Impact Shakers’ Post

For those who know me, I’m not one for lists or spotlights. I prefer to let our work at R3i speak for itself. Our mission has always been to support founders and investors, with our daily actions being the true markers of progress. However, I’ve come to appreciate that visibility can be a powerful tool—especially for women in venture capital. It’s not about seeking the spotlight but about creating representation. Visibility, in this context, serves a higher purpose: it encourages more women to step into, succeed, and thrive in fields like venture capital. So, while I’m deeply honored to be named among Luxembourg’s influential voices, what resonates most is our collective progress. This recognition reflects everyone's hard work in shaping the future of entrepreneurship, particularly at the nexus of gender, climate, and investment. I’m proud of our impact at R3I CAPITAL, R3i Ventures, #R3iBoundless, Planet43, the AI Asia Pacific Institute, and the R3i Impact Foundation. Three years ago, my family and I made Luxembourg our home. Leaving the innovation powerhouse of Singapore wasn’t easy, but the opportunities to contribute here have been immensely rewarding. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside deep-tech pioneers who are scaling their companies, making a difference, and contributing to European economic development. At R3i, we’ve built a world-class team that tackles bold, global, audacious goals with our founders—goals that truly deliver impact. These include Meracle ViewMind Inc. Flash Payments, Saber Astronautics, Lios, and Quantum Brilliance. I’m deeply grateful for the communities that have embraced us: 2X Global International School of Luxembourg, LPEA - Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, Ministère de l'Économie - Luxembourg, TRIUM Global Executive MBA Alumni and The LHoFT - Luxembourg House of Financial Technology. As a venture capitalist and founder, guiding fellow entrepreneurs is a privilege, but as we all know—it takes a village to succeed. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Ian Cresswell and Won-Suck Song for lighting the way to Luxembourg, where I now have the honor of doing the same for others. Together, we’re building bridges that span the globe, helping founders and their families navigate and thrive in Europe and beyond. If you share this passion for creating meaningful impact, I invite you to visit www.stripes.lu. Let’s work together to drive positive change. Celebrating all the voices of change! It takes a village to scale impact—and together, we rise. 🥇1. Xavier Bettel 🥈2. Stéphanie Walter 🥉3. Jerome Bloch 4. Henri Leconte 5. Patrizia Van der Weken 6. Luc Frieden 7. Grégory Guilmin 8. Antony Martini 9. Fabian Lenaerts 10. Héloïse Buring 11. Laurent Mosar 12. Danijel Zoric 13. Mohamed Lemine Beydia 14. Manuel De Vits 15. Yuriko Backes 16. Marc Angel 17. Jana Degrott 18. Franz Fayot 19. Leesa S. 20. Sam Tanson Full list here: https://shorturl.at/pBYUk

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 📰 Thanks Sandra O'Connell for speaking to our team at Western Development Commission and a number of clients including CitySwift and Buymedia HQ. Also great to see RDI Hub and Platform94 included in the conversation. While these stories strike a positive chord, some of the other opportunities I spoke to Sandra about included: ◾ The opportunity to launch an ambitious Regional Accelerator Programme, designed and delivered for the regions. ◾ The opportunity to use Public Procurement to support start-ups in the regions. ◾ The need to provide resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities tailored to the unique challenges faced by immigrant entrepreneurs. ◾ The opportunity to create initiatives that encourage international graduates to start businesses in West and other regions, leveraging their diverse perspectives and skills. ◾ The need to strengthen the connection between diverse communities and venture capital by actively promoting regional success stories to attract more investment. Just like this one below 👇

Cambridge Tech Week: Startup Connect Many thanks to Mike A. and the teams from Google Cloud and Future Planet Capital for inviting me to a great Founders and Investors Networking Event as part of Cambridge Tech Week. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the incredible innovations happening on university campuses and in SMEs across the city and the country. In 2023, Cambridge was second only to London in the UK for venture capital investment, raising over £1bn. Moving into early 2024, Cambridge even surpassed cities like Geneva and Zurich in terms of VC investment. Impact investing is now becoming a key driver in shaping the future of the tech ecosystem, with more startups focusing on sustainability, social impact, and ethical growth. By backing businesses that make a difference, investors can empower entrepreneurs to solve global challenges and create long-lasting, positive change. Let’s continue to support innovation that not only moves markets but also moves the world forward. #CamTechWeek #Innovation #TechTransformation #CambridgeInnovation #FutureTech #VentureCapital #PrivateInvestors

