Unveiling six innovative startups emerging from the EIT Digital Venture Program 2023

After participating in the 6th edition of the EIT Digital Venture Program, an acceleration initiative carried out by Found.ation in collaboration with EIT Digital (part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology), these six deep-tech startups are now fully prepared to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.  

In recognition of their successful completion of the intensive eight-week acceleration program and the subsequent incorporation of their ventures, each team was granted a cash prize of €10,000. Additionally, an initial tranche of €5,000 in support was provided in May 2023, resulting in a total EIT Digital support of €15,000 per team.  

Regarding the EIT Digital Venture Program: 

The program kicked off in May with a two-day bootcamp, providing startups with an invaluable opportunity to connect with their mentors and dive into the essential aspects of entrepreneurship. Topics covered during this bootcamp encompassed business planning, service design, legal considerations, and outreach to potential investors. 

Throughout the program, the teams engaged in intensive collaboration with their mentors from the innovation ecosystem, bolstered by dedicated support from the Found.ation team. They also had the privilege of participating in a series of webinars focusing on topics crucial to startup success. Furthermore, the teams were offered networking opportunities to expand their connections. 

The culmination of their efforts occurred during a virtual Demo Day in July. During this event, the six teams showcased the progress of their projects to a captivated audience of potential investors, journalists, and business executives with a keen interest in deep tech solutions. Those startups that successfully presented a robust Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and subsequently incorporated their businesses were further rewarded with an additional €10,000 in support. 

The 6 teams that graduated in the EIT Digital Venture Program 2023 are: 

Athleton Plus: An all-in-one fitness marketplace that inspires individuals to turn fitness into a habit.  

DOBE: Offering psychometric games to enhance employee well-being and team productivity throughout organizations.  

GENITOR: Revolutionizing the indoor painting industry with an AI-powered, autonomous robotic painting solution.  

Griffin Entertainment Studios: Introducing MonumentAR, an innovative tool for creating personalized augmented reality experiences.  

Nutrifolio: Empowering users to discover food that suits their dietary needs instantly.  

Senec.ai: An AI-powered website builder that creates personalized websites in seconds, eliminating the need for coding or design skills. 

The founders of Senec.ai note regarding their participation in the program: 

Participating in the EIT Digital Venture Program has been an incredible journey. The webinars were packed with practical knowledge and actionable advice. The mentorship we received was exceptional, with experienced mentors guiding us through every step of the process, providing invaluable insights and helping shape our venture for success. We highly recommend this program to any aspiring entrepreneur looking to accelerate their startup journey.  

The startups will also have the chance to secure additional funding. More precisely, the initial ten ventures from all regions that have already obtained the first installment of the Final Prize and have secured an investor by November 26, 2023, will be eligible for an extra €10,000 award, bringing the total support from the EIT Venture Program to €25,000. 

A big thank you to Mirko Tadic, EIT Digital RIS Venture Program & DeepHack Lead, and of course to our wonderful instructors and speakers including Dr. Antonis Livieratos, Ioannis Papikas (Orfium), Thanos Leontaris (Ratio Law), Constantinos Nikolaidis (Velocity.Partners), Natalia Deligiorgi (1:1 Performance Coaching), Dimitris Garagounis (Oliveex), George Boretos (FutureUp) and Costas Bissas, Neofytos Kolokotronis and Marios Vlachos from our own team. Their invaluable expertise and guidance played a pivotal role in keeping the teams engaged and empowered throughout the program.  

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, Ioannis Rovis, Ritsa Milathianaki, Margarita Kyprianou, Mary Markaki, Ioannis Papikas, George Boretos.  

During the 6 years of the program, Found.ation has supported 46 startups, providing 660.000 euros in funding.  

The next edition of the EIT Digital Venture Program is expected to launch in February 2024. Keep in touch with all the developments regarding the upcoming program, following the Found.ation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin!