions to link them to the real economy, through activities launched by egg and initiatives it undertakes in cooperation with recognised domestic and international organisations.
Applications to participate in egg – enter•grow•go may be submitted from Monday 22 February 2021, at 12:00, to Monday 10 May 2021, at 15:00, while the first Open Day will take place online on Wednesday 3 March 2021, at 17:00.
Interested parties may find further information on the egg – enter•grow•go website. www.theegg.gr._