Opportunities for Impact Businesses 1) The Female Founder Challenge, organised by Viva Technology, aims to empower women entrepreneurs by facilitating networking opportunities and providing access to funding through experience-sharing and connections with VCs. Deadline: 25 Feb 2) Google for Startups EU Growth Academy: AI for Health is a three-month hybrid program dedicated to supporting high-potential startups in the healthcare and wellbeing industry using AI technology to grow and innovate responsibly. Deadline: 1 March 3) The GovTech Connect bootcamps are a new opportunity for European startups to develop and scale their government technology solutions and tackle key public sector challenges. Selected startups addressing key regional challenges receive training on working with government, innovative business models and fundraising strategies, and work with citizens and experts to develop their solutions. Deadline: 13 March 4) Big Issue Invest’s Power Up London accelerator programme aims to support early-stage social trading organisations addressing social and/or environmental issues by providing services to marginalised communities in London. Designed for early-stage, London-based social enterprises, successful applicants will receive mentoring and training valued at £10,000 plus the opportunity to apply for a £22,000 grant. Deadline: 22 March 5) The Better Mobility Accelerator is looking for European startups to make mobility solutions more accessible, affordable, safe and sustainable for everyone. The 6-month hybrid program offers direct access to living labs, cities and corporates to test & validate your solution, accelerate international market entry & expansion with a broad network of public administration, industry partners and new target groups, boosting your impact & investment readiness with innovators, investors & inclusivity experts, €30,000 in support services. Deadline: 15 April #opportunities #calls #deadlines

✨As we conclude this amazing year, we proudly commemorate significant milestones achieved at Revaia. Our journey towards establishing ourselves as a key growth tech fund in Europe started five years ago, driven by a vision centered around performance, sovereignty, and sustainability. Our commitment to purposeful investment led us to support the most ambitious tech entrepreneurs in Europe, empowering them to build global, sustainable leadership positions. ✨Throughout this transformative journey, we have remained steadfast in our original mission of building sustainable tech champions from Europe. Gratitude is extended to our exceptional entrepreneurs, dedicated investors, and the Revaia team, as together, we've curated a portfolio featuring 15 companies boasting €1 billion in cumulative recurring revenue and employing 4,000 individuals. Since our initial investments, these companies have raised over €250 million and are well on their way to becoming the sustainable global leaders that we first envisioned.  ✨The exemplary efforts and execution of our managers and entrepreneurs have positioned Revaia in the top quartile of European funds. Recent success has further solidified investor confidence, leading to the renewal of commitments and the attraction of new backers, culminating in the recent €150 million first institutional closing of our second fund. We have now raised €400 across our two funds, and we expect more soon. 🙏Heartfelt gratitude is extended to our partners, teams, and investors for their unwavering support. ✨As we bid farewell to 2023, laden with cherished moments, we eagerly anticipate the surprises that the upcoming year holds. Gain insight into our journey by watching this brief video ⬇️ or exploring our blog article (https://lnkd.in/ehedVgRJ) for a comprehensive overview of the significant events spanning the past five years. 💫 For now, we extend warm wishes for you and your loved ones to relish a restful and joyous break, ushering in a fantastic start to 2024!

Turn your vision into a venture! 💥 The Grace Berlin Accelerator program will support you to shape your idea and guide you to create a roadmap for your idea to turn it into a business during the 6 months of the program. The program is for you if : ✨ You are an aspiring founder or team ready to participate full-time in the program. ✨ You can apply both individually and as a team. Mixed-gender teams are also welcome to apply. ✨ You live in Berlin or are willing to relocate to Berlin to establish your company here.  ✨  If your business is already registered, it has not yet commenced any economic activity. ✨  You have not received any public funding (GründungsBONUS" or EXIST) before. 👉 Ready to be part of the program, check more about the program and apply through this link: https://lnkd.in/gJfxQW8X 🗓️ Do you have a question? Join us in one of our Q&A sessions through this link: https://lnkd.in/eVrNiR5W The project is funded by the European Social Fund Plus with funds from the European Union and the State of Berlin. — #GraceAccelerator2024 #FemaleEntrepreneurship💥  #Empowerment #WomenInBusiness #StartupAccelerator

