Next Stage Challenge is an online startup acceleration program developed by Ideas Forward. The program ran for the first time between May and September 2021 with 34 startups at idea stage, prototype stage and early revenue stage.
The 8-week program provided:
- Training: methodology to identify and manage the key risks in a business model
- Practical tools: to map the competitive landscape, analyze the market, evaluate the financial opportunity
- One-on-one coaching: adapted to each team’s stage of development
- Networking: with 40+ experienced CEOs and executives from many market sectors
- Awards & prizes: €20.000 in cash prizes + €20.000 in services to help startups get to the next stage
The program came to completion with a Demo Day (hybrid event) in September 2021 where 15 finalist teams presented their work to 30+ VC fund managers, business angels corporate VC managers, and startup ecosystem builders from Greece and abroad.
1st place winners:
- Early Revenue Stage (€10.000 cash prize): SEAMX (Athletopia) – Online platform helping organizers and sponsors of running events to deliver top-class experiences to runners, by weaving personalization into event management.
- Prototype Stage (€6.000 cash prize): AidPlex – Smart wearable for scoliosis treatment that can be retrofitted to any type of back-brace, solving the problem of monitoring and adjusting back-brace usage.
- Idea Stage (€4.000 cash prize): METIS – Early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer at stages I and II, through a low-cost, fast, non-invasive diagnostic test which detects small molecules in urine samples.
In addition to the cash prizes the program awarded an additional €20.000 of in-kind services to another 7 startups: Skolix, Fertil.ai, FleetPass, Aretheart, Agro-U, eggxcel, Elektronio.
