10th cycle for the egg of Eurobank – 10 years of Startup Regeneration

With the launch of the new cycle of the egg StartUp platform, egg – enter•grοw•go enters dynamically in its 10th year of presence in the Greek Startup scene, further expanding its footprint as the most recognized and comprehensive framework of business acceleration in Greece.

Egg, designed and implemented by Eurobank, in collaboration with Corallia of the Research Center Athena, since 2013, to support innovative entrepreneurship in Greece, supports multidimensionally the participants seeking funding, extroversion and business networking, while contributing to the effective interconnection of the academic, business and investment community in Greece.

Stable support in the 10th cycle

In the 10th cycle, utilizing its experience and modern structure, egg is preparing to upgrade and intensify the guidance of the business groups that will join, seeking to accelerate the implementation of their business plans.

In order to maximize the benefit of the participants, it is crucial that they are subject, depending on the maturity/readiness stage of their business plan, to appropriate business acceleration cohorts, within the egg Start-Up platform, with correspondingly customized milestones and advisory monitoring within the framework of the program.

The aim is to identify their real needs and seek synergies with the other participants as members of a development ecosystem enhancing the chances of funding.

“By constantly improving and upgrading its structures and services, egg enters its tenth year of operation. Contributing to the expansion of the Greek ecosystem of innovative businesses, it has already supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, while it has contributed to the creation of 150 companies. Eurobank, a pioneer in supporting new entrepreneurship, sees as a priority the development of innovation based on international standards.We invest in egg and support every dynamic development initiative that is also developed through the State, such as the establishment of the Cooperative Innovation Scheme in the Tourism and Culture Sectors for the modernization of the Greek tourism and cultural product.”, stated the General Manager of Marketing & Corporate Communication of Eurobank Group and President of the Egg Coordinating Committee, Michalis Vlastarakis.

Which groups are participating and from which sectors

In the 10th cycle, further dynamic features of the egg’s strategy are strengthened, taking into account the new framework that is being formed, post-pandemic, in the economy. Specifically:

•Business groups that are innovative enterprises, already successfully registered in the National Register for Startups Elevate Greece, can apply for participation in the Start-Up platform and, if successfully selected from the First Phase of the evaluation (check of formal requirements – completeness of the application file), qualify directly to the final stage of the evaluation.

•All business plans are eligible to participate, provided that they are judged to meet specific requirements for business innovation, excellence and sustainability in the context of the trends of the Greek and international market. However, business plans in competitive sectors, such as 5G technologies, integrated solutions to ESG (Environmental, Social, corporate Governance) standards, are particularly encouraged, as well as projects that utilize many years of research activity or make wide use of innovations in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Tourism Technologies & Modern Services, Fintech, Robotics, Virtual / Augmented Reality, Industry 4.0, Biotechnology, Medical Technologies and Methods, Agricultural Technology, Environmental Technologies, Energy, Education – Modern Methods and Tools, etc., and business plans from schemes that strengthen women’s entrepreneurship in practice.

What the egg offers Startups

•A set of financing options is provided for the use of different funding channels for the implementation of the business plan (under the necessary condition of the existence of a company-implementing body of the business plan)

•Possibility of microfinance within the framework of the European program EASI and in cooperation with AFI (Action Finance Initiative) in the “hatching” stages within egg.

•Possibility for working capital loans aimed at improving the company’s liquidity, as well as loans that include installation loans and professional equipment loans.

•Ability to interconnect with access to capital raising through private equity for companies that have a highly competitive and innovative idea at an advanced stage of development, through networking and support when presenting their business ideas to active Venture Capital, strategic investors or other partners and/or representatives of investment funds.

•The Extroversion Program is strengthened for business groups that will be integrated, through business missions, in advanced innovation ecosystems abroad, as well as through actions of interconnection with the real economy by activating the business networking pillar with recognized domestic and international bodies.

Nominations for participation in egg – enter•grow•go are submitted from Friday, February 18, 2022, at 12:00, until Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at 15.00, while the first Open Day will be held, online, on Wednesday, March 2, 2022, at 17.00.

More information can be found on the egg-enter•grοw•go website