Opportunities for Impact Businesses 1) Registrations for The Migrant Accelerator's Spring Batch are open! Apply if you're a migrant founder living in Germany working on an innovative startup idea. The program starts in April and provides a 2.000€ budget for prototype development & business model validation, exclusive 1:1's and workshops with investors & industry experts and a live Demo Day in June. Deadline: 10 March 2) Morgan Stanley's Inclusive Ventures Lab is startup accelerator promotes financial inclusion and provides access to capital for early-stage technology and technology-enabled companies. Morgan Stanley provides participating companies with $250,000 for each company in our New York-based program and £250,000 for each company in our London-based program in exchange for a 5% equity stake. Deadline: 15 March 3) The BlueArk Challenge is a call for projects that aim to solve water management challenges using open innovation methods. This call for projects aims to solve, through innovative ideas or technologies, the problems faced by water stakeholders and professionals. If your project is selected, you'll get CHF 10’000 to develop your idea. Deadline: 20 March 4) #Empower100 is a new programme of support from Virgin StartUp that has been designed to help Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders and founders with a disability, based in Greater London, unlock the potential for growth and investment in their startups. Delivered online and in-person over 8 weeks, Empower100 is a free accelerator for founders on the move, who're ready to take on the next stage of growth, raise investment and boost their skillsets. Deadline: 21 March 5) Applications for Black Equity Organisation's F100 programme in partnership with Sky are open for applications. If you're a Black business owner, you can apply for a chance to pitch for up to £15,000 in funding, access to supply chains, connections and insights from a global business, get a tailored 12-week programme of workshops, opportunities to pitch your business to investors and VCs and receive mentorship and coaching from renowned business owners. Deadline: 22 March #opportunities #deadlines #calls

🚀 Exciting News! Europe's Leading Start-Up Hubs 2024 Ranking is Here! 🚀 We're thrilled to announce the release of Europe's Leading Start-Up Hubs 2024, a comprehensive ranking highlighting the top centres for founders seeking to build or grow their companies. With a focus on providing incubator and/or accelerator programmes, these hubs are instrumental in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the continent. Statista In collaboration with Financial Times, and Sifted has identified 125 exceptional start-up hubs in Europe in our inaugural ranking. Through a rigorous evaluation process, we assessed various criteria, including alumni feedback, expert recommendations, and the success of startups emerging from these hubs. We extend our gratitude to all the hubs, alumni, and experts who participated in this process, contributing to the recognition of Europe's thriving start-up ecosystem. On the general podium: 🥇 UnternehmerTUM 🥈 Hexa 🥉 SETsquared Partnership On the podium for the highest performance within "Alumni evaluation": 🥇 Wolaria 🥈 Oxford Oracle 🥉 InnovX On the podium for the highest performance within "Networking opportunities" offered: 🥇 UnternehmerTUM 🥈 Lanzadera 🥉 NatWest On the podium for the highest "Mentoring" quality offered: 🥇 Growth Studio 🥈 Oxford Oracle 🥉 Wolaria For those interested in learning more about this captivating publication, check out the Special Report on Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs here: https://lnkd.in/gxYHejyx #StartUpHubs #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startup #Accelerator #Incubator #Startupstudio #Vc #EuropeStartUps #FT #FinancialTimes #Statista #Sifted

New Frontiers: One Programme, Three Phases The New Frontiers programme provides structured support for startups through three distinct phases, each designed to add value at different stages of your venture. Across all phases, you will benefit from a supportive environment that emphasises proven tactics, core principles, and best practices behind successful startups. Phase 2: Duration: Six months Format: Full-time, intensive Admission: Competitive selection process Focus: Develop and validate your business proposition, enhance founder capabilities Key Benefits: 👉 Support Package: Valued at over €30,000, includes a €15,000 tax-free allowance (eligibility and performance-based) 👉 Equity: No equity taken 👉 Mentoring: Personalised one-to-one mentoring with seasoned business mentors 👉 Workshops: Expert-led sessions on all aspects of building a business 👉 Resources: Access to Enterprise Ireland resources and R&D facilities 👉 Networking: Introductions to investment networks 👉 Facilities: Free co-working space during Phases 2 and 3 👉 Business Assets: Development of a strong business plan Note: Completion of Phase 1 is not required to apply for Phase 2, but it can be beneficial. Applications are currently being invited for Phase 2. To learn more, reach out to us via email at [email protected]. #newfrontiers #SETU #CarlowCampus #EnterpriseIreland #Businessdevelopment

12 members in the list clearly shows the value of the EBN - European Business & Innovation Centre Network. Just like the higher than average survival rats for #Startups supported by EU|BIC accredited incubators like University of Warwick Science Park shows.