The FinEst Scaleup project has been launched with an almost million-euro budget and a two-year duration. The goal within the international project is to build crucial bridges between investors and entrepreneurs.
Uudised
FinEst Scaleup to build bridges between investors and deep tech companies
Published on 04.04.2024
Written by Kaija Veskioja, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
Main objectives of the project
The FinEst Scaleup project aims to establish a deep tech innovation ecosystem around the Baltic Sea Region. It will focus on green and sustainable technologies, gender equality, and ensuring sufficient and sustainable financing for deep tech solutions.
The project brings together leading research and innovation actors from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland to create a cross-border, inclusive, and gender-equal deep tech innovation ecosystem in the region.
Its primary objective is to support companies, startups, and entrepreneurs in showcasing innovative technologies, attracting investment, and reaching global markets.
Importantly, it addresses the lack of scaleup funding for startups in what is considered “Less Connected and Developing Innovation Ecosystems,” particularly those led by women and from the deep tech sector.
FinEst Centre’s role in project
FinEst Centre coordinates the project, utilizing its established connections with business support organizations and investors, and building new collaborations.
The project targets business acceleration providers such as incubators, accelerators, company builders, innovation agencies, business clubs, and networks, as well as public and private venture capitalists and their networks, national and regional promotional banks.
The project leverages the FinEst Centre’s status as a world-class center of excellence for Smart Cities research and innovation activities. FinEst Centre is also part of a cross-border research community, and organizes a piloting program to invest in research-heavy solutions with strong potential to develop into deep tech companies.
In the FinEst Scaleup project, the FinEst Centre capitalizes on the scientific and empirical knowledge of the Finnish-Estonian macro region to build and strengthen the innovation potential of gender-neutral deep tech entrepreneurship across the Baltic Sea Region.
Partner countries and organisations of the project
- FinEst Centre for Smart Cities, TalTech (EE)
- EIT Digital (BE)
- Latvian Startup Association “Startin.LV” (LV)
- Digital Knowledge Observatory Foundation (PL)
- Krakow Technology Park (PL)
- Startup.LT (under the Innovation Agency Lithuania) (LT)
- Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LT)
- Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN) (EE)
See project page here.
Contact:
Dr. Kaija Veskioja
Research Fellow
kaija.veskioja@taltech.ee
Funding source: Horizon Europe Support Action, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), grant agreement No. 101114356
