The fourth and final International Investment Forum, in the framework of the EU-funded project “GAZELLE: orGAniZing accELaration for high-potentiaL innovativE SMEs”, was held with great success in Limassol on Wednesday, the 19th of October of 2022. The Forum was organised by Cyprus University of Technology, partner of the Project, in collaboration with ARIS – A REALLY INSPIRING SPACE, at ASBIS High Tech Cluster.
More than 70 participants attended the Forum. During the event the different activities of the Gazelle project were presented, such as the business acceleration and technology transfer for innovative SMEs, the supporting and networking activities and the start-up toolkit platform. Several public and private stakeholders from the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems of the three countries were also among the attendees.
In particular, Eliza Loucaidou, Director at Deloitte Cyprus’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre and Manager at ARIS Accelerator, acting as the Support Centre for Gazelle project in Cyprus, opened the event, by stressing the importance of European funds which facilitate the execution of important projects such as Gazelle, playing a catalytic role in boosting the acceleration of innovative companies and development of startups, and in enhancing transnational cooperation in Europe and especially the Balkan MED area.
Mr. Fanis Matsopoulos, as the representative of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry commended on the accomplishments of the Gazelle Project, pointing out that the GazeLle program is one of the best tools for the Balkan-med countries to obtain sustainable growth and stability.
Mr. Yannis Retsas, General Director of Strategic Trade Development, Enterprise Greece, referred to the promotion of innovation and extraversion. Dr. Dimitris Karydis, Senior Advisor, Enterprise Greece, referred to business acceleration & technology transfer within the framework of Project Gazelle.
Ms. Eleni Foti, Director of International Commercial Relations of ACCI, highlighted the project partners’ actions, especially of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, about reinforcing and networking innovative SMEs.
Mr. Christos Andreev, Research Associate, Cyprus University of Technology presented “The Startup Toolkit Platform” that was developed to serve the needs of the Project.
Keynote speaker Marie-Therese Fam, a Partner at Silicon Badia, provided valuable insights about the fundraising journey of innovative tech companies.
Moreover, the event was a unique opportunity for seventeen innovative start-ups and SMEs from the Balkan MED region (Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria) to pitch in front of a wide audience, including business angels and investors and participate in matchmaking and networking activities. Overall, the Gazelle project provides a coherent mechanism for accelerating the development process for innovative companies, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and best practices, including the development of tools for business angels and entrepreneurs.
