SME Instrument

  • 08 Apr
    HyperMemo successful with EIC Accelerator funding

    HyperMemo successful with EIC Accelerator funding

    Karostech’s customer HyperMemo Oy successfully attracted EIC funding in the last cut-off, which was exceptionally competitive with just 2.4% success rate. The funding was issued through the blended finance scheme and includes a €2.1 million grant part, which is already confirmed, and an additional equity part, which is currently under negotiation with the European Investment Bank.

    HyperMemo is a Finnish SME developing innovative laser based glass processing technology. The solution will disrupt the very traditional branch of industry making it cleaner and more sustainable. EIC funding will help HyperMemo to industrialize the technology, setup production facilities, and run trials with leading global glass and glass processing equipment manufacturers.

    We in Karostech are proud to be supporting the commercialization of such an impactful innovation.

  • 27 Jun

    Karostech selected by Miksei to provide SME Instrument related consultancy

    Karostech was recently selected by the Mikkeli Region Development Company Miksei as an authorized service provider regarding EU funding related consultancy. Our company won the tendering procedure organized by Miksei within its initiative to support local SMEs with relevant knowledge related to the EU funding available for SMEs, particularly the SME Instrument.

    Within the agreed scope of services, Karostech will conduct several coaching sessions for local entrepreneurs interested in EU funding.

  • 07 May

    Everfill successful with SME Instrument funding

    Karostech’s customer Everfill Oy was granted SME Instrument Phase 1 funding by the European Commission. Everfill’s proposal Improving the Quality of Life of Millions through the Revolutionary Approach in Dermal Regeneration Care was selected among 274 companies from around Europe to receive this very much wanted funding out of 2822 proposals received by The European Commission in February 2019.

    The SME Instrument is part of the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot that supports top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and scientists with funding opportunities and acceleration services. Companies can apply for two distinct phases under the SME Instrument, depending on the maturity of their innovation. Under Phase 1 of SME Instrument, each project will receive a lump-sum of €50.000 to carry out a feasibility study. Under Phase 2, each project will receive from €0.5 to €2.5 million to finance innovation activities such as demonstration, testing, piloting and scaling up. In addition, companies under both phases can benefit from free coaching and business acceleration services.

     

  • 11 Jun

    Process Genius successful with Horizon 2020 SME Instrument funding

    Karostech gained another success story with funding from European Commission as our customer Process Genius received SME Instrument Phase 1 funding. Process Genius has developed a revolutionary 3D user interface of the Industrial Internet of Things. It turns any physical environment (production plant, utility, etc.) into its virtual model, a digital twin, utilizing the cutting edge 3D graphics.

    SME Instrument is intended for commercialization of disruptive innovations and thus very much wanted among European SME’s. With this new successful reference Karostech strengthened its position among the most successful SME Instrument consultants in Finland.

  • 16 Sep
    Kirsi Mononen joined Karostech

    Kirsi Mononen joined Karostech

    Karostech got a strong boost as Kirsi Mononen joined our team in August. Kirsi is a seasoned expert in science and project management with 20 years background in education, research, development and innovation in universities, research institutes and in private sector. She holds Ph.D. in chemistry and she is a qualified vocational teacher and a qualified member of board, too. Her main areas of expertise are materials chemistry, wood chemistry, bio economy as well as training and RDI funding.

    In her field of expertise, Kirsi is a member of expert community extending from SME’s to research organisations and academic institutes. During her career, she has helped projects, businesses and individuals to grow. Kirsi lives in Eastern Finland. She is fluent in Finnish, English and German.

    With Kirsi onboard Karostech’s core expertise has widened to bioeconomy and forestry sectors.

  • 25 Dec

    Karostech’s Dutch customer gets funding from Horizon 2020 SME Instrument

    We are glad to announce that Karostech’s customer Part-up BV from the Netherlands has been granted with Horizon 2020 SME Instrument Phase 1 funding. Part-up has developed a competence platform –  partup.com , which is used for building effective teams by the help of a sophisticated skill matching algorithm. The platform can be implemented by large corporations, universities, start-up accelerators, etc. in order to facilitate more powerful teams and thus boost the innovation potential.

    Two other applications assisted by Karostech have received Seal of Excellence given by the European Commission to those companies, whose applications have been evaluated above the qualification threshold, but haven’t got funding due to budgetary restrictions of the specific call or topic. See more information about the Seal of Excellence on the official website of the European Commission:

    https://ec.europa.eu/research/regions/pdf/seal_of_excellence_flyer_2015.pdf

    Karostech is dedicated to work with these customers in order to achieve funding in the upcoming rounds.

  • 15 Nov

    Karostech invites top European H2020 SME Instrument experts to Helsinki

    Karostech and the leading European SME Instrument fundraiser Inspiralia (Spain) invite you to the Horizon 2020 – SME Instrument event that will take place on Tuesday Nov. 29 at 18:00–21:00 in the Radisson Blue Royal Hotel, Runeberginkatu 2, Helsinki downtown.

    Registration to the event: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H5BY5LS.

