"European Innovation Council newsletter" Newsletter Issues

August 2017 (01/08/2017)

The new SME Instrument business acceleration services kick-off and the first ever investor matchmaking event will happen in Darmstadt, Germany on 18/10/17 – innovators get ready to apply! 64 small businesses join the SME Instrument community under Phase 2. We are still looking for investors to evaluate proposals – for those looking to stay in touch with the vibrant European start-up community, find more information below. Also read about the top innovations of Doremir, Enyo and Graphenea and last but not least, enjoy summer, and don't miss the next cut-off on 06/09/17 for Phase 1.

We need your investment expertise! Become an evaluator for the SME Instrument (02/05/2017)

Do you have what it takes to spot the best of the best among thousands of innovations? Can you tell which of thousands of brilliant ideas has the capacity to disrupt the markets? We are looking for investors who are experts in innovation and can bring their know-how to the selection panel.

SME Instrument: Commission to invest over € 96 million to help 64 small businesses bring their innovation on the market (01/08/2017)

64 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 16 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. The total amount to be distributed between the SMEs working on 57 projects is € 96.815 million. In this phase of the SME Instrument, each project will receive up to €2.5 million (€ 5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities.

Overseas Trade Fairs Programme fourth Webinar: Wednesday 9th August, 10:00 – 11:30 CET (01/08/2017)

Join us at our fourth Webinar on Wednesday 9th August, from 10:00 – 11:30 CET to learn about the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme and the opportunities it offers you through open calls for applications for upcoming trade fairs. We will focus in particular on the CES, Arab Health, FIDAE and METALEX trade fairs for which applications will close on August 25th 2017.

Come to Arab Health, Dubai with the SME Instrument! (01/08/2017)

It is time to seize the unprecedented opportunity to take part in Arab Health (29 January- 2 February 2018) with the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme! Applications are closing on 25 August 2017 and only 15 SME Instrument companies will be selected.

Come to FIDAE with the SME Instrument Overseas Trade Fairs programme! (01/08/2017)

With a track record of almost four decades and being fully consolidated as the foremost Aerospace, Defence and Security business platform of Latin America, FIDAE will celebrate its twentieth edition in 2018. It is time to seize the unprecedented opportunity to take part in FIDAE (3-8 April 2018) with the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme! Applications are closing on 25 August 2017 and only 15 SME Instrument companies will be selected.

ENYO helps your body give the cold shoulder to viruses (01/08/2017)

Did you know that in order to spread, viruses need to use the metabolism of their host? Viruses exploit the human cellular machinery by interacting with the host's intracellular proteins, which enables them to replicate and spread an infection. Whereas most current antivirals target the virus itself, SME Instrument-funded MIMESIS aims to block the interactions between the virus and the host, thus cutting the replication process and preventing the virus from infecting the body.

SME Instrument Innovator Graphenea opens graphene oxide plot plant (01/08/2017)

Graphenea announces the opening of its new graphene oxide (GO) pilot plant with 1 tonne per annum production capacity. The production capacity is multiplied by 20 times compared to capabilities before the pilot plant, allowing for development and industrial scale supplies.

Doremir translates music into written scores (01/08/2017)

Do you sing under the shower but feel like you lack an audience for your improvisations…? EU-funded Doremir app can help you immortalise your opuses by translating them into written scores that you can share instantly on social media. The ScoreCloud Express app listens to your melody, instantly writes it out in musical notation and allows you to share the written music via social media websites or email.

The SME Instrument – an "amazing booster" for Platform.sh (04/07/2017)

Two years ago, one of our top innovators Platform.sh – a cloud hosting company from Paris – joined the SME Instrument community. In two years, the company has grown, conquered new markets, hired new staff and sold their product to tons of new clients, a success they claim could not have happened without the SME Instrument's help.

1514 project proposals seek funding under SME Instrument Phase 2 (04/07/2017)

The European Commission received 1514 proposals for SME Instrument Phase before the latest cut-off date on 1 June 2017. Small and medium-sized businesses that seek funding under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument can receive from € 0.5 to € 2.5 million (and € 5 million for health projects) from the EU to co-finance up to 70% of their innovation project.

Heliox's fast charger for electric buses creates a business case for emission-free public transport (04/07/2017)

Electric cars have been around for a while but disparate and slow charging possibilities have prevented the market from completely taking off. Dutch company Heliox saw potential for a sustainable solution and built an innovative technology that can charge an electric bus at a turnaround station in 2-5 minutes.

SME Instrument: EU to invest € 6.4 million in 129 innovative businesses (04/07/2017)

129 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 25 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument.

