The second Brightlands Techruption Incubation Program will start at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen on Monday, March 26. During this event, together with corporates and knowledge institutes, ten carefully selected national and international start-ups will kick off an intensive and ambitious innovation project.
Co-creation as a key to success
The Brightlands Techruption Incubation Program offers the ideal breeding ground for start-ups that work on smart solutions using new technologies. Within the program, students, start-ups, scale-ups, international companies, researchers and scientists all work together. For the start-ups, the program offers a “fish pond” full of knowledge, experienced programmers, sparring partners and a relevant network. The incubation program focuses primarily on developing a brand-new idea to turn it into a fully validated and scalable business model, in continuous collaboration with experts from the industry, future partners and customers. In the field lab, the start-ups participate in a project with a maximum duration of two years, starting in late March. During the first nine weeks, the start-ups are immersed in the Venture Essentials part of the incubation program, followed by a 10-week Investor Relations program. The start-ups then move on to the Venture Boost program, during which they receive regular support from experts. Throughout the entire program, start-ups are assisted by experts, receive legal and financial advice and have access to the campus-wide program. They develop their value proposition, business plan, perfect pitch and are challenged to work on innovations that may be put into practice.
Start-ups from all corners of the world
On March 26, start-ups from all over the world will begin the incubation program. The three start-ups from the Netherlands are Blockheating (recycling blockchain heat to convert it to heat for greenhouses), Barbecane (crowdfunding platform that evenly distributes risks and returns) and Prop.az (platform to make renting out real estate more efficient and less expensive). A start-up from Ukraine will also be participating, Crypto Payment System (enables telecom companies to function like banks), Topshelf Enterprises from the United States (develops a decentralized STI/3D file-sharing system), Smart Futures from France (uses gaming to encourage citizens’ involvement in maintenance of public areas), InsureVite from Singapore (combines AI chatbots and smart contracts to improve efficiency in the insurance industry), Vitalgia (automates labor-intensive work in greenhouses using AI), and finally, AppsForce from the United Kingdom (platform that helps SMEs to work more cheaply and efficiently).
Technology helps answer burning questions
At the Brightlands Smart Services Campus, creating the connection between knowledge, technology, science and social issues is our day-to-day business. The Techruption field lab not only has a front-row seat when it comes to innovation, but also offers input to parties that are working on the continued development of policy and regulations.
At Techruption, you will encounter a community of people working on sustainable innovations in blockchain, artificial intelligence and climate change. They do this through co-creation, working with companies, students and knowledge partners in our field lab at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen. The Techruption field lab offers two unique programs where people can transform their ideas into concrete prototypes with the assistance of professional supervision. A cross-sectoral approach is always taken, which means that mixed teams work on projects. The structure of the field lab is not only unique in the Netherlands, it is also very effective. In the lab, innovations are made to the existing innovation process. For start-ups, we offer an incubation program and the opportunity to work on use cases with established companies in innovation projects. Both programs only take a few weeks, and during this time, participants work intensively on designing and perfecting the idea in order to ultimately end up with a concrete prototype.
About Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory guides start-ups, helping them to become successful companies. Brightlands Innovation Factory helps start-ups navigate the entire product life cycle: from the very first idea up to and including putting the products into production and selling them (incubation - acceleration - validation - scale-up). These start-ups are active in the four focus areas of the Brightlands campuses: chemistry and materials (Sittard-Geleen), health (Maastricht), smart IT services and big data (Heerlen) and nutrition (Venlo). Among other benefits, these national and international start-ups have a dedicated workspace at the campus, access to a high-quality knowledge and expertise network, and facilities such as laboratories, pilot plants and 3D printers. www.brightlandsinnovationfactory.com
]]>Benelux Venture Forum strijkt neer in de Brightlands-regio.
De 17e editie van het Benelux Venture Forum (BVF) vindt plaats op 21 en 22 november in Maastricht. Tijdens dit unieke matchmaking event krijgen high-tech start-ups de mogelijkheid in contact te treden met (internationale) investeerders. Voor Limburg biedt het evenement de gelegenheid zich Euregionaal en internationaal te profileren als innovatieve en aantrekkelijke regio voor zowel ondernemers als investeerders. Gedurende twee dagen zijn toonaangevende financiële experts te gast in onze regio. Brightlands Innovation Factory is de host van het event, dat mede mogelijk wordt gemaakt door de Provincie Limburg, LIOF, Chemelot Ventures, Medtronic, DSM, APG en Brightlands.
Campussectoren
Centraal in het programma staat de mogelijkheid voor 40 bedrijven om te pitchen voor een panel van (financiële) experts en zich op deze wijze te presenteren aan (internationale) investeerders. Deze bedrijven worden geselecteerd door een selectie van top investeerders die lid zijn van de 'International Venture Club'. Een mooie kans om expertise en financiële support aan boord te halen. De deelnemende bedrijven worden in de voorbereiding van hun pitch ondersteund door de organisatie van BVF en krijgen hiervoor zelfs een ‘Venture Academy’ die plaatsvindt op de Brightlands Smart Services Campus, voorafgaand aan het Benelux Venture Forum. Van de 40 deelnemende bedrijven kunnen de 10 beste bedrijven zich kwalificeren voor de European Venture Contest die in december in Düsseldorf zal plaatsvinden. De bedrijven zijn ingedeeld in de focusgebieden van Brightlands Smart Services, Food & Nutrition, Medtech en Materials.
Limburg - Innovatie - Talent
Tijdens het avondprogramma van 21 november zal Limburg zich presenteren als sterke innovatieve regio met een uniek ecosysteem voor ondernemend Limburg en vooral voor high-tech start-ups. Start-ups van zowel binnen als buiten Limburg. Dit zal gebeuren via een zogenaamde ‘fireside-chat’ onder leiding van Maurice Olivers (Brightlands Communication & Branding) en Lia Voermans (Brightlands Director External Strategy). Rondom de thema’s Limburg, Innovatie en Talent zullen 11 vertegenwoordigers vanuit diverse gremia en bedrijfsleven hun visie geven op waar Limburg nu staat en de uitdagingen die wij als regio willen aangaan. Centrale rol is hierin weggelegd voor Constantijn van Oranje.
