EmpoWomen Open Call 2: Empowering Women-Led Deep-Tech Startups in Widening Areas

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The EmpoWomen Programme has launched its second Open Call for women-led startups in deep-tech sectors.

Focused on Widening Areas across Europe and associated regions, this call aims to boost the growth of 14 innovative women-led startups with up to €45,000 in equity-free funding. Applications are open until December 2, 2024. 

About the EmpoWomen programme 

EmpoWomen is a two-year initiative (2024-2025), funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe programme, designed to accelerate and support 25 women-led deep-tech companies from Europe’s emerging markets, outermost regions, and associated countries. It is designed to provide women entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities, and aims to break down barriers and create a more inclusive ecosystem for female-led businesses.  

Why Apply to EmpoWomen Open Call 2?

Joining the EmpoWomen Programme offers early-stage deep-tech startups the opportunity to: 
  • Secure up to €45,000 in equity-free funding. 
  • Participate in a 6-month acceleration program with tailored mentorship. 
  • Access a network of business angels, mentors, and investors across Europe. 
  • Compete for additional prize money during the EmpoWomen Awards Ceremony, with €15,000 for the first-place winner. 
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Success Stories from EmpoWomen Open Call 1

The first Open Call saw impressive participation, with 170 applications and 11 startups funded, including: 
  • HUGUP (Poland): Revolutionizing pregnancy wellness with advanced support wear, HUGUP is a deep tech startup dedicated to enhancing the journey of expecting mothers. 
  • IPLEXMED (Portugal): Offering a new generation of portable genetic diagnostic devices, IPLEXMED ensures health support is accessible anytime, anywhere. 
  • Astroteq.ai (Poland): With its AI-driven earthquake forecasting system, Astroteq.ai provides critical alerts prior to earthquakes, potentially saving lives and property. 
  • Heilo (Poland): Protecting babies from polluted air, Heilo has developed an innovative air-purifier for baby prams and strollers, ensuring a healthy start to life. 
  • GOTECH Antimicrobial (Portugal): Fighting medical device infections, GOTECH Antimicrobial develops cutting-edge antimicrobial technologies, advancing healthcare outcomes. 
  • IQ Biozoom (Poland): Improving personal health management through non-invasive diagnostic tests, IQ Biozoom is pioneering pain-free solutions for individuals. 
  • Pinky CyberSafe (Moldova): Enhancing cybersecurity awareness for SMEs, Pinky CyberSafe utilizes AI-driven solutions to fortify digital defenses. 
  • INNOSENSUS (Lithuania): Offering a personal biosensor for gluten detection, INNOSENSUS empowers individuals with quick and reliable food sensitivity testing. 
  • GMZ Enerji Sistemleri (Turkey): Spearheading innovative solutions for hydrogen energy and fuel cells, GMZ Enerji Sistemleri is driving the transition towards sustainable energy. 
  • P-Agro Minerals (Latvia): Providing an affordable technology for phosphorus recovery from wastewater, P-Agro Minerals offers a sustainable fertilizer solution for agriculture. 
  • The Newsroom (Portugal): Tackling misinformation and filter bubbles in news consumption, The Newsroom leverages AI-powered technology to promote informed discourse and critical thinking. 

Who can apply?

EmpoWomen is focused on women-led, early-stage, deep-tech startups established in Widening Areas. The EmpoWomen Open Call is specifically tailored for: 
  1. Women-Led Startups: Founders or co-founders must be women, legally acknowledged as key members of the core management team or board, actively involved in the proposed project. 
  2. Early-Stage Companies: Your company must be older than 2 months but younger than 6 years, having raised less than €1 million in funding. 
  3. Deep-Tech Innovations: Startups working in deep technology, with innovative solutions based on scientific breakthroughs or engineering advances. 
  4. Widening Areas: Companies legally established in Widening Area countries, Associated Countries, or Outermost Regions. (See the detailed list below). 
For further information about the specific definition of each condition, you can check the Guidelines for Applicants or the FAQ. 

