[{"command":"settings","settings":{"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"hm_theme","theme_token":"8XLxnQLN7pMfS1M9qbB7q1EW83w5i4uR8pM1iGVo0tc","libraries":"eJwDAAAAAAE"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2af85631393b514cbde3779a1f71d92618d53b94b54ea1960d28b2e2d121ff12"}},"merge":true},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9282\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEU startups starting to break through with a bit of help \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMany entrepreneurs have experienced Aha! moments, which can strike at any time. For Dr Jama Nateqi, it was a clinical problem-solving assignment during his third year of medical school.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We were in groups to study all the literature available \u2013 everything a doctor could wish for \u2013 in order to solve one patient case. In the real world, doctors may have just a couple of minutes. We had four hours,\u2019 recalled Dr Nateqi from Austria. \u2018But this still was not enough. Our research was incomplete. We didn\u2019t know whether we considered all possible diseases especially all life-threatening ones, and we certainly didn\u2019t know which disease was the most likely. It was very frustrating.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was this frustration that inspired him to create the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.symptoma.com\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESymptoma\u003C\/a\u003E search engine, whose diagnostic accuracy now raises the bar as highest in its industry. Symptoma is the most used symptom checker among both, doctors and patients, with millions of users and searches per month - in 36 languages.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Symptoma has established the biggest disease database in the world with over 20,000 conditions and billions of connections to signs and symptoms,\u2019 said Dr Nateqi, CEO and founder of Symptoma. \u2018We have even helped patients uncover ultra-rare diseases.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe notion that Symptoma was an overnight success \u2013 that all it took was the brilliant idea of an ingenious medical student \u2013 is inspiring. But it\u2019s wrong. It\u0027s\u0026nbsp;not the whole story of Symptoma throughout its 16-year-long journey.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018One of our biggest accomplishments was that we didn\u2019t throw in the towel,\u2019 said Dr Nateqi. \u2018The early years weren\u2019t easy. There was so much we had to tackle. One was funding. Another was networking. Fortunately, along the way, we had the support of the Horizon Results Platform.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJourney to the market\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe platform Dr Nateqi refers to is an online hub showcasing the research results of projects awarded European Union (EU) funding. The idea behind the platform is to help EU beneficiaries advertise their research results and look for investors, collaborators and other entrepreneurs to deliver real-world impact and ensure their work benefits others.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/funding-tenders\/opportunities\/portal\/screen\/opportunities\/horizon-results-platform\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHorizon Results Platform\u003C\/a\u003E gave us the credibility and visibility we needed,\u2019 explained Dr Nateqi. \u2018We were selected to pitch our solution to a dedicated group of investors which further accelerated our traction with customers.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESymptoma tops the list as a success story. So far, the company secured \u20ac24 million in funding such as under Europe\u2019s Horizon 2020 programme and in investments such as from the O\u00d6 HightechFonds, an Austrian high-tech fund that is co-financed by the EU to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EThe Horizon Results Platform gave us the credibility and visibility we needed.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Jama Nateqi, founder and CEO of Symptoma\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe platform currently hosts almost 2,000 EU-funded research and technology ventures and is helping to turn Europe\u0027s research results into innovations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBackyard workshops and the next unicorns \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EInvesting in early-stage startups flush with potential is one part of Europe\u2019s startup story that can be traced all the way back to 1847. This is the year Siemens was founded in a backyard workshop in Germany. LEGO is another well-known European startup success story. The famous toy manufacturer was founded in a small carpenter\u2019s workshop in Denmark nearly a century ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EBut starting up is not enough. Scaling up is crucial.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Small can be beautiful,\u2019 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/SPEECH_21_6290\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEuropean Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager\u003C\/a\u003E at the European Innovation Council Summit. \u2018But if you want to take the lead in new technology, you need a certain size. And in that sense, we still have a long way to go. From the same number of startups per head of population, the United States grows four times as many scaled-up companies as we do. And of the current crop of seven hundred unicorns around the world, Europe accounts for less than fifty.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Europe lags behind the United States in innovation, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/docsroom\/documents\/46013\/attachments\/1\/translations\/en\/renditions\/native\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEuropean Innovation Scoreboard 2021\u003C\/a\u003E shows a positive upward trend. Innovation performance increased 12.5% since 2014. Sweden\u202fcontinues to be the\u202fEU\u202fInnovation Leader, followed by Finland, Denmark and Belgium, all with innovation performance well above the EU average.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s more, there is growing convergence within the EU with lower-performing countries growing faster than higher-performing ones. This means the innovation gap is closing, particularly in Estonia, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Lithuania. In fact, Cyprus reported the highest rate of performance increase (96.5%).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m not a policymaker nor have I analysed the results to see the full picture, but in my view \u2013 from the entrepreneurial side of a highly scientific company that is developing research results \u2013 I believe there is a lot of progress,\u2019 said Tasos Kounoudes, co-founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.signalgenerix.com\/horizon-results-platform-tv-features-signalgenerix\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESignalGeneriX\u003C\/a\u003E, an award-winning tech company in Cyprus. \u2018Particularly with Horizon 2020 and now Horizon Europe, there are so many new instruments assisting companies like ours to fast-track innovation and breach the valley of death by paving a path to success for small businesses.