Finalists Academic Startup Competition presented at first digital European Entrepreneurship Summit
The twenty finalists in the Academic Startup Competition 2020 have been officially presented at the first digital European Entrepreneurship Summit. These Dutch startups – established in the ecosystems formed by Dutch universities and university medical centres – will be competing for awards including a digital trade mission to startup heaven Silicon Valley, which will include training, coaching and introductions to networks of entrepreneurs and investors that are relevant to them. The winners will be announced in November.
The Academic Startup Competition is an initiative of the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU), the Netherlands Academy of Technology and Innovation (AcTI) and Techleap.nl, and is supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Among those addressing the finalists at the European Entrepreneurship Summit was Mona Keijzer, the Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.
Staatssecretaris Mona Keijzer (EZK) zei tijdens haar toespraak tegen de finalisten : ‘Everyone is looking forward to seeing how you will make the world a little bit better. As a group of ambitious startups, you're making sure that we're among the world’s best in innovation and entrepreneurship, and that we contribute to smart solutions, create jobs and build a strong economy. This ties in perfectly with the theme of this year's CES Unveiled: ‘tech solutions for global challenges.’
The finalists
The finalists are: Bimini Biotech BV, DeNoize, Digi.Bio B.V., ECsens, GOAL 3, IamFluidics B.V., Kaminari Medical B.V., Lusoco, MLA Diagnostics BV, NC Biomatrix bv, NextRound, PATS Indoor Drone Solutions, Phosphoenix, Predica Diagnostics, SOLHO BV, Taylor, uCrowds B.V., VanBoven, Venous Stent BV, Vertigo Technologies.
What will the winners be receiving?
A professional jury will select ten winners from the list of finalists in November. For a full year, the winners will have the honour of calling themselves 'Best Academic Startup of 2020'. They will also receive the following:
A custom digital West Coast Incubation Program, including matchmaking, content-related expertise sessions and an online ‘pitch training USA’, organised by the Netherlands consulate general in San Francisco;
An introduction to the academic ecosystem and introduction to local entrepreneurs (including Dutch ones), local and international investors and businesses;
Contact with serial entrepreneurs and mentors at the Technology Transfer Offices and AcTI via a custom programme including workshops, peer2peer sessions with both fellow winners and ASC alumni, and a coaching process involving dedicated local and international mentors.
