by maria | Feb 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
Yes, Brussels does talk “startup”! If you follow my Facebook account you’ve seen that since starting my role at Beta-i, I’m more often than not in Brussels. And you’re probably wondering what is that all about: Brussels and startups?! Well, there is an awful lot happening in Brussels regarding startups and a considerable number of people, both at the Commission and in other organisations, focusing in creating a globally competitive Startup Industry in Europe.
At Beta-i part of my role is to manage the four European projects we’re working on. Through these projects we build direct relationships with 20+ partners from other member states – to the point that I have them on my whatsapp account. These partners range from accelerators to incubators, research agencies, startup networks, media channels, universities and other sorts of organizations. All of them are key players in the European Startup Industry. This means that, on a daily basis, we at Beta-i are going across borders for our startups, partners and overall for the Portuguese Startup Industry. We work together with these partners and have the amazing opportunity to get to understand what is happening across europe both locally and across borders. Here are a few things that I learned on this journey so far:
The Europe of Startups is growing united
Things are moving really fast. Startups are not something from Silicon Valley anymore. They are here and they are ours. They are European! From London, Paris, Berlin, Lisbon, Madrid, and very often they have more than one nationality (e.g. Estonian & Swedish, Portuguese & German or Italian and French). The Europe of Startups is a more borderless Europe, a more international one. There is a startup culture that bonds everyone with the same ‘language’. Startups think globally and the challenges they have are pretty much the same no matter where they are located. Hiring a data scientist or growth hacker is nearly as challenging for a startup in Stockholm as for a startup in Athens. All of these factors mean that this industry is speaking the same language across borders and has a collaborative approach to solve the challenges it faces.
Politicians want to act
Startups are important. They know that. They are crucial for the future of European economy. Trust me, they really do know that! Many of them are making time in their agendas to sit down with us, learn about what is happening and identify together with the people from the industry what needs to be done for the startup industry to scale-up in Europe. During these next months, with the Dutch presidency in place, it is expected that a few major steps will be taken that strongly impact startups in Europe. There are talks that this may be the chance to push through a European Startup Visa to allow startups to hire specialized resources from outside Europe whenever there is an identified shortage in Europe. From an early stage, the Commission has been backing up the growth of the Startup Industry in Europe and many initiatives have been put in place to support that. Startup Europe, DG Connect and COSME, just to mention a few, are some of the initiatives currently active and aiming to help Startups in Europe to tackle the current challenges they face in the most diverse areas (e.g. access to finance, access to talent or soft landing at member states for market expansion)
The time is now
Startup is no longer a buzzword. Startups are an industry. It is no longer about starting up the startup economy (forgive me the redundancy). Now it is about scaling up this industry. Corporates have recognized the innovative and strategic value of working with startups, politicians know their economic value and the ecosystem is mature enough that key players are emerging as experts, with best practices and know how that are beyond the initial experimental phase.
What does this all mean for startups and other players in this industry? Simple: if you speak now, you will be heard. It is time to become a changemaker. Take advantage of this alignment of factors and build on the momentum that is there.
With this in mind, Beta-i is launching the Portuguese Startup Manifesto movement in 2016, when all eyes are set in Portugal. Now a mature ecosystem, with several international players moving in, the time is right for Portuguese entrepreneurs, startups, investors and other key stakeholders to voice their ideas and contribute in defining the necessary actions to upgrade the Portuguese Startup Ecosystem. The goal is to put in place the measures that will upgrade the Portuguese Startup Industry and allow Portugal to become a competitive hub for startups worldwide.
Join the discussion using #PTstartupManifesto or drop by an event near you. Learn all about it here.
The post How Can European Startups Become the Best? Find Out. appeared first on Lisbon Challenge.
by maria | Feb 4, 2016 | Uncategorized
Alright, we all know how difficult it is to get into a top accelerator. You apply with your startup, you wait for the reply and then when the time comes, it’s either the cheer look on your face or the disappointment settling in. And filling in the application plays a major role in this.
So, how can you get the perfect application that will get everybody’s attention? What should you add and emphasize? What’s the “make it or break it” factor? Well, just keep on reading because you’re about to find out.
We get hundreds of applications for Lisbon Challenge and it’s a long and arduous job to go through each one of them. In order to move on to the next phase, you really need to stand out by following these tips:
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Team, team, team
I know this might sound a bit of a cliché. Everyone talks about the importance of having a good team but that’s no coincidence. Whenever we go through applications, the team is usually what grabs our attention. Explain exactly what each one of you does, the background, why you’re building this startup together, etc. We definitely value teams that cover the 3 main areas (tech, business and design) so, if you have an engineer, a designer and a business person in your team, you’re on the right track.
