Euro-wide search for tech entrepreneurs

16 Mar 2015

The UCC launch of the EU-XCEL European Virtual Accelerator marks the start of a European-wide recruitment campaign seeking out talented aspiring entrepreneurs in the field of information and communication technology.

The opportunity to participate in an innovative virtual accelerator programme focused on creating ICT tech entrepreneur teams that are incubator-ready is expected to attract a lot of interest.

Successful applicants from across Europe will participate as part of newly formed international start-up teams alongside some of the most promising and talented tech entrepreneurs in intensive, specially designed entrepreneurship training and mentoring programmes over five months. 

UCC wants to accelerate the next generation of world-focused tech founders #Startups http://t.co/wl3fzb3mGx

— SiliconRepublic (@siliconrepublic) March 13, 2015

The European Virtual Accelerator includes:

• A week-long training and mentoring ‘start-up scrum’ in one of six countries - Ireland, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland and Denmark
• Access to a bespoke virtual accelerator of supports to assist teams develop and refine their start-up idea
• The opportunity to pitch to and connect with venture capitalists, angel investors and successful tech entrepreneurs in the EU-EXCEL Challenge

EU-XCEL Project Directors, Dr Brian O’Flaherty & Dr Joe Bogue of Cork University Business School, UCC, comment:

“Our mission is to provide the optimum virtual and physical platforms to enable aspiring ICT tech entrepreneurs to flourish and become incubator ready after our international five month acceleration programme. The internationalisation of entrepreneurship is a major component of this programme and the exchange element of the programme will enable cross-fertilisation and the pursuit of new ventures across a number of European countries.”

All successful applicants receive:

• An opportunity to win a significant financial prize
• An opportunity to travel to one of six one-week long European start-up scrums with free flights & accommodation
• Access to peer and mentoring networking/entertainment events
• An opportunity to become part of an international EU-XCEL team and meet potential co-founders for the new venture
• Fast-track access to a European accelerator programme

.#UCC wants to accelerate the next generation of world-focused #tech founders http://t.co/jE27RAfLP1 @euxcel @Horizon2020_ire @StartUpEU

— EI HPSU (@EI_HPSU) March 13, 2015

EU-XCEL is a Horizon 2020 funded project and part of Start Up Europe.  The wider project partners outside Cork are made up of universities and incubator centres from across the European Union, including Denmark, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain.

For further information, please see http://euxcel.eu/ or contact Siobhan Bradley, EU-XCEL Project Co-ordinator, Department of Business & Information Systems, UCC on euxcel@ucc.ie or T: +0035321 490 3404.

UCC heads up new EU tech project @euxcel http://t.co/pOOo8dopCJ

— Business Plus (@BusinessPlusMag) March 13, 2015

Ready to recruit! @UCC @ICTinnovEU @euxcel pic.twitter.com/ngHZqfHFrv

— Brian O'Flaherty (@Boflaherty) March 10, 2015