We invite you to meet Corship, a consortium co-funded by European Union, that counts with 7 selected partners representing universities, corporates, startups and innovation networks – Beta-i amongst them.
Here is all you need to know about it.
Corship’s mission is to establish and improve the collaboration across Europe, between startups, corporates and universities, with education.
This joint language and collaboration is done by connecting these entities through 3 core results:
A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
Currently preparing the field to a 2020 MOOC entirely dedicated to the collaboration process between these three entities, this will be the first MOOC on Corporate Entrepreneurship connecting and upskilling 1.500+ entrepreneurs, managers and students.
This course will be open for registration from December 2019 and will last up to six weeks. It will be the first core result of the project and open and free for everyone. Completely online, through the platform mooc.house.
After reading, watching videos, answering questions (multiple choice) and quizzes, besides taking part in discussions and work individually and in a group, participants will also have the chance to apply for the MicroCredential.
A Microcredential
Corship presents the first MicroCredential (a modular, flexible format stemming from MOOCs) pilot world-wide on corporate entrepreneurship. This is a modular, flexible mini degree on very specific topics. After the MOOC, this is will be a dedicated high-level training offered to 10 entrepreneurs, 10 managers and 10 students.
It will last eight weeks and will include two face-to-face workshops and three online moments. Applications for the MicroCredential are done via the MOOC and open in April 2020.
A Toolbox
A unique Corporate Entrepreneurship Toolbox with guidelines and tools to facilitate the collaboration between the 3 target groups. These guidelines will be complemented with a practical selection of popular, but also less-known, self-developed, hands-on entrepreneurial tools.
The first prototype is to be ready in January 2020!
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Get to know the latest research report that is part of the project’s background and follow Corship to get all the updates.
Lisbon Investment Summit happened over two weeks ago now, but for us, it is still going: through all the things that we learned, the moments we treasured and the relationships we started.
It’s all about community
The most important thing we learned at #LIS19 is something that we at Beta-i have always believed: it’s all about community. Innovation is only possible when different stakeholders join forces together and collaborate to thrive – and #LIS19 is the perfect melting pot that joins entrepreneurs, corporate innovators, investors and decision makers in one place.
The highlights:
Humanity Will Fix the Future
Andrew Keen, the best-selling author of How To Fix the Future and the headliner at #LIS19, spoke about the unfulfilled promises of technology – the promise that it would bring equality, boost democracy and create bridges between people. To overcome these challenges, we must take action through regulation, innovation and citizen engagement. The “fixing” of the future does not rest on more technology – it rests solely on our shoulders.
Investment in Portugal
Pedro Falcão, Managing Partner of LC Ventures, gave #LIS19 attendees an overview of the investment landscape in Portugal. You can download the report here:
Lisbon Investment Summit would not be the same without our amazing pitch competition, sponsored by GROW, which was one of the highlights of these two days – 12 amazing startups pitched on stage but there can only be one winner. The prize went to Musiversal, represented by founder André Miranda (and a Lisbon Challenge alumnus).
Several Portuguese startups and Beta-i open-innovation alumni were highlighted in the event.
The EntrepreneurXXI Awards are an initiative that seeks to identify, recognize and accompany young companies with greater growth potential.
At this year’s event, the spotlight was on portuguese startups Seacliq (invested by LC Ventures) and HUUB, both having created digital platforms to simplify the direct negotiation between providers and buyers in their respective industries (fishing and fashion).
Seacliq is a new electronic platform for the first sale of fish based on blockchain.
Fin&Insur Tech
Predictiva has developed, with technology based on artificial intelligence, a superbot specialized in the analysis and interpretation of spontaneous speech.
Commerce Tech
HUUB is an integrated logistics platform for the fashion industry.
Tourism Tech
Tracer has created a system based on blockchain to avoid the problem of abusive resale of tickets at major music and sports events.
Health Tech
Glycardial Diagnostics is working on the development of an in vitro diagnostic device (IVD) for the early detection of cardiac ischemia and prediction of patient evolution.