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Do your homework
It’s really important that our accelerator matches your startup and your own expectations. For Lisbon Challenge we only take startups that already have a product or prototype and that are looking to grow their business. Take a look at our website and go through our list of alumni startups. Check the program and if you have any question email our Program Director, Bashara Hinnawi, at bashara.hinnawi@beta-i.pt
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Get a recommendation
Most of the selected startups for Lisbon Challenge were referred to us by someone within our network of entrepreneurs and investors. See if you can find someone who has been through Lisbon Challenge before or someone close to Beta-i and ask for a referral.
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Be detailed and know your numbers
Explain your product and business well. If you’re building a complex technical product, take your time to explain it and find a comparison so that it’s easy to understand the importance of your solution. You should also know how to explain your vision and how big the market is. If you already have users, page-views, subscribers or downloads add that information in the application – you gotta know your numbers.
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No bullshit (go straight to the point)
Even though you have to be detailed about your product and know your numbers, that doesn’t necessarily mean bullshit. Go straight to the point and answer the questions. If you don’t have numbers to show don’t try to fake it.
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Surprise us – stand out from the crowd
If you want to get noticed you need to stand out from the crowd. Don’t be like everybody else that says they’re gonna get all their users through social media with no further explanations. Think of new channels and mediums that will let your startup shine. Make an effort to do the video properly as it plays a big role in the application phase and is a great opportunity for you to stand out too.
Now that all the tips are here, it’s entirely up to you to get it right. Apply to Lisbon Challenge until this Sunday, February the 7th, and grow your startup from Lisbon to the world.
Not ready for Lisbon Challenge yet but have an idea for a startup? Check out Beta-start, our one month pre-accelerator for you to validate and test your business idea in Lisbon.
The post 6 Tips for Getting into Lisbon Challenge (or any other accelerator) appeared first on Lisbon Challenge.
by maria | Jan 21, 2016 | Uncategorized
Even when you think you have it all figured out – your business idea is so good you will sell thousands and you will get rich or die trying — you need to stop for a moment and get some insights from people other than your friends and family (as in, your mother will always brag about your business but your customers won’t – unless you do things right).
And that’s where we come in…
Beta-start is here to push you off the cliff (not literally I guess) and help you build your product on the way down. No safety nets or safe landings, this is the real deal.
You’ll get to talk to talented entrepreneurs and be mentored by them. They’ve done it once before, some have failed, others have not, and you’ll get to learn from all those experiences and test your own theories.
Beta-start is all about trial and error. We give you the right tools and it’s up to you to put it into practice. You’ll learn all you need to know to start your own business: lean methodologies, how to design a business model and build a product, work on your marketing strategy and learn how to deliver the perfect pitch.
Our pre-accelerator for idea stage startups, is already going for its 12th run and we know exactly what we’re doing. We’ve seen startups such as GetSocial, Pumpkin or Line Health take their very first steps and we want to keep pushing bold entrepreneurs forward and help build the next generation of startups, from Lisbon to the world.
If you’re a passionate, resilient and ambitious entrepreneur who is just getting started with your business come and talk to us. We have open applications until the 7th of February.
Now, it’s entirely up to you to make your ideas happen. Get your application started right here.
The post Build your own startup in Lisbon – apply to Beta-start (until Feb-7) appeared first on Beta-Start.
by maria | Dec 15, 2015 | Uncategorized
Our own Sensefinity was considered one of the best IoT startups in Europe. They have just won the 2015 Idea Challenge in Internet of Things held in Kista, Sweeden.
Sensefinity is the Internet of Things for the masses. In other words it’s for all businesses which have data information needs for additional revenues based upon efficiencies and risk mitigation. By plugging Sensefinity’s devices and registering to the platform, projects can immediately start using data gathered from their assets and delivered by their ubiquitous GSM data-pipe with multinational companies and covering worldwide territory.
The user-friendly interface allows for fast access to set-temperatures, thresholds, alarms and reports.
Sensefinity is part of the current batch of our startup accelerator, Deloitte Digital Disruptors, along with 14 other startups.
Great expectations for the future as this promising Portuguese startup unveils itself to the world.
The post Sensefinity considered one of the best IoT startups in Europe appeared first on Deloitte Digital Disruptors.
by maria | Nov 18, 2015 | Uncategorized
Standard Access, who has recently joined us at Deloitte Digital Disruptors in Lisbon, was considered the Tech Startup of the Year in Ireland. The prize was given by the Bank of Ireland.
This promising startup, that is taking part of our acceleration program, has developed a hardware / software product and lock combination that allows monetised time restricted access to a building via your internet enabled device integrated with a client or tenant management platform.
This useful solution can be used by property managers or real estate agents when doing a viewing for example. It is particularly interesting for the tourism industry as most hotels struggle with these issues on a daily basis.
Find out more about this innovative startup in the Tourism Day, hosted by Airbnb and organised by Beta-i, next Tuesday, November 24th. Standard Access will be pitching on stage. Get your ticket now before it’s too late.
The post Standard Access considered Tech Startup of the Year in Ireland appeared first on Deloitte Digital Disruptors.