Widening Area Countries include

  • EU Countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia. 
  • Associated Countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Tunisia. 
  • Outermost Regions: French Guiana, Réunion, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique. 

How to Apply to the EmpoWomen Open Call 2? 

The application process is straightforward. Submit your proposal via the EmpoWomen OC2 Funnel on Sploro Platform by December 2, 2024, at 17:00 Brussels Time. Make sure all required documents are provided in the correct format. 

Important Dates

  • 1st InfoDay Session: October 17, 2024 
  • 2nd InfoDay Session: November 13, 2024 
  • Submission Deadline: December 2, 2024 
  • Remote Interviews: Mid-January 2025 
  • Acceleration Programme: March 2025 – October 2025 
For more details, visit the EmpoWomen 2nd Open Call Guidelines. 

Proposal Requirements of the EmpoWomen Open Call 2

To apply for the EmpoWomen Open Call, applicants must submit the following: 
  1. Application form: an online form divided in different sections. A template of the form can be found in this LINK. 
  2. CV of the woman founder/co-founder. 
  3. Investors Pitch Deck: PDF document containing information about the company. 

Evaluation and Selection Process of the EmpoWomen Open Call 2 

The selection process for EmpoWomen Open Call 2 involves: 

  1. Eligibility Criteria: An automatic filtering process will discard non-eligible proposals based on predefined criteria. 
  2. Experts’ Remote Evaluation: Proposals passing the eligibility check will be assessed by two independent evaluators with entrepreneurial, investment, or innovation backgrounds. Evaluations will be based on three criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation. 
  3. Normalization: This step ensures a balanced distribution of scores, minimising biases and distortions. 
  4. Interview Stage: Top-ranked projects will be invited to participate in an online interview to gain deeper insights into the project concepts and the team’s competencies. 
  5. Final Selection: At the conclusion of the evaluation process, proposals will be ranked based on their scores. The best candidates will be invited to sign the sub-grant agreement and participate in the programme. 

Additional Support Beyond Funding

Selected startups won’t just receive financial support but will also benefit from a dedicated acceleration and investment readiness program. Participants will have access to: 

  • Specialist training on business models, investment, and scaling. 
  • Tailored mentorship from experienced business angels and industry leaders. 
  • Networking opportunities with potential investors and partners through EU tech summits. 
  • The EmpoWomen Awards Ceremony, where startups will compete for additional cash prizes up to €15,000. 

Final Thoughts of the EmpoWomen Open Call 2 

This is the last chance to be part of the EmpoWomen Programme. If your women-led deep-tech startup is ready to scale, apply by December 2, 2024. Take advantage of the program’s unique offering of equity-free funding, mentorship, and access to Europe’s top deep-tech ecosystem.  The consortium will hold an Info Day on October 17 at 12:00 CEST to address any questions from potential applicants. Registrations are open through this LINK. For more information, visit the EmpoWomen Application Portal. 
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About the EmpoWomen Programme

EmpoWomen is a two-year initiative (2024-2025) designed to accelerate and support 25 women-led deep-tech companies from Europe’s emerging markets, outermost regions, and associated countries. It is designed to provide women entrepreneurs with resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities, and aims to break down barriers and create a more inclusive ecosystem for female-led businesses. 
The programme is led by four consortium partners – SPLORO, an innovation consultancy based in Spain, TechUkraine, NGO and media platform bridging Ukraine’s tech-ecosystem with a world, Startup Wise Guys, a global accelerator, and Business Angels Europe, the European Confederation of Angel Investing.
For more information on eligibility and application guidelines, visit:
EMPOWOMEN
*  Only companies legally established in Widening Area, Outermost regions, Associated countries are eligible. Widening Area Countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Outermost regions: Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint-Martin (France), Canary Islands (Spain). Associated countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.
EmpoWomen, operating within the framework of the HORIZON-CSA action and falling under the call designation HORIZON-EIC-2022-STARTUPEU-01, is a project funded under grant agreement number 101120693.
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