CivicLabs’ Post

Yours truly and Virtual Dawn was on stage in #suomiareena It is the largest societal discussion festival in #Finland. The topic was #metaverse :) and #energy I think I managed to raise some topics with the issues of public sector focusing too much on big corporations and not seeing that innovation comes from companies who have the flexibility and change in their DNA.. The #startups. Also I am fully bored on public sector "roleplaying" business like some universities taking public money and launching solutions that they use to serve bigger businesses and kill off private business innovations, and cities build their in-house units that for sure do everything worse than private would. This is worse with some public entities, but it is another story. Often Public sector does support businesses, it should focus on that and not go bonkers like it does sometimes. I got to be one of the mentors for Dipanjan Das and Phuoc Trinh and they landed in TOP 3 in the #hackathon that was during the event! You will hear about these guys again for sure! Ultrahack This would not be possible without Pirita Ihamäki PhD., M.Sc. Robocoast EDIH so special thanks to her! Fellow panelists with Pirita, Solja Sulkunen Tarmo Lipping and the fabulous Madelin Kivikangas as our Moderator. #pori #virtualdawn #future #technology #suomi #suomikeskustelu #society #societal #community #vr #xr #ai #challenging #change #startups #politics #grassroot #onstage

🎉 Wrapping up 2024 with immense gratitude, milestones, and a bold vision for the future! 🎉 VoxMind’s journey this year has been nothing short of transformative, as we work to redefine digital identity with voice biometrics. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished in 2024: 🚀 Accelerator Success: ☑️ Completed the AI Forge Accelerator and won Best Demo for our pitch at Demo Day. ✅ Selected for the prestigious Mountside Ventures and Funding London Investment Readiness Programme, launching January 2025. 🚀 Event Highlights: 📌 Delivered live demos at #WebSummit Lisbon, connecting with thought leaders and potential partners. 📌 Stole the show at Rare Founders "R" Factor Demo Day, winning Best Demo. 📌 Pitched at Startup Grind London, gaining valuable exposure. 🚀 Strategic Partnerships: 🤝 Proudly partnered with NVIDIA for Startups Inception Program, AWS Startups, and Google for Startups to further our technical and strategic goals. 🤝 We proudly joined the prestigious DIACC (Digital Identity and Authentication Council of Canada) to contribute to shaping the future of digital identity. 🤝 Secured Wildix as a beta customer, launching a 3-month paid PoC. 🚀 Product & IP Milestones: ⚡ Built, tested and launched our MVP with a remarkable 99.8% accuracy rate. ⚡ Registered our VoxMind logo under UK Trademark. ⚡ Successfully secured “Novelty” for our technology and filed our IP in the UK. 🚀 Future Opportunities Secured: ☄️ Secured spots to Pitch and Exhibit at Startup Grind Silicon Valley in April 2025. ☄️ Confirmed participation in AI & Big Data Expo World Series Expo Amsterdam and #WebSummit 2025. 🚀 Funding Milestones: 💰 Raised angel investments and are actively raising funds to close our pre-seed round. 🚀 Team Expansion: 🤝 This year, our team has grown from 2 to 8 extraordinary individuals, each bringing unique expertise and perspectives to VoxMind. We’re proud to have onboarded Michiel Boorsma as our Advisor, Professor Andy Pardoe as our AI Mentor, Jade Lim Maravillas to lead our Go-To-Market strategy, and Prabhat Kumar Sahu, Sridhar Perepa, and Nikolaos Margaritis to strengthen our engineering and technical capabilities. Together, we’re driving VoxMind forward, turning innovation into impactful solutions. This year was all about building momentum, forming strategic partnerships, and showcasing our innovation on global stages. We couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of our team Saritha Kinkiri Ph.D, mentors Dan Ballin Martin Sherwood Craig Massey kevin jackson Paul Spende Ethan Wang Gregory Dean Gerardo Rodriguez Phillip Andrew Weston, Partners Anup Mehta DeepEdge, infraWS, Investors, and amazing fellow founders Katrien Cruz Grobler Sophie Robson Justin Chan Haixiang Y. Felix Cameron. Here’s to an even bigger 2025. The best is yet to come! 🚀✨ #VoxMind #VoiceBiometrics #DigitalIdentity #Innovation #StartupJourney

🚀 Exciting news! At AI at Meta, we just kicked off a new AI accelerator program to empower European startups, in partnership with Hugging Face, Scaleway, HEC Paris, and hosted at STATION F in Paris! 🌍✨ Our team of expert researchers will be providing hands-on technical mentorship and guidance to help these startups thrive. 🌟 EUROPEAN AI STARTUP PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: ⁍ Duration: 4-month acceleration from October 2024 to February 2025. ⁍ Location: STATION F, Paris - the world's largest startup campus. ⁍ Focus: Startups developing advanced AI solutions with open-source foundation models. ⁍ Benefits: Technical mentoring by Meta, access to Hugging Face’s tools, Scaleway’s computing resources, and business strategy support from HEC Paris Incubator. ⁍ No Fees, No Equity: Participate without any fees and we don't take any equity! 📅 IMPORTANT DATES: ⁍ Application Deadline: August 16th - Only a few weeks left to apply! ⁍ Program Start: October 1st, 2024 ⁍ Demo Day: February 2025 🎯 WHO SHOULD APPLY? ⁍ Startups with an AI-powered Minimum Viable Product (MVP) tested with clients. ⁍ Companies integrating or planning to integrate AI models into their products. ⁍ Startups based in the EU, able to attend bi-monthly sessions in Paris. 📋 APPLICATION PROCESS: ⁍ Apply Here: https://lnkd.in/gEV-teW4 ⁍ Prepare a pitch deck focusing on your challenges, market, solution, and technical stack. ⁍ Selected startups will pitch in Paris in front of a panel including executives from Meta, Hugging Face, and Scaleway. 🚀 GET READY: This is your chance to fast-track your AI project with significant visibility in the AI space! Check out all the details and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gEV-teW4 Let's make a significant impact together! 💪 #TechStartups #AIInnovation #EuropeanTech

