SCALING-UP INNOVATION IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
Announcing the brand new InnovX - BCR Business Accelerator 2020 Program
28 November 2019
How we can provide support to strategic future-oriented digital innovations and deep technology that are capital intensive, risky by nature and require longer-term financing?
We need solutions that will focus on the early stage and the scale-up of innovative startups and SMEs in Central and Eastern Europe. Such initiatives are crucial for fostering innovation and competitiveness, promoting sustainable economic development, and addressing societal challenges in the region. Innovation is happening in all corners of Europe and it is important that everyone has equal opportunities.
The CEE region has to focus more on innovation, technology, and digitalization. In these areas, there is a clear investment gap, which needs to be filled. Such a gap calls for more cooperation in innovation in finance and new types of supporting instruments can play a more important role.
We need to explore potential funding structures and support mechanisms to leverage resources from all the EU, international financial institutions, National Promotional Banks and the private sector in support of highly innovative startups and SMEs with higher risk profiles in the CEE region.
Increasing the competitiveness of innovative SMEs represents a strategic growth opportunity for all the countries in the region, reinforcing the move towards a knowledge-based economy, therefore the combination of finance and business advice for digital innovation SMEs and the scaling up of digital start-ups can create a sound basis for further growth in the region.
Cooperation is key for innovators of CEE, that is why at InnovX BCR we create bridges with the other CEE countries. Join us for an event full of insights and opportunities!
Foyer:
09:00 - 10:00 Registration and Welcome Coffee
Main Stage:
10:00 - 10:15 Opening Speech InnovX BCR Business Accelerator
InnovX & BCR Representatives
10:15 - 10:30 The Strategic Partnership between Romania and Poland
Magdalena Szuber-Zasacka, Chargée d’affaires a.i., Embassy of the Republic of Poland to Romania
10:30 - 10:45 Anca Harasim - Executive Director AmCham Romania
10:45 - 11:00 Is CEE region an Innovation hotspot?
Magdalena Jabłońska - CEO - MIT Enterprise Forum CEE
11:00 - 11:15 Connecting Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors to fuel growth
Brigitte Baumann - Founder of Go Beyond Early Stage Investing & EBAN European Investor of the Year 2015
11:15 - 11:30 How to build global communities
Luiza Draghicean Regional Community Manager EMEA - UiPath
11:30 - 11:45 US opportunities for CEE startups
Kate Bunina - Director of European Operations - US Market Access Center
11:45 - 12:00 Where is the innovation taking place?
Aisling Hunt - Project Lead - Cambridge Innovation Center
12:00 - 12:15 Break
12:15 - 13:00 Meet the CEE Innovators - 3 minutes pitches and 1 minute Q&A
Poland and Romania Startups:
Jury:
Antonio Grginovic - Community Manager - MIT Enterprise Forum CEE
Alexandru Mihailciuc - Global Head of Pre-Sales and Vice-President @ UiPath
Grzegorz Majewski - MIT Enterprise Forum CEE & Foundation for Technology Entrepreneurship
Ioana Gheorghiade - Executive Director of Corporate Risk Underwriting - BCR
Mircea Moraru - Senior Associate - CMS
13:00 - 13:45 Networking Lunch
13:45 - 14:00 Empower growth with game-changing innovation
Alexandru Mihailciuc - Global Head of Pre-Sales and Vice-President @ UiPath
14:00 - 14:15 Scaling-up in Europe
Camelia Ganga - Head of Growth and Marketing Eastern Europe @ Glovo
14:15 - 14:30 Meet the Global Startups powered by Startup Grind in partnership with Google for Startups
Raluca Bacinschi - CEO - IziBac - 2nd place Startup Grind Europe - Asia Connect
Ioana Dobroiu - CEO - MSing with Trauma - Finalist Startup Grind Europe - Asia Connect
Andrei Ene - CEO - Credo - Finalist Startup Grind Europe - Asia Connect
Sabin Rotariu - CEO - ChargeMe - Finalist Startup Grind Europe - Asia Connect
Andrei Nagy - Head of European Sales - AlphaBlock & FInalist Startup Grind Europe London
14:30 - 14:45 The European Investment Project Portal
Michael Feith - Policy Officer - Financing of infrastructure policies @ European Commission
14:45 - 15:00 Meet the European Innovators powered by the European Center for Services Investments and Financing
Razvan Boldis - CEO - IndexAR - Horizon 2020 Grant Winner, InnovX Alumni
Raluca Bacinschi - CEO - Izibac - Horizon 2020 Seal of Excellence, InnovX Alumni
George Darie - Business Development Manager - Modex Tech - Horizon 2020 Seal of Excellence, InnovX Alumni
Andrei Ene - CEO - Credo - Horizon 2020 Seal of Excellence, InnovX Alumni
Leo Mart - CEO - WiseVoice - Horizon 2020 Seal of Excellence, InnovX Alumni
15:00 - 15:05 Break
15:05 - 15:20 What's the XR4ALL initiative and why it could strengthen the European XR/immersive technology industry?
Jean-Phillipe Sangare - CEO - Swiss Society for Virtual and Augmented Reality & Ambassador XR4ALL
15:20 - 15:35 Leadership lessons for startups
Daniel Ilie - Former Commander of Romanian Special Operation Forces
15:35 - 16:00 InnovX partners & mentors Ceremony
Anca Luca - Senior Brand Manager BCR - InnovX
Diana Dumitrescu - Managing Director - InnovX
Ana Maria Cretu - Head of Social Banking - BCR
16:00 - 17:00 Networking Drinks
Parallel Sessions - Foyer
10:00 - 16:00
One-to-One meetings startups - corporates
Romanian Innovators Corner
Poland Innovators Corner