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EParticularly with Horizon 2020 and now Horizon Europe, there are so many new instruments assisting companies like ours to fast-track innovation and breach the valley of death by paving a path to success for small businesses.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003ETasos Kounoudes, co-founder and CEO of SignalGeneriX\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u2018An oasis in the desert\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs one of Cyprus\u2019 earliest tech companies, which launched its first of many products (a sensor cross-layer platform) 15 years ago, SignalGeneriX has participated in EU-funded projects since the EU\u2019s Sixth Framework Programme, which ran from 2002 to 2006.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018SignalGeneriX is a small company with many years of experience, and we are very successful in designing and developing innovative signal processing technologies \u2013 with many innovation awards to prove it!\u2019 said Kounoudes. He attributes much of his company\u2019s success to participation in EU-funded projects, and most recently in the Horizon Results Platform.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The platform was crucial in helping us bridge this gap and bring to market our new products, such as our smart buoys,\u2019 he explained. \u2018Not only was the new platform necessary, but it was launched at the perfect time \u2013 right before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. If it weren\u2019t for this platform, we would not have managed to forge leads, new consortiums and find investors. We were able to create these leads and the synergies we needed through contacts with other companies, investors and European Innovation Council instruments.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn terms of finance and growth capital \u2013 central elements in the scaling journey of any business \u2013 Kounoudes likens the Horizon Results Platform to an \u2018oasis in the desert\u2019. He explained: \u2018Simply put, it\u2019s a huge dissemination opportunity, and it\u2019s free! It\u2019s an opportunity to show your products to others \u2013 from the companies next door to venture capitalists and private investors who are interested in your technology, both in Europe and beyond. It\u2019s exposure that your company may not have had otherwise.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnd the award goes to\u2026 Finnish custom-made enzymes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn terms of exposure, Finnish enzyme producer MetGen has enjoyed unprecedented opportunities \u2013 one of the benefits of winning industry awards.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2019, the company won the European Technology Innovation Award by global research company Frost \u0026amp; Sullivan. Most recently, it was awarded the overall \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/news\/winners-eus-2021-innovation-radar-prize-announced#:~:text=MetGen%20from%20Finland%20was%20awarded,used%20in%20cardboard%20packaging%20boxes.\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2021 Innovation Radar Prize\u003C\/a\u003E for its gamechanging bio-based solution to replace petrochemical wax-based coatings used in cardboard boxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMetGen is one of few companies in the industrial enzymes segment that can customise enzyme solutions for different sectors, such as pulp and paper and biorefineries, according to Matti Heikkil\u00e4, MetGen Chief Operating Officer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Basically, we are replacing petrochemical-based coating materials with better solutions that are more affordable and better for improving paper strength. This was the winning combination for the Innovation Radar Prize,\u2019 explained Heikkil\u00e4, a biotech engineer who has led MetGen in numerous commercial joint ventures, research and development initiatives, and Horizon 2020 projects.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis technology was developed under the EU-funded FALCON project, in which MetGen was a partner.\u0026nbsp;The Innovation Radar Prize, a European Commission initiative to identify high potential innovation and innovators in EU-funded research, has increased the Finnish firm\u2019s visibility in the market and led to new collaborations in Finland and beyond. Heikkil\u00e4 describes the prize and the recognition that comes along with it as \u2018a catalyst\u2019 for further growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We are a company of only 30 people, so approaching the large companies is a big deal,\u2019 he explained. \u2018They hear many pitches from a lot of companies but being the winner of the innovation prize is definitely a big advantage!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe are a company of only 30 people, so approaching the large companies is a big deal. They hear many pitches from a lot of companies but being the winner of the innovation prize is definitely a big advantage!\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EMatti Heikkil\u00e4, MetGen Chief Operating Officer\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-bg-bluelightest tw-p-12 tw-my-12 tw--mx-16\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3 class=\u0022tw-font-sans tw-font-bold tw-text-blue tw-uppercase tw-text-lg tw-mb-8\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s the \u2018biggest ever\u2019 year for startup funding\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-inline-block tw-w-1\/6 tw-h-1 tw-bg-blue tw-mb-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EThe European Commission has just adopted the 2022 work programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC), which was launched last year under the Horizon Europe programme. It opens funding opportunities worth over \u20ac1.7 billion in 2022 for breakthrough innovators to scale up and create new markets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/ip_22_847\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEuropean Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel\u003C\/a\u003E said: \u2018The work programme for this year is backed by the biggest ever annual funding for visionary entrepreneurs and researchers, as well as new measures to support female innovators and scale-ups.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe funding will be split as follows:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEIC Pathfinder:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u20ac350 million for multidisciplinary research teams to undertake ambitious research\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEIC Transition:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u20ac131 million to transform research results into innovation opportunities and build a business case for specific applications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEIC Accelerator:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u20ac1.16 billion for startups and SMEs to develop and scale up high-impact innovations\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Ch5\u003EIf you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/h5\u003E\n\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-zwebba0etfjjvxkx499rq-w7-5v2qyv9l5zynhnoiyc\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-ZWeBBA0EtfJJvxKx499rQ-W7-5V2qYv9L5zyNHnoiYc\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]