    The SME Instrument is a funding tool under the Horizon 2020 program from the European Commission. Its main target is to make the European Union more competitive and innovative by funding European Innovative SMEs with grants from 0,5 M€ up to 2,5 M€ to help them developing new products and launching them successfully to the market. See more detailed information: http://ec.europa.eu/easme/en/horizons-2020-sme-instrument

    In this informative workshop experts from Inspiralia will introduce the funding opportunities from the EC to Finnish Innovative SMEs. The event is co-organized by: Oy Karostech Ltd, Lähienergialiitto (Finnish Clean Energy Association), Urban Mill, ReWork of Work Facebook community, and Kasvusaari Oy. There will be also an opportunity to have a face to face meeting with Inspiralia’s SME Instrument experts on 30.11. at the same venue. Optionally, tue 29.11. before the event is also possible to meet Inspiralia’s expert Guillermo Palacios. Contact Ilkka Kakko ilkka.kakko (at) karostech.fi to book your time.

    The Agenda:

    • Welcome and introduction
      • Ilkka Kakko, Karostech
      • Pilar Cocera, Inspiralia
    • Inspiralia : What we do?
    • What is the SME Instrument?
      • Structure Phase1-Phase2
      • Topics and typical funded projects
      • Next opportunity and timeline
    • How to know if you are a winner?
      • Excellence in the technology
      • Market impact
      • Implementation
    • Inspiralia’s Key Differentiator
      • Validation
      • Rigorous Process
      • Dedicated teams of experts
    • Q&As
    • Coctails and snacks

     

    About Inspiralia

    Inspiralia is an international New Product Development Company which helps SMEs bring their innovative products and solutions to the market. Inspiralia offers a 360º innovative development process from validating the idea, finding financing, developing the project into a product within our technical facilities and laboratories as well as launching it to the market. You can have an overview of what we do best in the attached video link: Clip Inspiralia.

    At Inspiralia, we are always on the search for innovative ideas that will change tomorrow´s society and the necessary funding to bring these to market.  Our results have enabled us to become European Leaders within Horizon 2020’s SME Instrument funding programme:

    • Inspiralia has an accumulated success rate for Phase 1 financed proposals of 80%, compared with a 6% European average. Currently we are supporting 182 happy clients with their applications for Phase 2.
    • Inspiralia won the 10% of all available SME Instrument Phase 2 funding EU wide for their clients so far, with 33 delighted clients currently executing Phase 2 projects.

     

  • 30 Jul
    Karostech luotsaa suomalaisia yrittäjiä pk-yritysten Mestareiden Liigaan!

    Karostech luotsaa suomalaisia yrittäjiä pk-yritysten Mestareiden Liigaan!

    Karostech tarjoaa kasvuhakuisille yrittäjille EU:n Horizon 2020 pk-yrityksille suunnatun rahoitusinstrumentin hakemusten valmistelua kovalla ammattitaidolla. ”Valitsemme tarkkaan asiakkaat, joita lähdemme auttamaan rahoituksen piiriin. Yrityksellä pitää olla ainutlaatuinen tuote- tai palvelukonsepti ja todellista potentiaalia tehdä kansainvälinen läpimurto. Keväällä teimme sopimuksen innovatiivisia lämmitysjärjestelmiä valmistavan PolarSol Oy:n kanssa, jolle varmistimme ensimmäisenä pohjoiskarjalaisena yrityksenä pääsyn Horizon 2020 SME Instrument- rahoitusohjelmaan” – kertoo Karostech Oy:n yrittäjä, toimitusjohtaja Ilkka Kakko. Lisätietoa PolarSolin sivuilla: http://www.polarsol.com/news/polarsol-valittu-horisontti-2020-pk-instrumentin-rahoituksen-saajaksi.html.

    Horizon2020 pk-instrumentti on tarkoitettu voimakasta kansainvälistä kasvua hakeville pk-yrityksille, joilla on korkea markkina- ja kasvupotentiaali. Dr. Bernd Reichert, Head of SME Unit European Commission, vertaa rahoitusohjelmasta kertovassa esityksessään rahoituksen piiriin valittavia yrityksiä Mestareiden Liigan huippujoukkueisiin. Suomessa rahoitusta koordinoi Tekes, mutta hakemukset tehdään kuitenkin suoraan EU:n viralliseen hakijaportaaliin. Lisätietoa ohjelmasta Tekesin sivuilta: http://www.tekes.eu/horisontti-2020/teollisuuden-johtoasema/innovointi-pienissa-ja-keskisuurissa-yrityksissa/ .

    Ensimmäisessä vaiheessa yritys saa komissiolta 50.000 euroa kansainväistymiseen tähtäävän liiketoimintasuunnitelman tekemiseen sekä tuote- tai palvelukonseptin pilotointiin. Vaiheessa 2 tarjolla on jopa kaksi miljoonaa euroa komissiolta tulevaa avustusta kansainvälistymisen toteuttamiseen.

    Hakemuksen valmistelu on 3-4 viikon projekti, jonka aikana Karostechin asiantuntijat perehtyvät yrityksen liiketoimintaan ja laativat yrittäjältä saadun tiedon pohjalta hakemuksen EU:n hakujärjestelmään. Varsinaisen hakemuksen lisäksi tiivis sparraus projektin alkuvaiheessa auttaa yrittäjiä virtaviivaistamaan prosessinsa sekä liiketoimintasuunnitelmansa.

    Haku on parhaillaan käynnissä ja seuraava hakemusten jättö on 17. syyskuuta mennessä, joten ripeällä toiminnalla saamme hakemuksen tehtyä. Jos kiinnostuit, niin ota viipymättä yhteyttä.

    Lisätietoa tästä ohjelmasta saat soittamalla Ilkalle p. 050 5362941.