Deelnemers aan de fireside-chat zijn: Constantijn van Oranje/Startup Delta, Twan Beurskens/Provincie, Tys van Elk/LIOF, Robert Jan Galema/INKEF Capital, Paulien Strijland/Brightlands Innovation Factory, Leo Kretzers /Medtronic, Joep Beukers/APG, Casper Bruens/Chemelot Ventures, Thomas Cleij/Maastricht University, Stefan Jockenhövel/Maastricht University, Margareta Merke/Boostani, Herman Wories/DSM, Léon Klinkers/Brightlands Innovation Factory.
Samenwerking: kracht van de regio gebundeld
Brightlands Innovation Factory heeft het event naar Limburg gehaald en verzorgt de organisatie, samen met LIOF, Medtronic, APG, Chemelot Ventures, DSM, Brightlands en Provincie Limburg. Een gezamenlijke organisatie met één doel: de versterking van de regio om zo het ondernemerschap in Limburg nog meer te laten groeien. Het Benelux Venture Forum draagt hier fors aan bij. BVF brengt veelbelovende bedrijven, actieve internationale en regionale investeerders en bedrijven die investeringen en partnerships zoeken bijeen. BVF speelt een belangrijk rol op het gebied van innovatie in Europa en de Benelux; het promoot Luxemburg, België en Nederland als innovatieve, attractieve en interessante landen om zaken mee te doen of in te investeren.
Constantijn van Oranje, Startup Envoy: “StartupDelta onderschrijft het Benelux Venture Forum als een geweldige plek voor high-tech start-ups en investeerders om elkaar te ontmoeten, ideeën en expertise uit te wisselen en hun business te versnellen. Brightlands is een sterke broedplaats voor innovatie en internationalisering in de regio. Voor start-ups speelt de Brightlands regio een belangrijke rol om hen te helpen aan potentiële klanten en kapitaal vanuit het buitenland te verwerven.”
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: “Ik krijg energie van het feit dat investeerders 40 veelbelovende Europese bedrijven selecteren en dan samen met deze bedrijven naar onze regio komen. Aan dit samenspel van investeerders en bedrijven ligt een uniek format ten grondslag dat door TechTour (de organisatie achter het BVF) sterk wordt neergezet. Als Brightlands benutten we deze 2 dagen ten volle om de kracht van onze regio over te brengen door een dynamisch programma aan te bieden dat zich afspeelt in heel Limburg."
Twan Beurskens, Gedeputeerde economie en Kennisinfrastructuur Provincie Limburg: “Het Benelux Venture Forum is een gezaghebbende partij in de Europese en Benelux’ innovatiewereld. Het feit dat het BVF twee dagen in onze regio neerstrijkt, onderstreept dat Limburg meer en meer wordt gezien als een sterke innovatieve regio die dankzij het unieke Brightlands ecosysteem volop kansen biedt aan innovatieve high-tech start-ups. Met dit soort hoogwaardige evenementen stimuleren we de groei van het Limburgse ondernemerschap en laten we de kracht van Brightlands zien voor de beste Europese start-ups en investeerders.”
Noot voor de redactie:
Voor meer informatie nodigen wij u uit contact op te nemen met:
Brightlands Innovation Factory
Léon Klinkers, CEO
e-mail: leon.klinkers@brightlands.com www.brightlandsinnovationfactory.com
]]>Benelux Venture Forum visits Brightlands region
The 17th edition of the Benelux Venture Forum (BVF) is taking place on November 21st and 22nd in Limburg, The Netherlands. During this unique matchmaking event, high-tech start-ups will have the opportunity to meet with international investors. The event offers Limburg the opportunity to present itself at a Euregional and international level as an innovative and attractive region for both entrepreneurs and investors. Leading financial experts will be welcomed in our region. Brightlands Innovation Factory will host the event, which is co-organized with the Province of Limburg, LIOF, Chemelot Ventures, Medtronic, DSM, APG and Brightlands.
Campus sectors
40 start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch in front of a jury of financial experts. Companies are carefully selected through a high-level group of investors which are members of the "International Venture Club". This is a great opportunity to bring expertise and financial support on board. The participating companies will be prepped by the BVF organization. They can even take part in the ‘Venture Academy’ on the Brightlands Smart Services Campus. The top 10 companies will have the opportunity to qualify for the European Venture Contest Final, which will take place in December in Düsseldorf. The event will bring together companies in the four focus areas of Brightlands: Smart Services, Food & Nutrition, MedTech and Materials.
Limburg – Innovation – Talent
During the evening program on November 21st, Limburg will be presented as a strong innovative region with a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem, especially for high-tech start-ups. This will be done via a so-called 'fireside chat' led by Maurice Olivers (Brightlands Communication & Branding) and Lia Voermans (Brightlands Director External Strategy). Eleven representatives from various forums and industries will share their vision on where Limburg is today regarding Innovation and Talent, and the challenges that the regionencounters . A central role will be reserved for Constantijn van Oranje.
Participants of the fireside-chats are:
Constantijn van Oranje/Startup Delta, Twan Beurskens/Provincie, Tys van Elk/LIOF, Robert Jan Galema/INKEF Capital, Paulien Strijland/Brightlands Innovation Factory, Leo Kretzers /Medtronic, Joep Beukers/APG, Casper Bruens/Chemelot Ventures, Thomas Cleij/Maastricht University, Stefan Jockenhövel/Maastricht University, Margareta Merke/Boostani, Herman Wories/DSM, Léon Klinkers/Brightlands Innovation Factory.
