Introducing 7 innovative startups to the ecosystem after the EIT Digital Venture Program 2022 completion

The 7 deep-tech startups are ready to embark on their entrepreneurial venture, after participating in the 5th edition of the EIT Digital Venture Program, an acceleration program implemented by the Found.ation with the support of the EIT Digital (part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology).

The teams that successfully completed the eight-week acceleration program and incorporated their venture, were rewarded with a cash prize of €10,000 each. In addition, an initial €5,000 tranche of support was awarded in May 2022, raising the total EIT Digital support per team to €15,000 each. 

About the EIT Digital Venture Program

The accelerator kicked off in May with a 2-day bootcamp, during which the startups got to know their mentors and start learning the basics of entrepreneurship: from business planning and design thinking to legal issues and how to reach investors.  

The teams worked intensively with their mentors from the innovation ecosystem while they were supported by a dedicated team from Found.ation. They also had the change to attend a series of webinars about subjects that are important for a startup company. In addition, networking opportunities were offered to the teams. 

Their solutions were presented during a virtual Demo Day in July. The 7 teams presented the progress of their projects to potential investors, journalists and business executives interested in deep tech solutions. The startups that managed to present a strong Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and incorporated, supported with the extra amount of €10.000.

The 7 teams that graduated in the EIT Digital Venture Program 2022, are: 

• Orbito aims to be the only online one-stop travel marketplace for mobility-challenged users, who will be able to plan and book their trip online with one credit card transaction. 

• SmartOnboards is a software solution tailored for e-commerce companies that primarily provide customer support through email, social media as well as online chat. 
• NEREID envisions the future of yachting experience. The team builds an integrated cross platform management systems for marinas and full service assistance for boat owners. 
• Digital Bites makes the Virtual Taste Simulator, a device that creates immersive food consumption experiences in virtual worlds on demand for its users. 
• TERRA+ envisages building trust for agri-food products by increasing their traceability and the transparency of the relevant supply chain. 
• Camprrr makes a Saas platform that optimizes business management and showcases facilities & services, tailored to the needs of the outdoor hospitality industry. 

• Edition 01 wants to reshape Art with AI, one piece at a time. Edition 01 is a startup that uses AI to generate modern artworks. Their process involves ingesting images of contemporary art into a proprietary machine-learning algorithm that is trained to generate its own, unique images. 

The EIT Digital Venture Program described by the words of participating teams: 

The speakers were well chosen and had deep knowledge of their subjects. The subjects included most, if not all, the knowledge we need to build an idea into a startup and I feel I gained a lot of insight on most of them. A wonderful and educating experience. – Digital Bites 

Great experience with focused presentations to the pain points of a startup – TERRA+ 

The startups will also have the opportunity to receive additional funding. Specifically, the first 10 ventures across all regions that have received the first tranche of the Final Prize and that have found an investor by the 27th of November 2022 will receive an additional €10,000 prize, totalling €25,000 from the EIT Venture Program. 

A big thank you to Mirko Tadic, EIT Digital RIS Venture Program & DeepHack Lead, and of course to our wonderful instructors and speakers, especially Dr. Antonis Livieratos, Thanos Leontaris (Ratio Law), Ioannis Rovis (Vellum S.A.) and Natalia Deligiorgi (1:1 Performance Coaching), Constantinos Nikolaidis (Velocity.Partners), Anthony Meyer Zu Schlochtern (Innovation Boosters), Dimitris Simos (Action Finance Initiative), Anastasia Chalkidou (Quantum Business & IT Solutions), Panagiotis Gournas (Quantum Business & IT Solutions), Karolina Wawrzyniak (Oracle) and our very own Costas Bissas, for offering their expertise and wisdom.   

Finally, we would like to thank the program’s mentors who guided and supported the teams during this entrepreneurial journey, especially George Avgenakis, Maggy Kontou, Dimitris Papadakis, George Kary, Kostas Karakasiliotis, Constantinos Nikolaidis, Vangelis Sakelliou, Nikoletta Kotronarou.   

During the 5 years of the program, 124 startups have been created with the support of EIT Digital at a European level, in which more than 200 young entrepreneurs are involved. So far Found.ation has supported 41 startups, providing 570.000 euros in funding. 

The next edition of the EIT Digital Venture Program is expected to launch in February 2023. Keep in touch with all the developments regarding the upcoming program, following the Found.ation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin!