Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENRICH in the USA (ENRICH in the USA)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-01-01 do 2022-06-30
ENRICH in the USA is the follow-up initiative of NearUS, aiming to establish a Network of European Research and Innovation Centers and Hubs throughout the United States of America.
The mission of ENRICH in the USA is to provide collaboration, funding, and commercialization support services to tech entrepreneurs from Europe and EU Associated Countries in the USA, by facilitating their access to university incubation programs to maximize their chances of success in terms of internationalization in North America, and as such also procuring benefits back in Europe. ENRICH in the USA also leverages a vetted Ambassadors’ and partners’ network, providing access to experts, mentors and investors via its Immersion, Virtual Landing, and Soft Landing programs.
ENRICH in the USA’s program is based on 3 pillars:
• Education & Connection: Immersion Programs and Funding Summits around tradeshows, symposia, and roadshows to learn how to engage with and build on an already vetted North American network of potential investors, mentors, partners, and clients.
• Market Validation: Virtual Landing Programs to explore North American hubs built around research universities, supported by local ENRICH Ambassadors, experts, and mentors, and to evaluate local PoCs (Proof of Concepts)/pilots and funding opportunities.
• University Incubation: Long-term Soft Landing Programs (supported with J-1 visas), within research university incubators combining programs, including resources and activities with ENRICH in the USA to launch research & innovation partnerships, to sign PoCs/pilots, and to close funding and investments.
The ENRICH in the USA headquarters at the Temple University's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) coordinates all the programs and activities in the USA, working closely with the Landing Hubs and Centers. Centers are defined as a location with a dedicated ENRICH in the USA team, surrounded by engaged ENRICH Ambassadors in an ecosystem fostering business development and corporate development activities - not industry specific. There are three ENRICH in the USA Centers providing the first level of information and support:
• In San Francisco at European American Enterprise Council & Runway Innovation Hub
• In Boston at the Cambridge Innovation Centre
• In Washington, DC at consortium partner NCURA's headquarters
Overall, ENRICH in the USA aims to create a self-sustainable network of Centers and Hubs that provide internationalization support to all EU innovation actors under one umbrella, complementing other existing programs and support initiatives.
The mission of ENRICH in the USA is to provide collaboration, funding, and commercialization support services to tech entrepreneurs from Europe and EU Associated Countries in the USA, by facilitating their access to university incubation programs to maximize their chances of success in terms of internationalization in North America, and as such also procuring benefits back in Europe. ENRICH in the USA also leverages a vetted Ambassadors’ and partners’ network, providing access to experts, mentors and investors via its Immersion, Virtual Landing, and Soft Landing programs.
ENRICH in the USA’s program is based on 3 pillars:
• Education & Connection: Immersion Programs and Funding Summits around tradeshows, symposia, and roadshows to learn how to engage with and build on an already vetted North American network of potential investors, mentors, partners, and clients.
• Market Validation: Virtual Landing Programs to explore North American hubs built around research universities, supported by local ENRICH Ambassadors, experts, and mentors, and to evaluate local PoCs (Proof of Concepts)/pilots and funding opportunities.
• University Incubation: Long-term Soft Landing Programs (supported with J-1 visas), within research university incubators combining programs, including resources and activities with ENRICH in the USA to launch research & innovation partnerships, to sign PoCs/pilots, and to close funding and investments.
The ENRICH in the USA headquarters at the Temple University's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) coordinates all the programs and activities in the USA, working closely with the Landing Hubs and Centers. Centers are defined as a location with a dedicated ENRICH in the USA team, surrounded by engaged ENRICH Ambassadors in an ecosystem fostering business development and corporate development activities - not industry specific. There are three ENRICH in the USA Centers providing the first level of information and support:
• In San Francisco at European American Enterprise Council & Runway Innovation Hub
• In Boston at the Cambridge Innovation Centre
• In Washington, DC at consortium partner NCURA's headquarters
Overall, ENRICH in the USA aims to create a self-sustainable network of Centers and Hubs that provide internationalization support to all EU innovation actors under one umbrella, complementing other existing programs and support initiatives.
ENRICH in the USA initiative is highly innovative, and significantly differs from “classical” Horizon 2020 projects. The aim of this second phase following the NearUS project is to become a self-sustainable Network, and therefore there is a strong focus on revenue generation and on implementation of the network business plan. Major activities and results can be summarised as follows:
Preparatory activities
• A product catalogue presenting all ENRICH in the USA services has been prepared.
• 2 online surveys were launched targeting organizations and multipliers from EU Member States and associated countries to gather their feedback and specific needs. They gathered 249 and 130 responses respectively and the results were analyzed to fine-tune our services offer and outreach.
• Various materials have been developed and used for communication with Ambassadors and other stakeholders (MoU template, interview template, pre-sales pitch deck).
• 20 MoUs with EU Ambassadors were signed to support spreading the word in relevant communities about ENRICH in the USA.
• ENRICH in the USA aims to spread the word about the initiative through exchange with relevant multipliers which work with entrepreneurs. As such, the first editions of the Virtual Matchmaking were held at various tradeshows.
• The first EU Roadshow was postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual “EU Country Days” will replace the EU Roadshow and the first one will be organized as “Slovakia Day” in September 2022.
• Five studies have been updated which address different research areas / markets including detailed information of relevant US actors in the field. One new study on CleanTech has been released. Research Handbooks and Innovation Market guides are available for sale.
• Seven webinars that promoted Research Handbooks and Innovation Market Guides took place with a total of 192 participants.
• One workshop entitled “How to internationalize to the USA” was held with 31 participants in May 2022.
• The implementation of a customizable, GDPR-compliant Community Management Platform (Gi2) has been undertaken.
• The ENRICH in the USA network advisory board has been divided into two committees. The first one or “Steering Committee” is focused on Sustainability. The second one is focusing on Soft Landing and engagement of new Universities.
US-based activities
• 10 MoUs were signed with US Ambassadors and Partners. Revenues have been raised as sponsorship from Ambassadors and other stakeholders.
• 22 online classes or webinars/workshops with more than 485 participants were held to further educate European entrepreneurs and researchers, enhance their US experience, and connect them to the US ecosystems via ENRICH in the USA Centers Hubs, Ambassadors and Mentors.
• 11 joint Pitch Events with a total of 65 pitching companies, 9 PitchFest – ENRICH Funding Summit Events with 124 pitching companies, and 5 ENRICH MatchFest and joint matchmaking events with 400+ participants were held.
• 14 Immersion Programs with 150+ companies were held. The participants have been introduced to the ENRICH in the USA soft landing programs, mentors, equity-based accelerators/angel investors, US university innovation centers, corporations, and federal and local support Agencies (EDOs, clusters, etc.).
• 4 European companies are already enrolled in the virtual landing program.
• Agreements have been signed with 4 Hubs’ universities and the 4 ENRICH in the USA mentors for EU innovators.
• 23 joint actions/promotions/programs/events with Hubs and Centers were conducted.
• 6 Soft Landing Programs have been signed with European innovators.
Preparatory activities
• A product catalogue presenting all ENRICH in the USA services has been prepared.
• 2 online surveys were launched targeting organizations and multipliers from EU Member States and associated countries to gather their feedback and specific needs. They gathered 249 and 130 responses respectively and the results were analyzed to fine-tune our services offer and outreach.
• Various materials have been developed and used for communication with Ambassadors and other stakeholders (MoU template, interview template, pre-sales pitch deck).
• 20 MoUs with EU Ambassadors were signed to support spreading the word in relevant communities about ENRICH in the USA.
• ENRICH in the USA aims to spread the word about the initiative through exchange with relevant multipliers which work with entrepreneurs. As such, the first editions of the Virtual Matchmaking were held at various tradeshows.
• The first EU Roadshow was postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual “EU Country Days” will replace the EU Roadshow and the first one will be organized as “Slovakia Day” in September 2022.
• Five studies have been updated which address different research areas / markets including detailed information of relevant US actors in the field. One new study on CleanTech has been released. Research Handbooks and Innovation Market guides are available for sale.
• Seven webinars that promoted Research Handbooks and Innovation Market Guides took place with a total of 192 participants.
• One workshop entitled “How to internationalize to the USA” was held with 31 participants in May 2022.
• The implementation of a customizable, GDPR-compliant Community Management Platform (Gi2) has been undertaken.
• The ENRICH in the USA network advisory board has been divided into two committees. The first one or “Steering Committee” is focused on Sustainability. The second one is focusing on Soft Landing and engagement of new Universities.
US-based activities
• 10 MoUs were signed with US Ambassadors and Partners. Revenues have been raised as sponsorship from Ambassadors and other stakeholders.
• 22 online classes or webinars/workshops with more than 485 participants were held to further educate European entrepreneurs and researchers, enhance their US experience, and connect them to the US ecosystems via ENRICH in the USA Centers Hubs, Ambassadors and Mentors.
• 11 joint Pitch Events with a total of 65 pitching companies, 9 PitchFest – ENRICH Funding Summit Events with 124 pitching companies, and 5 ENRICH MatchFest and joint matchmaking events with 400+ participants were held.
• 14 Immersion Programs with 150+ companies were held. The participants have been introduced to the ENRICH in the USA soft landing programs, mentors, equity-based accelerators/angel investors, US university innovation centers, corporations, and federal and local support Agencies (EDOs, clusters, etc.).
• 4 European companies are already enrolled in the virtual landing program.
• Agreements have been signed with 4 Hubs’ universities and the 4 ENRICH in the USA mentors for EU innovators.
• 23 joint actions/promotions/programs/events with Hubs and Centers were conducted.
• 6 Soft Landing Programs have been signed with European innovators.
ENRICH in the USA has successfully built three categories of viable services, Immersion Programs, Virtual Landing and Soft Landing, which the consortium team believes will be sustainable beyond the project end. By the middle (M18) of the project, ENRICH in the USA has already conducted 60 activities, serving over 1000 participants in their internationalization journey to the US, and a lot of supporting activities in Europe. Through these services ENRICH in the USA has been creating a significant impact i.e. reinforcing cooperation between European and US innovators, as well as contributing to a stronger presence of European organizations in the innovation ecosystem of the USA, procuring benefits back in Europe.
Advancing towards the second half of the project and the end of the grant, the ENRICH in the USA project will put emphasis on revenue generation in order to ensure the sustainability of the initiative and long-term benefit for European entrepreneurs; focus will be put on the Soft Landing Program, which has now been relaunched following the alleviation of COVID-19 related travel restrictions. By the end of the project, over 40 entrepreneurs are expected to benefit from the ENRICH in the USA Soft Landing program.
Advancing towards the second half of the project and the end of the grant, the ENRICH in the USA project will put emphasis on revenue generation in order to ensure the sustainability of the initiative and long-term benefit for European entrepreneurs; focus will be put on the Soft Landing Program, which has now been relaunched following the alleviation of COVID-19 related travel restrictions. By the end of the project, over 40 entrepreneurs are expected to benefit from the ENRICH in the USA Soft Landing program.