On 16-17 December 2019, companies supported under the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot increased their possibilities in accelerating their business collaborating with Galp, one of the global players in the energy market. Galp opened its doors to 15 SMEs to pitch and present their business cases in Lisbon, Portugal.

EIC Corporate Days are tailor-made and highly effective acceleration services to facilitate collaboration between large corporates and EIC funded SMEs. More than 60 top corporate representatives of Galp welcomed startups and scaleups that provide innovative technologies in circular economy, smart energy, urban mobility and digital solutions. The European innovators expanded their network and took the chance to leverage their business in 62 one-to-one meetings with Galp c-level managers.

At the event, Carlos Gomes da Silva, CEO at Galp, spoke on the motivation behind it:

“We’re looking for very capable, focused, and determined people with open mindsets that help us to see the world with different eyes. In the interaction with the startups, we aim to find solutions that can be clearly industrialized and impact the transition that we are living today.”

Galp’s COO, Susana Quintana Plaza, highlighted the benefits of collaborating with external innovation providers like EIC funded SMEs:

“The SMEs have the innovation, the speed, and the best interest to make innovation happen. Corporations like Galp have the access to the markets, have the brand, and the access to the customer. Our goal is to collaborate with SMEs who already have products, solutions and business models and then to scale globally. It is a win-win situation for both sides.”

Jorge Fernandes, Global Head of Innovation at Galp, commented on the initiative:

“We really admire these startups for their ingenuity and for their resourceful creativity. The EIC ecosystem is fantastic. We’re talking about a pool of over 5.000 companies that have already been selected and validated through the EU funding mechanisms. Out of those we selected 15 that are very promising in delivering solutions that meet our challenges. We gained a very nice overview of startups that are really at the forefront of innovation and technology and we are looking forward to collaborating.”

Learn more about the companies: Airboxlab, Barbara IoT, BatteryCheck, Cherrydata, Dexma Sensors, Enerkite, EQS – Engineering, Quality and Safety, Global Data Excellence, IRIS, OriginGPS, Re-circula Solutions, TWEVO, TWTG R&D, Win Inertia Technologies, Yodiwo.

Are you looking for opportunities to connect with some of the largest corporates in Europe? Keep a close eye on our events calendar and apply today for a chance to take your business to the next level.