Collaboration – the region is joining forces
Brightlands Innovation Factory hosts the Benelux Venture Forum event in Limburg. Co-organizers are the Province of Limburg, LIOF, Chemelot Ventures, Medtronic, DSM, APG and Brightlands. This joint organization has one common goal: to strengthen the region and grow entrepreneurship in Limburg. The Benelux Venture Forum (BVF) is a large contributor to this goal as it brings together highly promising entrepreneurs, active international and regional investors and corporations seeking investment and partnerships. The Forum plays an important role in the European and Benelux innovation scene. It fosters start-ups in the high-tech industry and it promotes Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands as innovative, attractive and interesting countries to do business or to invest in.
Constantijn van Oranje, Startup Envoy: “StartupDelta endorses the Benelux Venture Forum, as a great place for high-tech start-ups and investors to meet, exchange ideas and expertise and to accelerate their business. Brightlands, is becoming a real driving force for innovation and internationalisation in the region. It plays an important role in providing innovators access to potential customers and capital from abroad.”
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: “What drives me is the fact that investors selected 40 promising European companies and then come to our region together with these companies. This interaction between investors and companies is based on a unique format that is strongly endorsed by TechTour (organization behind BVF). As Brightlands we will use this two-day visit to powerfully demonstrate the strength of this region by offering a dynamic program in the whole province of Limburg.”
Twan Beurskens, Vice Governor and Regional Minister of Economic Affairs and Knowledge Infrastructure for the Province of Limburg: “The Benelux Venture Forum plays an important role in the European and Benelux innovation scene. The two-day visit of the BVF to our region shows that Limburg is regarded more and more as a strong innovative region that offers many opportunities to innovative high-tech start-ups because of the unique Brightlands ecosystem. With such high quality events we foster the growth of Limburg entrepreneurship and show the strength of Brightlands to the best European start-ups and investors.
]]>Startups are good for the economy. They stimulate innovation and employment. In order to grow, startups require capital, knowledge and customers. This forms the basis for both Brightlands Innovation Factory and StartupFest Europe. It is hence no coincidence that the official opening of Brightlands Innovation Factory was part of the first edition of StartupFest Europe last year. StartupFest is a European festival, founded by StartupDelta, where startups and scale-ups find funding to grow their business, meet launching customers and find inspiration from international top-notch speakers.
CapitalFest
The main event of StartupFest Europe is CapitalFest on September 27th, which is organised by the Amsterdam Capital Week and StartupDelta. During that week a number of thematic events spread around the Netherlands will take place under the theme 'Global Challenges, Startup Solutions'. Key note speakers and challenges will be focussing on these global challenges.
Edible drones
During CapitalFest on September 27th in the Beurs of Berlage in Amsterdam, there will a large series of international top speakers on stage, including a special video message from Jack Ma, CEO of Alibaba. Part of the speakers line-up are startups and scale-ups with a strong focus on one of the world's challenges, such as Boyan Slat. He is the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, the company that develops technological solutions for floating plastic in the oceans. Slat started his business in 2013 when he was 18 years old. The Ocean Cleanup has collected $ 31.5 million in funding. With its company Windhorse Aerospace, Nigel Gifford develops edible drones that can be deployed in disaster areas. The drones can transport a few tens of kilos of aid goods in the future.
Innovative translator
Tim Houter and his colleagues develop the solution for fast and safe transportation. Houters team recently became second in the SpaceX Hyperloop competition of Elon Musk. The first tests of the Delft Hyperloop are promising. Vasco Pedro is the founder and CEO of Unbabel, a Portuguese startup that develops the best translator using both artificial intelligence and "real" people. The goal of Unbabel is to make people worldwide work together better and easier. Eyewire is the company of Amy Robinson Sterling. Eyewire portrays the human brain through the use of an online game. By solving 3D puzzles, everyone can collaborate on visualizing the human neural network.
100 billion dollars
In addition to these five innovative startups, CapitalFest's stage includes Deep Nishar, the world's largest investor. Nishar (former vice president at LinkedIn) is managing director of The Softbank's Vision Fund; The Vision Fund has invested $ 100 billion. CapitalFest gives two startups the opportunity to pitch their company at Nishar. Besides, all startups visiting CapitalFest get the opportunity to present their business to hundreds of other investors.
Partners
StartupFest Europe is powered by a number of partners, such as StartupDelta, Startup Amsterdam, Deloitte, Amazon Webservices, AkzoNobel, ING, Rabobank, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Brightlands is one of the founding partners of StartupDelta.
About Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory guides startups from pioneering ideas to successful companies. The unique premise of Brightlands Innovation Factory is that it helps startups throughout the whole life cycle: from the very first idea to a succesful scaleup (Incubation, Acceleration, Validation, Scaleup). These are startups that are active in the four focus man focus areas of the Brightlands campuses: Smart IT Services and Big Data (Heerlen), Chemicals and Materials (Sittard-Geleen), Health (Maastricht) and Nutrition (Venlo). In addition, Brightlands Innovation Factory works with other partners like Topsport Limburg and Research and Business cluster Paris-Saclay in France.
About Brightlands
Brightlands is a collaboration for open innovation in health, sustainability and smart services in the Province of Limburg, The Netherlands. Researches, entrepreneurs, investors and students develop new solutions in the fields of materials, health, nutrition and smart services. Here at Brightlands, they find exactly what they need for personal and professional growth: knowledge, unique R&D-technology, state of the art facilities and a global atmosphere. Brightlands hosts more than 200 companies and organizations with a total amount of 12.000 knowledge workers and over 8000 students of different nationalities.
It is the place where bold ideas turn address the world's toughest challenges with the brightest minds.
]]>Startups zijn goed voor de economie. Ze zorgen onder meer voor innovatie en werkgelegenheid. Om te kunnen groeien hebben startups onder meer kapitaal, kennis en klanten nodig. Dit vormt de basis voor de oprichting van zowel Brightlands Innovation Factory als StartupFest Europe. Het is dan ook geen toeval dat de officiële opening van Brightlands Innovation Factory onderdeel was van de eerste editie van StartupFest Europe vorig jaar. StartupFest Europe is een festival, opgericht door StartupDelta, waar startups en scale-ups de funding vinden om hun bedrijf te laten groeien, toekomstige klanten ontmoeten en inspiratie vinden bij internationale topsprekers.
