ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring and Coaching programme

The official start of the ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme

The time has come that our HackTheBusiness winners start their entrepreneurial adventure and access to a dedicated ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme. For this special occasion, we talked with Henry Nicolai Buxmann, our teammate and Research Associate at Franuhofer IPK.

The ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme has officially kicked-off this month. Tell us
a bit more about the Programme itself – its goals and benefits?

The ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme has launched this month with a mission to address the challenges faced by young entrepreneurs who are in need of a supportive mechanism to navigate the complexities of establishing their professional journey and potentially creating groundbreaking businesses. 

This need is particularly evident within the European Union, where an innovation imbalance exists across various regions, leading to disparities in knowledge, collaboration, and a noticeable innovation gap. The Programme is strategically designed to focus on young entrepreneurs from Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria. The primary goal of the program is to empower participants by providing them with essential knowledge and mentoring, enabling them to advance to the next stage with their innovative ideas or startups.

The benefits for participants are multifaceted, encompassing crucial aspects of entrepreneurship. These include gaining insights into identifying optimal funding opportunities at European, national, and regional levels. The Programme also emphasizes understanding the concept of tech due diligence, allowing participants to self-assess their strengths and weaknesses while developing a robust value proposition.

Furthermore, participants are able to benefit from learning how to identify the best opportunities and events to meet potential investors and effectively pitch their ideas. Additionally, the program guides them in elaborating a comprehensive and sound business model and plan. By focusing on these key areas, the ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme aims to bridge the innovation gap, foster collaboration, and empower young entrepreneurs in Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria to thrive in the dynamic landscape of business and technology.

The Programme will include 6 mentoring modules, each one led by ENTREPRENEDU experts and
mentors. Could you elaborate more what are these modules about and what is the role of mentors?

All mentors possess unique experience and expertise that the bring together for the ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme.

The role of the mentors is hereby to provide the knowledge to the participants and answer all potential question that might arise. Further, to provide video lessons and workshops, Q&A sessions as well as individual mentoring and feedback.

Fraunhofer IPK focuses on business model development. The module business model development aims to enable participants to understand the importance of a well-defined business model, equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to develop their own business model, and to effectively implement it in their start-ups. The module aims to instill a methodical and strategic approach towards business model development. The end goal is for participants to leave with a comprehensive, viable business model that aligns with their startup’s vision and market demand.

LUISS University focuses on crafting a value proposition. The module Crafting a Value Proposition aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to define, develop, and communicate a compelling value proposition. The module seeks to enable them to effectively distinguish their product or service in the market, demonstrate its unique value to customers, and leverage this proposition for competitive advantage and sustainable success.

Fondazone E. Amaldi focuses on tech feasibility and product development. The module From tech feasibility to product development to guide participants in bridging the gap between technological feasibility and product development, emphasizing the creation of persuasive pitches. Participants will learn to clearly communicate their technology viability, market relevance, and the process of its development. Additionally, the mentoring will equip them with the skills to create a preliminary product development plan, providing a robust foundation for their start-up journey.

EBAN focuses on investment pitching and funding needs. The module Investment Pitch and quantifying your funding needs aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to create a persuasive investment pitch and accurately quantify financial needs. The overall objective is to enable participants to effectively communicate their business’s value, growth potential, and funding requirements to potential investors, thereby enhancing their chances of securing crucial financial backing. 

Corallia focuses on entrepreneurial business planning. The module Entrepreneurial business planning aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to craft a robust and persuasive business plan, emphasizing critical aspects such as market analysis, strategy formulation, operational planning, and financial projections. The module is designed to empower the participants to strategically plan their business journey, align their team towards shared goals, and convincingly present their venture to potential investors or stakeholders.

Cleantech Bulgaria focuses on the topic of access to finance and related funding. The module Access to finance and related funding provide participants with comprehensive knowledge of different funding avenues available, and guide them in effectively navigating the financial landscape. The module aims to equip participants with skills to present a compelling business case to potential investors, understand the intricacies of financial planning, and secure suitable funding.

The participants of the Programme are winning teams of HackTheBusiness competitions organised by ENTREPRENEDU. In your opinion, what are key potential takeaways for our participants after the Programme?

The participants of the ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme stand to gain invaluable insights and resources throughout their participation in the Programme. One of the key takeaways for these teams lies in the enriched entrepreneurial skills acquired through hands-on experiences, mentorship, and exposure to real-world business challenges. This not only improves their ability to navigate the complexities of the business landscape but also equips them with practical know-how essential for success in their
ventures.

In essence, the key takeaways for participants in the ENTREPRENEDU Mentoring & Coaching Programme encompass a well-rounded set of skills, knowledge, and resources essential for their entrepreneurial journey, ensuring they are better positioned to turn their innovative ideas into successful and sustainable companies.

We wish our participants all the best and, of course, to have fun! 😎

ENTREPRENEDU Team

Congrats 2

Cheers to the successful start of the HackTheBusiness competition in Greece

ENTREPRENEDU team marked a successful start of the second HackTheBusiness competition, this time in Greece! In this article, we are revealing our finalists and showcasing backstage moments from the first phase of the competition.