SME Instrument: 6 new overseas trade fairs to attend with us! (04/07/2017)

Because reaching international markets are a big part of SME Instrument funded companies' business plans, the SME Instrument business acceleration services aim to help them do just that! With the Overseas Trade Fairs Programme we bring your business to International Trade Fairs outside of Europe and help you get the most out of it.

SME Instrument-funded Amminex brings London's buses up to air quality standards (04/07/2017)

London's 5000 most polluting buses will be upgraded with EU-funded technology developed by Danish innovative small company Amminex.

July 2017 (04/07/2017)

Are you an investor and would like to help us identify the top businesses in Europe to fund? Register and evaluate proposals for EU to invest in. In the latest Phase 1 cut-off we have selected 129 businesses, and 1514 new Phase 2 project proposals are now being evaluated for funding. In this issue, you can learn how the SME Instrument enabled accelerated growth for Platform.sh, and read about 2 great transport innovations that are cleaning the air in our cities.

Editorial June (07/06/2017)

Are you an investor? Help us evaluate innovations and pick those that deserve a push to reach the market and go global. 69 businesses will share the €100 million invested in the April Phase 2 cut-off – check them out in our datahub! In this issue discover D-Orbit's kickstarter campaign, Tech4freedom's box that helps the blind and how Taskfit makes your workdays stress-free. And stay tuned for more news on our website.

Are you short of time and not sure why? Taskfit helps you peak your performance (06/06/2017)

What if the secret to multi-tasking wasn't actually multitasking but extreme focus and good planning? Taskfit application helps you arrange and prioritise items on your to-do list.

Help D-Orbit make the space cleaner (06/06/2017)

D-Sat is a small propulsive device that can be installed on a satellite to remove it from orbit when it breaks or finishes its mission, instead of letting it endlessly float in orbit and potentially collide with other satellites. Funded by the SME Instrument, this device is now ready to launch and needs your support to perform three orbital experiments.

Help us evaluate the COSME programme (06/06/2017)

A public consultation has been launched as part of the interim evaluation of the COSME programme. The open consultation is available online from 10 May until 31 August 2017. Fill in the questionnaire.

Are you an SME that invests in R&D? Check out EUREKA Eurostars-2 funding! (06/06/2017)

EUREKA Eurostars-2 supports international innovative projects led by R&D-performing small businesses. The new call for applications is open until 14 September. A webinar for interested companies will take place on 13 June.

2165 SMEs seek funding under the SME Instrument Phase 1 (06/06/2017)

The European Commission received 2165 proposals for small and medium-sized enterprises SME Instrument Phase 1 before the latest cut-off date on 3 May 2017.

Commission to invest € 100 million to help 69 small businesses bring their innovation on the market (08/06/2017)

69 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 21 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. The total amount to be distributed between the SMEs working on 64 projects is €99.963 million. In this phase of the SME instrument, each project will receive up to €2.5 million (€5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities.

SME Instrument impact report is out! (11/05/2017)

With more than 31,000 applications received and more than 2,000 small companies funded, in only three years the SME Instrument has proven its appeal for the European innovation ecosystem. The 2017 edition of the SME Instrument impact report presents the first growth trends of the funded SMEs, their profile as well as the key features of the programme that have made its unique selling points. It shows cumulative data from 2014 to 2016.

SME Instrument newsletter - May (02/05/2017)

We are looking for investors who are experts in innovation and can bring their know-how to the selection panel. Are you one of them? So, apply. Are you more interested in getting funded? Don't miss the SME Instrument deadlines: 3 May for Phase 1 and 2 June for Phase 2. Spring brought many other opportunities for SMEs - be it the World Circular Economy Forum or the African Utility Week. Check our newsletter for more information.

Five SME Instrument-funded companies among Financial Times 1000 fastest growing European companies (02/05/2017)

The FT1000 lists the 1,000 companies in Europe that have achieved the highest percentage growth in revenues between 2012 and 2015. For the full list, methodology and full details have a look at the Financial Times article: https://ig.ft.com/ft-1000/

1222 project proposals seek funding under SME Instrument Phase 2 (02/05/2017)

The European Commission received 1222 proposals for SME Instrument Phase before the latest cut-off date on 6 April 2017.Small and medium-sized businesses that seek funding under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument can receive from € 0.5 to € 2.5 million (and € 5 million for health projects) from the EU to co-finance up to 70% of their innovation project.

Discover innovative circular business solutions at the World Circular Economy Forum (02/05/2017)

The EU is funding a whole range of innovative projects across Europe to advance towards a more sustainable, circular and competitive economy. The European Commission will showcase some of these circular solutions at the World Circular Economy Forum 2017 on 5-7 June in Helsinki, Finland.

