EU-India Innocenter's eighth cohort fosters collaboration between European and Indian start-ups, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and expanding market-entry services for Indian start-ups eyeing the European market
EU-India Innocenter is a project funded by the European Union under the R&I framework programme 'Horizon 2020.' It brings its eighth cohort of seven European start-ups, over twenty investors, and innovation hubs to explore potential collaborations with Indian start-up stakeholders.
EU-India Innocenter is a global innovation hub and growth accelerator that aims to connect the European and Indian innovation ecosystems. The project hosts six high-impact start-ups for a week of India-immersion activities in Bangalore. These start-ups, including Anyline, Nano-tech, Cheesecake Energy, Enline, PVRmed, and Soula AI, provide solutions across various growth sectors, including health-tech, clean-tech, and deep technology.
During their first visit to Bangalore, India, European start-ups were allowed to exhibit their state-of-the-art technologies to various facilitators within the start-up ecosystem. These facilitators included venture capitalists, potential partners, and corporations from India and several European countries. The networking event, 'Blue Carpet Night', was held on November 8th at the Bangalore International Centre.
During the week, a group of start-ups and investors will be fully immersed in the Indian start-up ecosystem.
They will participate in a variety of activities, such as a roundtable discussion at NASSCOM Future Forge, a field trip to Tata Elxsi, a pitch session with start-ups and VCs (from both EU and India) organised by Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), and a visit to DERBI Foundation and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), all of which are located in Bangalore. Moreover, an EU-India partnership roundtable will focus on smart cities and cross-border innovation with Indian real estate leaders.
During the Blue Carpet event, the EU-India Innocenter announced that it would extend its market-entry services for Indian start-ups interested in the European market. This two-way mobility between European and Indian start-ups demonstrates the increasing globalisation of start-ups.
During a recent event, Cristina Russo, Director for Global and International Cooperation in Research and Innovation at the European Commission, acknowledged the significant role of start-ups in addressing technology challenges in trade. She commended the EU-India Innovation Centre for its comprehensive programme that brought together various stakeholders in India.
Additionally, she appreciated the program's efforts to support Indian start-ups in exploring the European market, which aligns with the objectives of the recently launched Trade and Technology Council (TTC) between the EU and India.
Varun Mallapragada, a programme partner at the EU-India Innocenter, expressed that their organisation strongly believes in promoting innovation diplomacy as a key aspect of building stronger international relations. They are committed to creating opportunities, fostering collaborations, and shaping the future of technology-driven innovation.
Rodrigo Olmedo, a Programme Partner at the EU-India Innocenter, expressed his gratitude towards the ecosystem stakeholders, investors, innovation hubs, and various government bodies across India and Europe who have played a significant role in the success of their programme. He expressed his appreciation for their wonderful evening of innovation and collaboration and their interest in sharing their vision of cross-continental innovation exchange.
The Indian ecosystem of the programme includes innovation hubs and organisations, namely, Start-up India, Invest India, Tata Elxsi, JLL Idea Labs, KDEM, etc., including enterprises like Jio, Titan Company Limited, TVS Motors, Accenture, etc. Additionally, it features EU innovation ecosystem players like Technopol, Krakow Technopark, Hitachi Ventures, and Cambridge Clean-tech, among others.
EU-India Innocenter has successfully facilitated the formation of eight strategic partnerships from previous cohorts. These partnerships are currently in the process of launching pilot projects in various sectors, including health-tech, clean-tech, deep-tech, and logistics.
The programme remains committed to connecting start-ups, creating opportunities, and strengthening ties between India and Europe through innovation. It serves as a bridge of innovation, facilitating the exchange of ideas, expertise, and resources among start-ups, research institutions, investors, and businesses.