CapitalFest
Het hoofdevent van StartupFest Europe is het CapitalFest op 27 september, georganiseerd door de Amsterdam Capital Week en StartupDelta. Door het land heen vinden thematische events plaats. Het thema dit jaar is ‘Global Challenges, Startup Solutions’. Voor veel mondiale uitdagingen zijn de oplossingen namelijk te vinden bij jonge, technische bedrijven. Er zijn gedurende de week verschillende prekers en challenges die zich focussen op deze mondiale uitdagingen.
Eetbare drones
Tijdens CapitalFest op 27 september in de Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, staat er een grote serie internationale topsprekers op het. Daarnaast is er een speciale videoboodschap van Jack Ma, CEO van Alibaba. Een aantal van de sprekers is startup of scale-up met een sterke focus op één van de werelduitdagingen. Zoals Boyan Slat. Hij is oprichter en CEO van The Ocean Cleanup, het bedrijf dat technologische oplossingen voor het drijvende plastic in de oceanen ontwikkelt. Slat startte zijn bedrijf in 2013 toen hij 18 jaar oud was. The Ocean Cleanup heeft 31,5 miljoen dollar aan funding binnengehaald. Het hoofdkantoor van The Ocean Cleanup staat in Delft. Nigel Gifford ontwikkelt met zijn bedrijf Windhorse Aerospace eetbare drones die kunnen worden ingezet in rampgebieden. De drones kunnen in de toekomst enkele tientallen kilo’s hulpgoederen vervoeren.
Innovatieve vertaalmachine
Tim Houter en zijn collega’s ontwikkelen de oplossing voor snel en veilig vervoer. Zijn team werd onlangs tweede tijdens de SpaceX Hyperloop-competitie van Elon Musk. De eerste testen van de Delftse hyperloop zijn veelbelovend. Vasco Pedro is oprichter en CEO van Unbabel, een Portugese startup die door gebruik van zowel kunstmatige intelligentie als van ‘echte’ mensen de beste vertaalmachine ontwikkelt. Doel van Unbabel is om mensen wereldwijd beter en eenvoudiger samen te laten werken. Eyewire is het bedrijf van Amy Robinson Sterling. Eyewire brengt het menselijke brein in beeld door de inzet van een online game. Door het oplossen van 3D-puzzels kan iedereen meewerken aan het visualiseren van ons neurale netwerk.
100 miljard dollar
Naast deze vijf innovatieve startups staat op het podium van CapitalFest onder meer Deep Nishar, ‘s wereld grootste investeerder. Nishar (voormalig vice-president bij LinkedIn) is namelijk managing director van The Vision Fund van de Softbank; The Vision Fund heeft 100 miljard dollar te investeren. TIjdens CapitalFest krijgen twee startups de gelegenheid hun bedrijf te pitchen bij Nishar. Startups die daarvoor niet worden ingeloot krijgen de kans hun onderneming te presenteren bij de honderden andere investeerders.
Partners
StartupFest Europe wordt mogelijk gemaakt door onder andere de volgende partners: StartupDelta, Startup Amsterdam, Deloitte, Amazon Webservices, AkzoNobel, ING, Rabobank, het ministerie van Economische Zaken, het ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap. Brightlands is een van de mede-oprichters van het StartupDelta initiatief.
Over Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory begeleidt startups van baanbrekende ideeën tot succesvolle bedrijven. Het unieke van Brightlands Innovation Factory is dat het startups helpt in de hele levenscyclus: van het allereerste idee tot en met een succesvolle scaleup (incubatie – acceleratie – validatie – scaleup). Het gaat om startups die actief zijn in de vier focusgebieden van de Brightlands campussen: Slimme IT-diensten en Big Data (Heerlen), Chemie en Materialen (Sittard-Geleen), Gezondheid (Maastricht) en Voeding (Venlo). Brightlands Innovation Factory werkt daarnaast samen met andere partners zoals Topsport Limburg en Research en Businesscluster Paris-Saclay in Frankrijk.
Over Brightlands
Brightlands is een samenwerking in Limburg voor open innovatie op het gebied van gezondheid en duurzaamheid. Op de vier snelgroeiende campussen van Brightlands ontwikkelen onderzoekers, ondernemers, investeerders en studenten nieuwe oplossingen op het gebied van materialen, gezondheid, voeding en slimme IT-diensten. Bij Brightlands vinden zij alles wat ze nodig hebben op het gebied van persoonlijke en professionele groei: kennis, unieke R&D-technologie, state-of-the-art faciliteiten en een internationale atmosfeer. Brightlands huisvest meer dan 200 bedrijven en organisaties met in totaal meer dan 12.000 medewerkers en 8.000 studenten van verschillende nationaliteiten. Ze zetten alles op alles om hun baanbrekende ideeën om te zetten in oplossingen voor een mooie toekomst voor iedereen.
]]>Brightlands Innovation Factory is launching a unique and tailor-made Incubation Program for innovative Blockchain startups! The program will take place inside Techruption, a dedicated co-creation zone in the Brightlands Smart Services Campus Heerlen. This campus is the heart of Blockchain development. An open call for startups to participate is open!
At the Brightlands campusses, the startups have access to large multinationals, corporates, SME's, students and researchers to develop services in co-creation. For the Brightlands Smart Services Campus this includes energy companies, telecom providers, big financial institutions like banks and pension funds, Insurance companies, local and regional government, universities and much more.
Why Blockchain?
Blockchain is the ultimate disruptor, that will impact the world on a similar or even bigger level than the rise of the internet. It's a universal database, that all people, devices & businesses will use to have a standardized source of truth & means of transaction. Such as financial transactions, transaction of ownership, or auditable traces of certain actions like in supply chains & logistics. Thereby empowering us to leverage all this data & the relation between it, to come up with new, more insightful & transparent services, to improve our quality of life on a global level.
