The wait is finally over! In mid-September, we received notification that we were selected as one of the finalists for the pan-European competition for startups, BoostUp! 2022.
The competition, which was launched on June 13, 2022, will culminate in the grand finale to be held in Athens, Greece on October 7, 2022. A half-day event where the 20 selected finalists in the domains of manufacturing will compete with their breakthrough ideas for a total amount of EUR 170,000, in addition to packages of Business Creation support services provided by EIT Manufacturing.
All this will take place in front of a panel of experts who will evaluate the usefulness of the startups’ solutions. Each finalist will have 4 minutes to present their idea, followed by a 4-minute Q&A session with the panel of judges. All these solutions derive from a collaboration with a large manufacturing company, either in the form of a pilot project or a proof-of-concept (POC) project that demonstrates the viability of the technology.
The competition was specifically aimed at startups with solutions from one of EIT Manufacturing’s flagship programs that aim to support sustainable, circular, and digital manufacturing solutions. The grand finale event will offer startups an exclusive networking and matchmaking soiree where the twenty finalists can meet international experts, manufacturing executives, and investors.
Up to eight startups will receive a cash prize of EUR 20,000 to accelerate the scaling of their solution. In addition, a cash prize of EUR 5,000 will be awarded to the top-ranked startup from a RIS country and the top-ranked startup led by a woman.
According to Blaž Fortuna, Director of Qlector, and Tomaž Šuklje, Head of our Business Development, participation in the Boost Up finals is an exceptional opportunity to connect with investors and potential business partners. At the same time, this opportunity is the best possible confirmation of the right direction of the development of the Qlector LEAP solution and a reward for the successful implementation of the pilot project in the Kolektor international production group.
