European bioeconomy clusters get new digital tools to help SMEs overcome the valley of death: new project MPowerBIO steps up to help

CLIB is happy to be part of a new EU-funded project MPowerBio, which will help clusters across Europe to better support SMEs in attracting investment.

Many SMEs experience that even though they have a good idea or a good product, they cannot get an investor. They need to be able to pitch their idea perfectly, to the right investors and at the right time. Now SMEs can get help in this new project MPowerBIO.
The MPowerBIO project will obtain feedback from clusters, SMEs, and investors on the concrete challenges they have regarding investments. From these experiences, an online platform will be set up containing digital tools for evaluating investment readiness. Online training modules and regional trainers’ events will be organised to build the capacity of clusters to train their SME members and give them the best possibilities for preparing and presenting high quality projects to investors.
The best SME projects from these events will be selected by investors, and invited to one of two European finals, which are based on the European Bioeconomy Venture Forum model, run by several of the consortium members. At the final, the selected companies will present their ideas to a panel of investors and experts from large organisations and venture funds in Europe, with the aim of attracting capital to grow and develop their business.
A total of 72 high-quality, screened and investment-ready SME are expected to pitch at the two final events. The project will screen and support 350 SMEs towards this goal.

MPowerBIO is coordinated by Agro Business Park (DK), and has ten partners from nine European countries. It has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 887501.