The Blockchain Incubation Program
The Brightlands Techruption Incubation Program is focused primarily on transforming a rough idea to a fully validated & scalable business model, while in constant collaboration with industry experts and real future partners and clients. During, and after, the program the startups have access to a high-quality knowledge and expertise network provided by experts from a large network from Brightlands Innovation Factory, Techruption and partners such as PGGM, KPN New Business, Province of Limburg, CBS, CZ, Eneco, TNO, Accenture, APG, BNY Mellon, Chamber of Commerce, De Volksbank (formerly known as SNS Bank), IBM, Rabobank, BISS (University of Maastricht, Open University and Hogeschool Zuyd) and Zuyderland Medical Center.
The Incubation Program consists of two parts: Venture Essentials (8 weeks) and Venture Boost (maximum of 2 years). Venture Essentials emphasizes the development and tightening of a business model.
If you are selected for the program you will receive:
- 7.5K EUR cash to help you get going;
- 52,5K EUR in-kind funding;
- A relevant network of experts, partners and clients;
- Access to facilities at Brightlands;
- Free office space during the program.
For whom?
Brightlands Innovation Factory and Techruption are looking for startups that deal with Blockchain technology. The startups must meet the following conditions:
- The project is still early stage;
- Blockchain is an essential part of the solution;
- The solution should be repeatable and scalable;
- The innovation should be in the area of Sustainable Energy, Supply Chains, Social Impact or Fintech;
- 1 founder is able to be fulltime present to participate in the Venture Essentials part of the program (8 weeks at Techruption Heerlen, Sep 2017 - Oct 2017).
Timeline
- May 1st 2017: Application opens
- Jun-Jul 2017: First selection rounds
- Aug 2017: Final selection
- Sep 4th 2017: Start of the Venture Essentials Program
- End of Oct 2017: End of the Venture Essentials Program, followed by a big event with all stakeholders of Brightlands and Techruption
- Nov 2017 Onwards for a maximum of 2 years: Venture Boost program. Montly masterclasses, 1-on-1 sessions and more.
Where
Techruption, Brightlands Smart Services Campus Heerlen (Netherlands)
Apply now!
www.f6s.com/brightlands-blockchain/apply
Vince Meens, Blockchain Entrepreneur Brightlands: "A single organisation or sector, can no longer solve global challenges on its own. Blockchain promises to be the technology that will connect us all, and create trust across organizations & geographical borders, to empower us to work together so we can tackle these global challenges, and turn them into sustainable solutions. That's exactly what Brightlands is about as well."
Han van den Akker, Program Director Techruption: "Startups form an essential part of a healthy Techruption ecosystem in which large and small companies, multinationals and knowledge institutions work together and innovate. We offer them a unique development program and access to relevant knowledge and business networks of the Techruption community to startup their blockchain driven business."
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: "Brightlands Innovation Factory is the place at Brightlands where startups turn bold ideas into legendary companies. This Incubation Program explicitly targets startups in Blockchain technology. Coaching, networking, venturing are key elements of this journey that can bring you to knowledge, markets as well as to investors you aim for."
Peter Verkoulen, CEO Brightlands Smart Services Campus: "Brightlands Smart Services Campus is proud to be the home of the Techruption community and this challenging incubation program. We offer startups from all over the globe, state of the art facilities and welcome them in our vibrant Brightlands community of scientists, entrepreneurs, young professionals and students."
Twan Beurskens, Regional Minister of Economic Affairs and Knowledge Infrastructure for the Province of Limburg: "Techruption is one of the new pillars of Brightlands, connecting knowledge and networks of four Brightlands campuses, and creating new opportunities for crossovers and innovations. For blockchain startups an inspiring base to explore this entrepreneurial region, as well as new business opportunities offered by the grand challenges of our times."
About Techruption
In Techruption, large and small corporations, organizations, startups and scientific institutes collaborate on technological innovations around Blockchain, artificial intelligence and smart solutions to counteract (the effects of) climate change. Techruption is part of the diverse ecosystem at the Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen. Participants of Techruption are PGGM, KPN New Business, Province of Limburg, CBS, CZ, Eneco, TNO, Accenture, APG, BNY Mellon, Chamber of Commerce, De Volksbank (formerly known as SNS Bank), IBM, Rabobank, BISS (University of Maastricht, Open University and Hogeschool Zuyd) and Zuyderland Medical Center.
About Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory guides startups from pioneering ideas to successful companies. The unique premise of Brightlands Innovation Factory is that it helps startups throughout the whole life cycle: from the very first idea to a succesful scaleup (Incubation, Acceleration, Validation, Scaleup). These are startups that are active in the four focus man focus areas of the Brightlands campuses: Smart IT Services and Big Data (Heerlen), Chemicals and Materials (Sittard-Geleen), Health (Maastricht) and Nutrition (Venlo). In addition, Brightlands Innovation Factory works with other partners like Topsport Limburg and Research and Business cluster Paris-Saclay in France.
About Brightlands
Brightlands is a collaboration for open innovation in health and sustainability in the Province of Limburg, The Netherlands. Researches, entrepreneurs, investors and students develop new solutions on four fast growing campuses. Solutions in the field of materials, health, nutrition and smart services. Here at Brightlands, they find exactly what they need for personal and professional growth: knowledge, unique R&D-technology, state of the art facilities and a global atmosphere. Brightlands hosts more than 200 companies and organizations with a total amount of 12.000 knowledge workers and over 8000 students of different nationalities. They go all the way to turn their bold ideas into solutions for the future of all of us.
