To build deep-tech ventures you must have deep-tech. More importantly, you need patents on deep-tech before you can successfully launch the venture.
That’s where program partner Netherlands Enterprise Agency – or RVO – comes in.
Twan Uijttewaal and the RVO team, conveniently located around the corner at HTC 27 at High Tech Campus Eindhoven, help startups in our venture building program understand the importance of applying for patents to protect their technologies. But they go beyond that. They contribute their knowledge and expertise to our ventures during every phase of our nine-month venture building program.
They are there during the roundtables at Final Selection Day, helping the team decide on which startups will join the program. They provide workshops on the important of patents and take the ventures through the process. And they continue to work with teams after they leave the program.
In this video, created by RVO, HTXL Program Director Robin van Scheijndel talks about our close relationship and how, together, we build ventures focused on solving grand societal challenges.
The video features deep-tech venture alumnus inPhocal, which developed unique laser technology that can print on curved surfaces and which eliminates the need for inkjet printing on products and plastic labels.
In late December 2022, inPhocal was awarded €2.5 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Program. Their IP position surely helped the team secure this funding.
More than 1,000 companies applied for the EIC funding, and 78 were awarded funds, with 11 companies located in the Netherlands.
From the RVO article announcing the awards: “The program is part of Horizon Europe, the umbrella program of the European Commission (EC) that aims to increase Europe’s competitiveness by stimulating science and innovation. We congratulate the 11 winning Dutch innovative startups. They will receive a total of €26 million in subsidy and €51 million in investment.”
RVO supported teams and advised them on their applications to EIC. RVO is the national contact point for Horizon Europe and advisors helped 10 of the 11 Dutch companies who received funding.
You can find more information here about RVO here: Patents and other intellectual property rights | RVO.nl
