About Us

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About
 
MPowerBIO empowers Clusters to bring SMEs across the financial valley of death
Many SMEs experience that even though they have a good idea or a good product, they cannot get an investor. They need to be able to pitch their idea perfectly, have a strong business plan, a clear strategy, a well-defined customer base, etc. to attract investors.
European clusters need to be better suited to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) overcome the valley of death i.e. the difficult task of finding sufficient investment to get from idea to business. This is the main focus of the MPowerBIO project.
In the MPowerBIO project 10 training the trainers’ events will be arranged for a total of 90 clusters across the bioeconomy, covering most of Europe. The events are set up to help clusters understand how SMEs can obtain capital and grow.
Our goals and objectives
  • goal1
    10 training the trainers events

    The events are set up to help clusters to be better equipped to help SMEs overcome the challenge of finding sufficient investment

  • goal2
    90 clusters

    The project will engage and train 90 SME clusters within the bio-based industry across Europe

  • goal3
    250 SMEs

    The SMEs will be screened and supported over the project to enhance their investment readiness level

  • goal4
    10 regional competitions

    SMEs will present high-quality bio-based industry projects to investors at regional competitions

  • european final pitching
    2 European final pitching events

    The best SME projects will be invited to pitch at one of the annual European final events

How will we reach the goals?
  • 01 Identify investment challenges

    The MPowerBIO project will obtain feedback from clusters, SMEs and investors on the concrete challenges they have regarding investments. From these experiences, an online platform will be set up containing digital tools for evaluating investment readiness.

  • 02 Train clusters and support SMEs

    Online training modules and regional trainers’ events will be organised to build the capacity of clusters to train their SME members and give them the best possibilities for preparing and presenting high quality projects to investors.

  • 03 Pitching in front of investors

    The best SME projects from these events will be selected by investors, and invited to one of two European finals, which are based on the European Bioeconomy Venture Forum model, run by several of the consortium members. At the final, the selected companies will present their ideas to a panel of investors and experts from large organisations and venture funds in Europe, with the aim of attracting capital to grow and develop their business.

    A total of 72 high-quality, screened and investment-ready SME are expected to pitch at the two final events. The project will screen and support 250 SMEs towards this goal.

Advisory board
  • Alicia Cañadas
  • André Driever
  • Beatriz Palomo
  • Cristina Cabeza
  • Eric Plan
  • Fabrizio Beltrametti
  • Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna Gutiérrez
  • Gracia Catalina Piñero
  • João Nunes
  • Johannes Kisser
  • Juan Jesus Velasco Ribera
  • Juri Bach
  • Kristina Eskenazi
  • Magdalini Krokida
  • Marco de la Feld
  • Maria del Mar Fuentes
  • Maria Diaz Navarro
  • María Gil Cabrera
  • Martin Bellof
  • Maurizio Bettiga
  • Merete Daniel Nielsen
  • Michael Kaspar Keller
  • Michael Krel
  • Petri Alava
  • René Reijtenbagh
  • Robert Miskuf
  • Roberto Verga
  • Rubén Hidalgo
  • Valentin Manev
  • Valentina Castellani
Associated clusters
  • Polo AGRIFOOD's logo
  • More - Colab Montanhas de Investigação's logo
  • Lombardy Green Chemistry Association's logo
  • HEMP CLUSTER's logo
  • Clust-ER Greentec's logo
  • BIOVAL's logo
  • BioVale's logo
  • BIOVEGEN's logo
  • Circular Bioeconomy Cluster South West's logo
  • Food+i's logo
  • Environment Park's logo
  • Cleantech Cluster's logo
  • CONSORZIO IBIS's logo
  • BioBall's logo
  • BIO.NRW's logo
  • EIT FAN's logo
  • Flanders’ FOOD's logo
  • Seedbed Incubator's logo
  • Biotech and Biomedical Cluster of the Balearic Islands' logo
  • PITA's logo
  • CATAA - Agri-Food Technological Support Center Association's logo
  • NCE Heidner Biocluster's logo
  • Wagralim's logo
  • BioCampus Straubing GmbH logo
  • Reprik's logo
  • Nua na Mara's logo
  • AgroBioCluster's logo
  • AgriTech Ireland's logo
  • AgriFood Lithuania's logo
  • RisingFoodStars' logo
  • RAŽ's logo
  • Catalisti's logo
  • AseBio's logo
  • Bulgarian Digital Cluster's logo
  • BioFoN's logo
  • Asincar's logo
  • UWAZI Tech's logo
  • ATE Cluster's logo
  • AveBiom's logo
  • Agri Sud-Ouest's logo
  • Meraki People's logo
  • Bioeconomy Cluster's logo
  • Supergen Bioenergy Hub's logo
  • Shakeup Factory logo
  • BLUEBIO ALLIANCE's logo
  • Anteja's logo
  • Bioga's logo
  • Croatian Wood Cluster's logo
  • Cleantech Cluster Lithuania's logo
  • TAGUSVALLEY's logo
  • ECOPANONIA's logo
  • Inter-Bio's logo
  • Packbridge's logo
  • EUVITA Cluster's logo
  • Danube Furniture Cluster's logo
  • Nagrifood's logo
  • Green Synergy Cluster's logo
  • SPRING Cluster's logo
  • FUNDECYT's logo
  • IBB Netzwerk GmbH's logo