Israel’s identity as the “Start-Up Nation” grants it a unique position in the global entrepreneurial marketplace, making it an ideal partner in the international start-up industry. As such, the Israeli branch of the European Union Institute of Innovation and Technology, dubbed “EIT Hub Israel,” is opening the third Calling2Scale international post acceleration program – a move that follows Israel’s accession to the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program.
Calling2Scale is intended for Israeli and European start-ups in the fields of health, renewable energy and climate; it focuses on the growth process of mature start-ups aimed to penetrate new markets, and offers full support for the various steps they must take towards the global market.
Over the course of eight sessions in three months, the 16 start-ups that will be selected to participate in the program will take part in various business workshops and will be matched with experienced mentors from the industry. The mentoring process will focus on the professional areas of business development, sales, adjustments to the post-COVID-19 world, leadership, taxation, legal advice and more.
This year’s program will be Israel’s third Calling2Scale event, and organizers aim to continue progress toward their goal of promoting Israeli and European start-up cooperation.
“The goal of the program, which has helped many start-ups grow to both POCs and raise funds, is to share the strengths of Israel and Europe and gather the right resources from around the world to support quality technologies that are evolving in the areas of health, climate and energy,” said EIT Hub Israel’s managing director, Adi Barel.
“The significance and uniqueness of the program that opens the start-up application today, lies in our association with leading partners in the industry and the connection to EIT’s European partners network of about 3,000 different companies across the continent,” Barel added. “Israel’s accession to the European Union’s Horizon Europe program further strengthens the program.”
Head of innovation and research at the EU delegation to Israel, Andrea Carignani Di Novoli, elaborated on Horizon Europe’s goals.
“The recently signed ‘Horizon Europe’ agreement between Israel and the EU allows Israeli and European researchers, entrepreneurs and start-ups to continue working together to find solutions to current global challenges – climate change, reducing carbon emissions and streamlining and improving the global health system,” she said.
“The agreement benefits everyone: Israel – which offers a fertile and data-rich environment, clinical trials and their validity – and Europe, which provides a strong market for technologies in the fields of health, climate and energy,” said Novoli. “The Calling2Scale program serves as a direct conduit and important implementation of ‘Horizon Europe’s goals and offers a springboard to the global market through connections made in Israel and Europe alike. Together with leading bodies in the industry, the program brings the two markets even closer and promotes innovative and technological cooperation between the European Union and Israel.”