Impact Tech
Feltwood has developed an innovative process to transform agricultural vegetal residues into ecological industrial material of multiple applications and with characteristics similar to materials such as plastic or wood.
One of the characteristics that make Free Electrons a huge opportunity for startups is that it is truly global: the startups joining the program will get a chance to work with 10 global utilities, with experience and big markets under their belt.
Let’s get to know two of the utilities that are part of the Free Electrons utility alliance.
CLP
CLP was founded in Hong Kong in 1901, which makes it a centenary company. They provide the electricity supply to 80% of Hong Kong’s population and invest in the energy sector in mainland China, India, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Australia. Their business includes power generation, transmission and distribution, and electricity and gas retail activities.
We spoke with Austin Bryan, Senior Director of Innovation & Ventures at CLP, who spoke about the exciting experience the last edition of Free Electrons was. Both from the incredible feature of getting 10 global utilities working together and all of them working with 15 world-class startups in a truly collaborative environment.
I think the key thing is we did work with them, we collaborated. We didn’t treat them as suppliers, they didn’t treat us as customers. We came together to figure out what exactly it is that needs to be solved and how we do that.
Startups and utilities are very different in their make-up – startups come in with aspirations to ask questions and solve a problem, and the utilities come in with deep industry knowledge. This combination, and the bringing of these capabilities together to work on a viable product that can grow, thrive and actually solve a problem, is some of the most inspirational work they have done, according to Bryan.
Watch the full interview below:
DEWA – Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
DEWA is the solo electricity and water provider for the city of Dubai, doing everything from generation, distribution and transmission for the residents. They are committed to promoting Dubai’s vision through the delivery of sustainable electricity and water services at a world-class level of reliability, efficiency and safety.
We spoke with Shaima Alawadhi, Senior Manager of Global Partnerships at DEWA who explained that DEWA still has 4 pilot projects running that came out the last edition of Free Electrons. It’s a peculiar situation – as one of the pilots is integration in their highly secure technology that allows the other 3 pilots to run.
Because we are part of the government, we have to ensure that security is at its highest level.
The new branch of DEWA, called Digital DEWA, is focused on creating new revenue streams for the company, so looking forward in Free Electrons, they are looking for technologies (like A.I.) to leverage the assets the company already has – like data – to support new services they can provide to their customers.
See the whole interview here:
The first module of Free Electrons is almost here – it will happen on the 21st – 24th of May in Columbus, Ohio, home of AEP. The objective of this first module will be to match solutions with concrete challenges and define a collaborative roadmap for the first pilot among startups and utilities.
A quick visit to Slush’s website and you will read that the event happens during what is the sh*ttiest weather season of the year. I have never been in Finland before so I don’t know if it can get any sh*ttier, but let me tell you: it is cold.
They claim nothing normal ever changed a damn thing and they couldn’t be more right. The moment we get there we start to think about that sentence and the truth is it reflects exactly what happens during those days in Helsinki.
The event is amazing, to be honest it is one of the best startup and tech events I’ve ever attended (and I’ve had my fair share of tech events). The energy surrounding it is contagious and the concept of the true entrepreneur is everywhere you look. You would think that such a dark space wouldn’t be cosy but you couldn’t be more wrong, in fact that darkness contributes to create the atmosphere we’re so drawn into. Plus, the disruptive ideas and the content quality make this event nothing but normal.
There is no way you’ll get bored in Slush. Everybody is there to share their experiences and make the ecosystem grow. It is extremely focused on startups and that is why they are everywhere, focused mainly on B to B and at the same time totally different from what we know as “conventional”.
It is a must go for startups and entrepreneurs and no matter what I write about it it will never truly describe what happens there, you will never be able to understand how the event’s energy works towards everybody’s feelings and emotions if you don’t actually live it. It is, without a doubt, money extremely well spent.
For those who didn’t have the opportunity to be there I leave you with some of my favourite talks from the event. Hope you enjoy them as much as me.