-----
Note for editors
For more information, please contact:
Brightlands Innovation Factory
Léon Klinkers, CEO
Email: leon.klinkers@brightlands.com www.brightlandsinnovationfactory.com
Techruption
Han van den Akker, Program Director Techruption
Tel. +31 (0)6 12264856
Email: han.vandenakker@brightlands.com
www.techruption.org
]]>Sittard-Geleen, 31 januari 2017
Brightlands Innovation Factory bundelt krachten met Franse incubator IncubAlliance
Brightlands Innovation Factory gaat samenwerken met IncubAlliance, de incubator van Paris-Saclay; een van de top 10 researchclusters in de wereld en het grootste van Frankrijk. De samenwerking biedt startups van beide incubators toegang tot meer kennis en een uitgebreid internationaal netwerk. Op woensdag 25 januari is de intentieovereenkomst ondertekend op de Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen.
Brightlands Innovation Factory en IncubAlliance gaan samenwerken op het gebied van onder meer acquisitie, communicatie- en marketingcampagnes, (pers) evenementen en fondsenwerving. Ook de toegang van startups tot de Franse c.q. Nederlandse markt wordt gefaciliteerd. Een van de eerste activiteiten is de organisatie van een internationale week waarin startups van beide incubators elkaar bezoeken, bij elkaar in de keuken kijken, ervaringen en kennis delen.
De prestigieuze onderzoeks- en onderwijsinstituten van researchcluster Paris-Saclay richtten in 2005 IncubAlliance op met als doel jonge innovatieve bedrijven met groeipotentieel te ondersteunen bij het sneller en effectiever op de markt brengen van hun producten. Brightlands Innovation Factory is in 2015 gestart en heeft de ambitie om over vijf jaar tot de top 10 van internationale startup ecosystemen te behoren. Het streven is elk jaar 40 nieuwe startups aan te trekken, verdeeld over de vier focusgebieden van de Brightlands-campussen (materialen, voeding, gezondheid en smart services). Naar verwachting levert dat tot en met 2023 circa 1.000 extra banen op. Om deze ambities waar te maken, zoekt Brightlands Innovation Factory de samenwerking met andere partijen.
De samenwerking tussen IncubAlliance en Brightlands Innovation Factory versterkt beide partijen en hun startups. Samen zullen zij een krachtig wereldwijd netwerk ontwikkelen, dat hun startups ondersteunt in hun ontwikkeling tot leidende ondernemingen.
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: “De uitgangspunten, werkwijze en focusgebieden van de incubators van Brightlands en Paris-Saclay sluiten perfect op elkaar aan. Door de Franse en Nederlandse startups actief te laten deelnemen in elkaars incubatie- en acceleratieprogramma’s krijgen ze de beschikking over meer kennis en bouwen ze sneller een internationaal netwerk op. Bovendien wordt de toegang tot de Franse c.q. Nederlandse markt vergemakkelijkt. Ik verwacht dat we innovatie hiermee nog sneller en effectiever kunnen aanjagen en dat we zo aantrekkelijker worden voor nieuwe startups.”
Philippe Moreau, algemeen directeur IncubAlliance: “Deze samenwerking biedt unieke kansen voor de startups van zowel Brightlands Innovation Factory als IncubAlliance. Ze krijgen toegang tot kennis, een enorm internationaal netwerk en dito markt. Vanuit Parijs is er bijvoorbeeld veel belangstelling voor de materialenkennis die op Brightlands beschikbaar is. De komende periode zullen we investeren in de ontwikkeling van gezamenlijke programma’s waarmee we de startups nog beter van dienst kunnen zijn.”
Over Brightlands Innovation Factory
De Brightlands Innovation Factory is een initiatief van de vier Brightlands-campussen in de Provincie Limburg. Hoofdactiviteit is de begeleiding van startups tot succesvolle bedrijven. Het unieke van Brightlands Innovation Factory is dat het startups helpt in de hele levenscyclus: van het allereerste idee tot en met het daadwerkelijk in productie nemen en verkopen van het product (incubatie – acceleratie – validatie – scale-up). Het gaat dan om startups die actief zijn in de vier focusgebieden van de Brightlands-campussen: chemie en materialen (Sittard-Geleen), gezondheid (Maastricht), slimme IT-services en big data (Heerlen) en voeding (Venlo). De startups – die wereldwijd worden gescout - krijgen onder meer een werkplek op de campus, toegang tot het hoogwaardig kennis- en expertisenetwerk, nieuw talent en faciliteiten zoals laboratoria, proeffabrieken en 3D-printers.
Over IncubAlliance
IncubAlliance werd opgericht in 2005 door onderzoeks- en onderwijsinstituten van Paris-Saclay. Doel: jonge innovatieve bedrijven met groeipotentieel te ondersteunen bij het sneller en effectiever op de markt brengen van hun producten. IncubAlliance sluit aan bij de vijf focusgebieden van Paris-Saclay: gezondheid, informatie- en communicatietechnologie, smart energy management, mobiliteit van de toekomst en ruimtevaart, veiligheid en defensie. De afgelopen 12 jaar zijn 306 projecten begeleid en 243 bedrijven opgericht. Twee daarvan zijn inmiddels beursgenoteerd. Paris-Saclay neemt 15% van het Franse privé en publieke research & development voor zijn rekening. Onder meer grote merken als Renault, Danone, Airbus Group, General Electric, Sanofi en Nokia zijn er gevestigd.
Noot voor de redactie:
Voor meer informatie nodigen wij u uit contact op te nemen met:
Brightlands Innovation Factory
Léon Klinkers, CEO
tel. +31 (0) 6 83980015
e-mail leon.klinkers@brightlands.com www.brightlandsinnovationfactory.com
IncubAlliance
Philippe Moreau, General Director
Tel. +33 1 77 93 21 00
e-mail p.moreau@incuballiance.fr
www.incuballiance.fr
]]>
Brightlands Innovation Factory joins forces with French incubator IncubAlliance
Brightlands Innovation Factory will start collaborating with IncubAlliance, an incubator in Paris-Saclay, one of the top ten research clusters in the world and the largest in France. The collaboration will offer start-ups of both incubators access to more knowledge, as well as an extensive international network. The memorandum of understanding was signed on Wednesday, January 25th, 2017 at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Sittard-Geleen (NL).