Business Beyond Borders helps SMEs and clusters find international business partners at AUW (02/05/2017)

The next Business Beyond Borders (BBB) matchmaking event will take place in Cape Town (South Africa) at African Utility Week (AUW), a leading water and power utility trade fair, in May 2017.

Our Ocean 2017 conference: Make your pledge for the ocean (02/05/2017)

On 5-6 October 2017 the European Union will host the fourth edition of the international conference 'Our Ocean – An Ocean for Life'. Human action has left our ocean heavily affected by pollution, overexploitation, coastal degradation and global warming. A new vision is needed, along with strong and action-oriented commitments. Now you too can share your pledge for the ocean action.

SME Instrument innovator Mantex starts floating on the stock exchange (02/05/2017)

Swedish SME Instrument innovator Mantex has been accepted for trading on the Nasdaq First North in Stockholm. The company is specialised in scanners for woodchips and biomass used for making cleaner and more efficient bio-energy.

New Gluten World cuts a slice of the gluten-free market (02/05/2017)

With their groundbreaking technology, New Gluten World aims to make wheat flour accessible to celiac, intolerant or gluten-sensitive patients - all this with a safe and natural process that doesn't harm the environment.

City of Coimbra uses monitoring system Stratio to make its bus network clean and efficient (02/05/2017)

No more annual technical control? Portuguese SME Stratio has created a remote maintenance system for cars buses and trucks that uses artificial intelligence to constantly monitor the health of cars and predict problems and breakdowns.Thanks to this system, the city of Coimbra in Portugal has made 12% savings and provides cleaner air to its citizens.

Co-funding available for close-to-market environment and climate solutions (05/04/2017)

Is your company working on a solution that benefits the climate or the environment? Check the EU's LIFE programme: You might be eligible to receive up to 60% co-financing.

Commission to invest over €103 million in 71 innovative companies under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument (05/04/2017)

71 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 22 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 2.

Virtual reality at the service of healthcare (05/04/2017)

Far from gaming centres, virtual reality is slowly gaining prominence in the medical field as different applications such as diagnostics tools, testing equipment and therapeutic devices are gradually being developed. SME Instrument-funded VIMIND is part of this emerging trend with their diagnostics tool that use virtual reality to spot mental illnesses.

Artomatix is shaping the future of 3D design with AI (05/04/2017)

Irish start-up Artomatix has just closed a seed round and has raises €2.1m to develop 3d immersive worlds using artificial intelligence.

April 2017 (05/04/2017)

The results of for the January and February cut-offs of the SME Instrument are out! The EU will invest more than €110 million in 178 companies under Phase 1 of the SME Instrument and 71 under Phase 2. More funding opportunities for SMEs in the field of the environment can be found under the EU's Life programme - check if you are eligible to receive up to 60% co-financing. Read more in the articles below and don't forget to enjoy spring!

SME Instrument: EU to invest €8.9 million in 184 innovative businesses (06/04/2017)

184 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 28 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument.

March 2017 (28/02/2017)

Are you ready for the spring? We are! We opened 5 new calls with the SME Instrument Overseas Trade Fairs programme to help you scale up on the global market. Another opportunity how to leverage your project’s scale and visibility is participation at the EU Sustainable Energy Week Spark Show. The call has just opened and all companies are welcome to apply until Friday 31 March. And no worries about your presentation - our tips for SME Instrument Innovators will help perfect your pitch!

SME Instrument Overseas Trade Fairs: 5 new calls open (28/02/2017)

Would you like to scale-up on the global market? With the SME Instrument OTF programme we support your internationalisation plans by giving you easier access to overseas trade fairs. We are pleased to announce five new calls to participate to international trade fairs. Global-minded Phase 1 and Phase 2 companies are welcome to apply!

EU Sustainable Energy Week Spark Show (28/02/2017)

The EU Sustainable Week held in Brussels from 19 to 25 June has just open the call to showcase your innovative, impactful, inspiring and replicable projects aiming at ensuring Clean Energy for All Europeans at the Networking Village on 21 June 2017. All European citizens, social enterprises and initiatives, companies and NGOs are welcome to apply until Friday 31 March 2017.

LIFE funding for green innovation: Information & networking event on 31 May (28/02/2017)

Did you know that the EU's LIFE programme supports green technologies and eco-innovation? Find out more on 31 May in Brussels: The European Commission is organising an information and networking event as part of the EU Green Week to advise applicants on the LIFE programme's 2017 call for proposals.