About the HackTheBusiness competition

HackTheBusiness is a series of three ideation contests for young minds to learn, explore and discover secrets of business! The second HackTheBusiness competition was held in Greece and encouraged participants to join EDU and the ENTREPRENEDU team on a adventure in space! Let us explain…

A weekend to HackTheBusiness

Starting from 3d November and concluding on 5th November, our participants had a weekend to hack the business… and what a weekend that was! After a warm welcome by our team, HackTheBusiness participants were presented with a challenge to pitch an innovative solution related to space technologies! They had around 48 hours to work on their ideas with the support of ENTREPRENEDU mentors, who delivered several sessions on different business aspects and helped our participants to make their ideas pitch-perfect!

At the end, in total 68 participants divided in 18 teams joined us across four locationsNational Technical University of Athens, University of Thessaly, Democritus University of Thrace, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – and showcased their space-oriented business concepts. ENTREPRENEDU team and jury members were amazed by the creativity of our participants, but we all knew that only some of them could become HackTheBusiness finalists and join us in Athens.

Meet the top 10 teams

After three days of hard work and having fun, the time has come to announce the winners and their innovative space-solutions:

    • UNIWA ICE team,
    • MicrosatLab team,
    • Groundwater team,
    • Luminous team,
    • Spa/c team,
    • Ocean Defenders team,
    • Exke team,
    • PPD Control team,
    • KORI team,
    • Prometheus Auth team.

    And remember, it’s not all about the competition, it’s about the opportunity to gain business experience, learn something new, get feedback directly from experts, expand your business network and of course, have fun. This is what means to HackTheBusiness with us! That is why, ENTREPRENEDU team congratulates to all HackTheBusiness participants on their entrepreneurial spirtis and innovative thinking!

     

     

    What’s next?

    Winning teams will now have time to enhance their ideas even more with the support of our mentors, before we all meet again to HackTheBusiness in Athens, on November 25. 

    Until then, cheers!

    ENTREPRENEDU Team

    HackTheBusiness Italy Day 3

    Exciting news: We are Unveiling Winners of the first HackTheBusiness Competition held in Rimini

    The HackTheBusiness competition held from 15th to 17th of June in Rimini (Italy), was the first of three events organised by the ENTREPRENEDU team for emerging talents to showcase their groundbreaking ideas. And so they did!

    We were at We Make Future

    We Make Future, held in the city of Rimini, has become synonymous with innovation, technology, and entrepreneurial spirit. This prestigious event attracts forward-thinking individuals from various industries, offering a unique opportunity to explore emerging trends, network with industry experts, and gain invaluable insights. And at the heart of We Make Future, ENTREPRENEDU team organised the HackTheBusiness competition, a thrilling showcase of entrepreneurial prowess and innovative ideas.

    Unveiling HackTheBusiness concept

    HackTheBusiness is an entrepreneurship challenge for young minds to learn, explore and discover the secrets of DeepTech industry! The competition encourages participants to think outside the box, refine their pitches, and leverage their creativity. HackTheBusiness event was (and still is) the perfect opportunity for young individuals and startups to present their business concepts to a panel of esteemed judges and industry leaders and get invited to the ENTREPRENEDU Coaching and Mentoring programme, where they will get all the support needed to level-up their business idea!

    The Experience

    On the day one of the competition, our participants were presented with a challenge: Pitch the innovative problem-solving idea related SpaceTech, ClimateTech or FoodTech! Afterwards, our participants had 72h to work on their ideas with the possibility to ask support from ENTREPRENEDU mentors. In this way, HackTheBusiness goes beyond a mere competition as it serves as a opportunity for learning and growth. All participants received valuable feedback from the panel of judges and mentors, who offer constructive insights aimed at refining their ideas and strategies. Moreover, contestants gain access to a network of mentors and industry experts, who provide guidance and support, helping them navigate the challenging entrepreneurial journey.

    Our participants worked very hard on their pitches to captivate the audience and judges within a limited time frame. The pressure was strong as each contestant strived to convey their vision, value proposition, and market potential concisely and persuasively. The pitches were evaluated based on several criteria, including innovation, feasibility, market scalability, and social impact.

    Meet HackTheBusiness Italy Winners

    After 3-days of hard work, excitement, learning and having fun, ENTREPRENEDU team of experts has chosen the first four winning teams and their innovative DeepTech ideas:

    • BACKWARDS team is eager to solve the problem of packaging waste by creating reusable packaging and logistics infrastructure!
    • SHADES OF BLUE team wishes to create a certification system and consultancy services for sustainable management of water resources, providing companies monitoring, improving and communicating the negative impact on rivers and water. 
    • AS YOU LIKE team aims to transform dining experience with a mobile app: customize meals, access real-time nutrition info with Visual-AI, and discover restaurants aligned with dietary needs.
    • BOBIS team has a goal to reduce CO2 emissions caused by last mile logistics, offering the end user a platform that can encourage local consumption and the search for products and services within a distance of 3km.

    They hacked the business!

    ENTREPRENEDU team wants to congratulate once again to all the winning teams!

    At the end, HackTheBusiness competition provided an ideal environment for fostering connections and collaborations. Participants had and will have the chance to network with like-minded individuals, potential investors, industry influencers, and representatives from renowned organizations. This networking aspect enables them to build relationships, explore partnership opportunities, gain exposure to a broader ecosystem of innovation, experience and level-up professionally!

    Until the next HackTheBusiness opportunity, cheers!

    ENTREPRENEDU Team