Brightlands Innovation Factory and IncubAlliance are to start a collaboration in the areas of dealflow, communication and marketing campaigns, (press) events and fundraising, to name a few. Additionally, the start-ups’ access to both French and Dutch markets will be facilitated. One of the first joint activities is the organisation of an international week, during which start-ups of both incubators will visit one another’s premises and share knowledge and experiences.
Prestigious institutions of higher education and research of Paris Saclay created IncubAlliance in 2005, with a primary mission to support new innovative companies with growth potential in launching their products onto the market more rapidly and more effectively. Brightlands Innovation Factory was launched in 2015 and its ambition is to become one of the top ten international start-up ecosystems within five years. The target is to attract 40 new start-ups every year, which will be distributed across the four focus areas of the Brightlands Campus (materials, food, health and smart services). This is expected to generate around 1000 new jobs by 2023. In order to make these ambitions a reality, Brightlands Innovation Factory is seeking to collaborate with other leading parties.
The collaboration between IncubAlliance and Brightlands Innovation Factory will strengthen both parties and their start-ups. Together, they will grow a powerful network around the globe that will support their start-ups in becoming leading companies.
Léon Klinkers, CEO of Brightlands Innovation Factory, explains more: “The basic principles, way of working and focus areas of the incubators of Brightlands and Paris-Saclay complement one another perfectly. By allowing French and Dutch start-ups to actively participate in one another’s incubation and acceleration programmes, they will gain access to more expertise and they will be able to build up an international network more quickly. What is more, their access to the French and Dutch markets is facilitated. I expect that this will enable us to drive innovation more quickly and effectively, and that this in turn will make us more attractive to new start-ups.”
Philippe Moreau, Managing Director of IncubAlliance: “This collaboration offers some unique opportunities for the start-ups of both Brightlands Innovation Factory and IncubAlliance. They will gain access to knowledge and a huge international network, and more markets. In Paris-Saclay, for example, there is a great deal of interest in the materials expertise available at Brightlands. Over the coming period, we will invest in the development of joint programmes that will enable us to serve the needs of start-ups even more effectively.”
About Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory is the entrepreneurial backbone of the Brightlands ecosystem. The company’s culture is to inspire and be inspired by daring ideas for a better and a more sustainable world. The aim is to empower today’s pioneers in advanced materials, health, nutrition, and smart services on their journey from a bold idea to a legendary company. At Brightlands Innovation Factory, all the bases are covered. World-class industry knowledge and expertise are coupled with expert-supported programs, value-added services and facilities, and access to talent and funding. Brightlands Innovation Factory covers the full start-up lifecycle: incubation, acceleration, validation and scale-up.
About IncubAlliance
IncubAlliance was established in 2005 by the research and education institutions of Paris-Saclay. The purpose was to support new innovative companies with growth potential in launching their products onto the market more rapidly and more effectively. IncubAlliance works in keeping with the five focus areas of Paris-Saclay: health, information and communication technology, smart energy management, mobility of the future and space travel, security and defence. Over the last 12 years, the organisation has supported 306 projects and established 243 businesses. Two of these have since become listed companies. The activities of Paris-Saclay account for 15% of French private and public R&D. Major brands such as Renault, Danone, Airbus Group, General Electric, Sanofi and Nokia, to name a few, are based here.
Note for the editors (not for publication):
For more information, please contact
Brightlands Innovation Factory
Léon Klinkers, CEO
tel. +31 (0) 6 83980015
e-mail leon.klinkers@brightlands.com www.brightlandsinnovationfactory.com
IncubAlliance
Philippe Moreau, General Director
Tel. +33 1 77 93 21 00
e-mail p.moreau@incuballiance.fr
www.incuballiance.fr
]]>
Brightlands Innovation Factory and Sport Innovator Center Limburg will support startups together
The Sport Innovator Center (part of Topsport Limburg) and Brightlands Innovation Factory are planning to develop and support startups with sport innovations. This concerns startups with innovations in the areas of materials, nutrition, health and smart services, with which (top) athletes can improve their performance. Both organizations have signed a letter of intent in this regard.
Both Brightlands Innovation Factory and Sport Innovator Center see many opportunities in the cooperation, which will concentrate on four areas: attracting, scouting and selecting promising startups worldwide; marketing & communication and events; and the development of an investment fund for the startups.
Startup ecosystem
The Sport Innovation Centre hopes to become a global hub for sport incubators, while Brightlands Innovation Factory hopes to be among the top ten international startup ecosystems in five years’ time, aiming to attract 40 new startups every year from across the Brightlands campuses’ four areas of focus. This is expected to deliver around 1,000 extra jobs by 2023. In order to realize these ambitions, Brightlands Innovation Factory is seeking to cooperate with other parties. The Sport Innovation Centre Limburg is already working with Le Tremplin in Paris and the Sport Chance initiative in Scotland. Similar cooperation agreements with a sport incubator in Italy and the Microsoft Global Sports Innovation Center in Madrid are under preparation.
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: “Limburg will become the place to be with regard to innovations in the areas of materials, smart services, nutrition and health. Innovation usually comes about in the crossovers between the various disciplines. Brightlands Innovation Factory is distinguished by the cooperation between the four Limburg campuses. The agreement between Brightlands Innovation Factory and Sport Innovator Center is a great addition to this and will enable us to locate new sport initiatives faster and more effectively in a way that benefits both the athlete and the entrepreneur.”
Geert Ruigrok, director Topsport Limburg: “The presence of talents and top athletes and the central location between the Brightlands campuses (Health in Maastricht; Materials in Sittard-Geleen; Smart Services in Heerlen; Food in Venlo), make the Sport Innovator Center a unique test center for both the companies on the campuses and the SME companies in Limburg. The cooperation between Sport Innovator Center Limburg and Brightlands Innovation Factory will ensure that we can be of even better service to top athletes and businesses.”
About Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory is the entrepreneurial backbone of the Brightlands ecosystem. They get inspired by daring ideas for a better and a more sustainable world and empower today’s pioneers in advanced materials, health, nutrition, and smart services on their journey from a bold idea to a legendary company. At Brightlands Innovation Factory, all the bases are covered. World-class industry knowledge and expertise are coupled with expert-supported programs, value-added services and facilities, and access to funding.
"Incubate. Accelerate. Validate. Scale. That’s what we do.", Brightlands Innovation Factory
About Topsport Limburg and the Sport Innovator Center
Topsport Limburg is a dynamic network of partners from education, government, healthcare, sport and business, which creates peak infrastructure that athletes can use in their training to become top athletes. It offers young people in Limburg the opportunity to realize their sporting ideal in an environment with Olympic ambition. The Sport Innovation Centre is part of Topsport Limburg. It has a clear mission: knowledge development that results in sport innovations for top sport with an economic spin-off. The Sport Innovation Centre is distinguished by its specific knowledge in the area of materials development in the widest sense. The Centre is included in the national Sport Innovator program of VWS and established in the Topsport Expertise & Innovation Centre (TEIC) of Topsport Limburg.
]]>
Brightlands Innovation Factory en Sport Innovation Centre Limburg gaan samen start-ups begeleiden
Het Sport Innovator Centre (onderdeel van Topsport Limburg) en Brightlands Innovation Factory gaan samen start-ups met sportinnovaties ontwikkelen en begeleiden. Het gaat om start-ups met innovaties op het gebied van materialen, voeding, gezondheid en smart services, waarmee (top)sporters hun prestaties kunnen verbeteren. Beide organisaties hebben daartoe een intentieovereenkomst ondertekend.
Zowel Brightlands Innovation Factory als het Sport Innovation Centre zien veel kansen in de samenwerking die zich concentreert op vier gebieden: het wereldwijd aantrekken, scouten en selecteren van veelbelovende start-ups, marketing & communicatie en events en de ontwikkeling van een investeringsfonds voor de start-ups.
Start-up ecosysteem
Het Sport Innovation Centre heeft de ambitie een wereldwijde hub voor sport incubators te worden. Brightlands Innovation Factory wil over 5 jaar tot de top 10 van internationale start-up ecosystemen behoren en streeft ernaar elk jaar 40 nieuwe start-ups aan te trekken, verdeeld over de vier focusgebieden van de Brightlands campussen. Naar verwachting levert dat zo’n 1.000 extra banen op in 2023. Om deze ambities te realiseren, zoekt Brightlands Innovation Factory de samenwerking met andere partijen. Sport Innovation Centre Limburg werkt al samen met Le Tremplin in Parijs en Sport Chance initiatief in Schotland. Vergelijkbare samenwerkingsverbanden met een sport incubator in Italië en het Microsoft Global Sports Innovation Centre in Madrid zijn in voorbereiding.
Léon Klinkers, CEO Brightlands Innovation Factory: “Limburg wil de ‘place to be’ worden als het gaat om innovaties op het gebied van materialen, smart services, voeding en gezondheid. Innovatie ontstaat meestal in de cross-overs, in de kruisbestuiving tussen de verschillende disciplines. Brightlands Innovation Factory onderscheidt zich door de samenwerking tussen de vier Limburgse campussen. De samenwerking van Brightlands Innovation Factory met het Sport Innovation Centre is een prachtige aanvulling daarop en zal ertoe leiden dat we nieuwe sportinnovaties sneller en effectiever kunnen aanjagen op een manier die succesvol is voor de sporter en voor de ondernemer.”
Geert Ruigrok, directeur Topsport Limburg: “De aanwezigheid van talenten en topsporters en de centrale ligging tussen de Brightlands campussen Health in Maastricht, Materials in Sittard-Geleen, Smart Services in Heerlen en Food in Venlo, maakt het Sport Innovator Centre tot een uniek testcentrum voor zowel de bedrijven op de campussen als ook de MKB bedrijven in Limburg. De samenwerking van het Sport Innovation Centre Limburg en Brightlands Innovation Factory zorgt ervoor dat we zowel topsporters als ondernemers nog beter van dienst kunnen zijn.”
Over Brightlands Innovation Factory
Brightlands Innovation Factory begeleidt start-ups tot succesvolle bedrijven. Het unieke van Brightlands Innovation Factory is dat het start-ups helpt in de hele levenscyclus: van het allereerste idee tot en met het daadwerkelijk in productie nemen en verkopen van het product (incubatie – acceleratie – validatie – scale-up). Het gaat dan om start-ups die actief zijn in de vier focusgebieden van de Brightlands campussen: chemie en materialen (Sittard-Geleen), gezondheid (Maastricht), slimme IT-services en big data (Heerlen) en voeding (Venlo). De start-ups – die wereldwijd worden gescout - krijgen onder meer een werkplek op de campus, toegang tot het hoogwaardig kennis- en expertisenetwerk en faciliteiten zoals laboratoria, proeffabrieken en 3D-printers.
Over Topsport Limburg en het Sport Innovation Centre
Topsport Limburg is een dynamisch netwerk van partners uit onderwijs, overheid, zorg, sport en bedrijfsleven dat een topinfrastructuur creëert waar talentvolle sporters gebruik van kunnen maken in hun opleiding tot topsporter. Zo biedt Topsport Limburg de jeugd in Limburg de mogelijkheid hun sportief ideaal te verwezenlijken in een omgeving met Olympische ambitie. Het Sport Innovation Centre maakt deel uit van Topsport Limburg. Het Sport Innovation Centre heeft een heldere missie: kennisontwikkeling die resulteert in sportinnovaties voor topsport met een economische spin-off. Het centrum is onderscheidend door specifieke kennis op het gebied van materiaalontwikkeling in de breedste zin van het woord. Het Sport Innovation Centre is opgenomen in het landelijke Sport Innovator programma van het ministerie van VWS en gevestigd in het Topsport Expertise & Innovatie Centrum (TEIC) van Topsport Limburg in de Sportzone Limburg.
]]>