How to perfect your pitch - tips for SME Instrument Innovators (28/02/2017)

Pitching your project is the essential step to get investors, angles, partners or clients interested in your brilliant idea. No doubt that you are already masters at this, but it's always useful to have more insights from the the people who listen to this all day long as their jobs. Here are a few tips and tricks we gathered from top investors at the SME Instrument Innovators Summit to make your pitch worth the elevator ride.

The SME Instrument in a nutshell - order the new infographic (28/02/2017)

EASME just released an infographic explaining the basics of the programme. You can order hard copies for free until 10 March 2017.

Add your company to the #greenjobs map! (28/02/2017)

Despite the economic crisis in recent years, companies develop new, sustainable business models, expand their markets and adapt innovative solutions to efficiently use resources. This can translate into more jobs. And it does - the environmental goods and services sector has seen a solid performance in terms of job creation. Does your company create #greenjobs? Add it to the map!

SME Instrument: 2111 proposals received for Phase 1 (28/02/2017)

For the first cut-off of the SME Instrument Phase 1 in 2017 the European Commission received a total of 2111 proposals.Most of the proposals were submitted in the field of ICT, followed by ICT for health and climate action and environment. Italian and Spanish companies submitted the most proposals, followed by companies from the UK and Germany. 96 % of the proposals were submitted by a single SME.

Lingvist closes its SME Instrument project with extra private investment! (28/02/2017)

We love to hear back from companies we fund - especially when they have great news! Innovative language learning platform Lingvist recently finished their Horizon 2020 project and, thanks to the funding, attracted additional private investment, most recently from global Internet services company Rakuten – to the tune of €7.2 million.

Feeling without touching – Ultrahaptics (28/02/2017)

Increase the volume with touching a button, control your oven with a wave of the hand and heat up your car seat without taking your eyes off the road? This will soon become a reality. Ultrahaptics has developed a unique technology that enables users to receive tactile feedback without needing to wear or touch anything. The technology uses ultrasound to project sensations through the air and directly onto the hand.

February 2017 (01/02/2017)

The year 2017 starts with 17 projects from 19 countries getting nearly €33.5 million under the last call of the Fast Track to Innovation pilot scheme. In January the SME Instrument Phase 2 received 1500 new proposals. Since the launch of the programme over €100 million have been invested in energy projects. Maybe you are one of them and would like to add a Sustainable Energy Award to your credentials? Propose your project and win an award at the Sustainable Energy Week from 19-25 June. You can also participate and why not organise your own session at the conference, all proposals are welcome!

Commission speeds up access to market of 17 innovative projects with €33.5 million (31/01/2017)

The European Commission is awarding nearly €33.5 million to bring more innovative ideas to market quicker. The 17 benefitting projects, involving 80 partners in 19 countries, will receive around €2 million each under the sixth and last round of the €200 million Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) pilot scheme run since January 2015 under the EU's research and innovation programme Horizon 2020.

SME Instrument: 1534 proposals received under the January cut-off (31/01/2017)

For the first cut-off of 2017, EASME received 1534 Phase 2 projects proposals from 37 countries; most by Spanish (257), Italian (224) and British (144) companies.

Over €100M to finance energy innovation in SMEs across Europe (31/01/2017)

Renewable energy i.e. solar, wind and biomass, and energy efficiency projects account for 40% of the investments made through the SME Instrument in the field of energy. Top three countries include Spain, Italy and UK with most projects funded.

EU Sustainable Energy Week is back again – be part of it! (31/01/2017)

EU Sustainable Week will be held in Brussels from 19 to 25 June. The calls for conference sessions and awards have just been launched with a deadline of 3 March 2017. We are waiting for you to apply!

Enantis helps heal wounds faster (31/01/2017)

Each of us gets injured at one time or another; and most of the little wounds are forgotten quickly. But the healing of serious injuries, such as burns might be a very different, painful and long-term story. However a new substance being developed by Czech company Enantis, could change all this.

Hybrid bike sharing without fixed charging stations for a smoother ride (31/01/2017)

Hybrid bikes are slowly overtaking conventional motorcycles and mopeds in Europe – and they may soon be available in your city for sharing. The BITRIDE BIKE SHARING proposes a bike sharing system based on a fleet of hybrid bikes that don't need fixed charging stations.

Planetek Hellas works with European Space Agency for next satellite missions (31/01/2017)

Greek company Planetek Hellas will participate to the new European Space Agency study on hyperspectral imaging to support the 2nd generation of the Copernicus Programme. The study will assess the future needs in terms of hyperspectral imaging, coordinate those needs with planned satellite missions and evaluate what existing or future infrastructures are needed to fulfill these needs.

In this Issue (03/01/2017)

With the beginning of a new year, the list of countries eligible for the SME Instrument has expanded. As of 1 January 2017, Swiss businesses can also benefit from the programme whose budget will almost reach €440 million in 2017. In the articles below you can learn more about some of the SME Instrument innovators, or apply for our communication workshop. The next Phase 2 cut-off is on 18 January. Whether or not you plan to apply, we wish you a very successful year in 2017!

Swiss businesses eligible for SME Instrument as of 1 January 2017 (03/01/2017)

As of 1 January 2017, the family of associated countries that are able to fully participate in Horizon 2020 opened also to Switzerland. Consequently, Swiss companies can benefit from the SME Instrument programme, from which they were excluded until now.

SME Instrument: EU to invest €8.8 million in 184 innovative businesses (03/01/2017)

184 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 28 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument.

SME Instrument factsheets (03/01/2017)

Learn more about Horizon 2020 SME Instrument and the impact of the programme in different countries and fields of activity and discover great examples of projects. We will publish a new factsheet every week.

Learning a language in 200 hours? Lingvist has a solution (03/01/2017)

Learning a foreign language is often tough and time consuming, as one of the co-founders of the Estonian start-up Lingvist, Mait Müntel, realised himself when living abroad. So he decided to face the challenge with a unique solution based on computational science.

U2's Bono backs SME Instrument-funded company fighting against diabetes (03/01/2017)

Horizon 2020's SME Instrument-funded company Nuritas has found a ground-breaking peptide molecule that regulates blood sugar – a real breakthrough in the battle against Type 2 diabetes. This recent discovery caught the eye of U2's Bono and The Edge, who brought added fame to the fast-growing Irish company by becoming investors.​

Augmented reality for more aviation safety (03/01/2017)

Around two thirds of aviation accidents are caused by pilot errors who have to translate information from the control panel into a 3D environment. Aeroglass' head-mounted display shows the information in the lenses and help pilots visualise the information in 3D in real-time in front of them.

60-minute workout to increase the communication impact of your project (03/01/2017)

We want to give you some ideas on how to increase your outreach and learn from successful EU-funded projects. Join our communication colleagues for a 60-minute interactive #CommsWorkout webinar and get ready for your Horizon 2020 project. Registration will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

World Circular Economy Forum 2017: Applications are open! (03/01/2017)

Do you want to showcase your circular economy innovative project or organisation at the World Circular Economy Forum - WCEF 2017? Apply by 31 January 2017! The European Commission is co-organising this event that will take place on 5 and 6 June 2016, in Helsinki, Finland.

Welcome to the last 2016 issue of the SME Instrument newsletter (06/12/2016)

Since the launch of the Horizon 2020's SME Instrument in 2014, the European Union has invested more than €870 million in almost 2200 innovative projects. You can find all of them in our new interactive tool – the SME Instrument data hub introduced in November. Find out more in the articles below, read about the EU's new initiative to boost start-ups in Europe and meet two companies selected for the SME Instrument. With this last SME Instrument newsletter of the year, we wish you a very successful new year and don't forget, the next cut-off is already on 18 January!

Commission gives boost to start-ups in Europe (05/12/2016)

The Commissions' new Start-up and Scale-up Initiative aims to give the most innovative European entrepreneurs the opportunity to take their start-ups from the ideas stage into world leading companies.

Commission to invest €80 million in 58 innovative companies under the Horizon 2020 SME Instrument (06/12/2016)

58 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) from 16 countries have been selected for funding in the latest round of the Horizon2020 SME Instrument Phase 2. In this phase of the instrument, each project will receive up to €2.5 million (€5 million for health projects) to finance innovation activities. The total amount to be distributed between the SMEs working on 51 projects is €80 million.

Horizon 2020 SME Innovation Associate: € 7 million to fund 71 innovative projects (05/12/2016)

71 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 17 countries have been selected for funding in the pilot run of the Horizon 2020 SME Innovation Associate programme.

SME Instrument: € 500 million invested in more than 1400 companies in 2014-2015 (06/12/2016)

Over 20.000 applications received, € 500 million invested in more than 1400 projects and more than € 692 million of private equity attracted. Since 2014, the European Union's new € 80 billion Framework Program for Research and Innovation - Horizon 2020 – contains a dedicated tool for financing innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) . ​

Scottish Nova Innovation: a growth path powered by tidal energy (06/12/2016)

Nova Innovation is a Scottish-based company founded in 2010 that designs, builds, installs and operates tidal energy projects. Operating from two sites in Edinburgh and Shetland, Nova Innovation installed the world’s first community-owned tidal energy device in 2014. In August 2016 the company announced the deployment of the world’s first fully-operational, grid-connected offshore tidal array in Shetland.