When you first came up with the idea for your startup, you probably didn't think that it might be relevant to the space market, and you might even raise investment based on its relevance 🤔 Here's something I want to tell you. signing up for this accelerator may open up a new world for your startup 🚀🤩

📣DEADLINE TOMORROW📣 Following on from two successful first rounds, I've joined DVRSTY again as a mentor for round three. The #DVRSTY initiative focuses on empowering female identitying founders in Europe gearing up for their first institutional VC funding round. 🎯 Our target sectors include #XR, #SpatialComputing, #GenerativeAI, #ComputerVision, #Realtime3D, #Metaverse and #Gaming Tech. Some highlights of the program for selected participants include: • Networking and mentorship from industry leaders & investors from top firms like Google, Meta, Supernode Global, node.vc, Icebreaker.vc, Common Magic, Mercuri, etc • Showcasing your startup to a global audience on demo day • The chance for one standout startup to present at AWE USA Apply here by April 4th: https://dvrsty.softr.app/ FOV Ventures Women in Immersive Technologies Europe #innovation #startups #investing #venturecapital Innovate UK Immersive Tech Network

While knee-deep in customer discovery and product development at Elnora AI, we've been quietly building something else too - a foundation for scale. Here's what happened behind the scenes in 2024: 🚀Successfully raised our angel/accelerator round with backing from Estonian angels and forward-thinking VCs: Boost VC and Plug and Play Tech Center 🚀Secured substantial cloud credits from Google for Startups, Microsoft for Startups, NVIDIA for Startups Inception program, Scaleway, and Amazon Web Services (AWS). 🚀We've pitched on stage across Europe, reaching semi-finals and finals in numerous events: sTARTUp Day 2024 (Tartu) EU-Startups Summit (Malta) EBAN congress Connect2Scale (Tallinn) Latitude59 (Tallinn) Focal Demo Day (London) Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play Tech Center Demo Day (Lithuania) - Winner! 🏆 AI for Good Baltics Innovation factory (Latvia) - 3rd Place 🥉 🚀Completed three accelerator programs: Tehnopol AI Accelerator, Baltic Impact Accelerator and Startup Lithuania Accelerator powered by Plug and Play Tech Center. 🚀Our team grow rom 0 to 9 incredible people: 3 full-time employees, 3 part-time employees and 3 amazing mentors supporting our entire team. 🚀Performed a Delaware flip and incorporated in the US (July 2024) 🚀Registered Elnora AI trademark and logo design in EU and US. 🚀Grew social media presence: Elnora (0 → 1700 followers), personal account (5x growth) 🚀Earned media coverage in Geenius Meedia's DigiPRO publication twice this year 🚀Built MVP and started a pilot with TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology 🚀Already secured spots at: Founder Start program in February by Boost VC (Silicon Valley) GOAL program from May to June by Plug and Play Tech Center (Silicon Valley) Sparkup Tartu Science Park incubator for whole 2025 sTARTUp Day booth in January 2025 Hello Tomorrow Global Summit this March 2025 (Paris) ...and more exciting opportunities we can't announce yet! This journey hasn't been easy, and we know the challenging days are still ahead. But every single person in our team absolutely loves what we're doing. Building the future of drug discovery isn't just our mission - it's our passion. Thanks to our incredible team, mentors, investors, and everyone who's been part of this journey. We're just getting started!

Early-stage startup? Don't miss out on this opportunity! A unique Deep-Space Tech Accelerator has opened for Registration. Your technology aims to improve life on Earth? Can it also impact humanity’s future in space?  The E X P A N D Accelerator, with alignment to NASA’s Artemis Mission objectives. is led by CREATION-SPACE, a global innovation hub for deep-space technologies, in partnership with Tech7 and supported by Creations VC, and Jewish National Fund USA. 5 early-stage startups coming from the fields of Robotics, Materials, Construction, Food Security, and Health-Tech would be selected to develop dual application technologies needed both on Earth and in deep space. These extraordinary teams would gain access to the unparalleled opportunities that the NEW SPACE market has to offer. The EXPAND program includes: 💰100,000 NIS scientific & technological grant for the winning startup. 🧭Expert Mentorship 🪐 Unique Workshops 💸 New funding opportunities 🚀 Potential POC in Future Space Mission   Registration closes: May 10th. Apply now! For more information and registration: https://bit.ly/3TTIezk

#Berlin #CityOfDeepTech – Bold starts with Capital B 🚀   Berlin has earned its reputation as #CityOfDeepTech, a buzzing epicenter where groundbreaking innovation meets raw entrepreneurial energy. With world-class universities fueling AI, robotics, IoT, and quantum computing breakthroughs, the city thrives as a hub for next-gen technologies. Berlin’s vibrant startup culture attracts top-tier engineers, data scientists, and visionaries from across the globe, creating a fertile ground for deep-tech ventures to scale. Add to that government-backed initiatives, VC funding pipelines, and a collaborative network of accelerators and research institutes, and you’ve got the perfect launchpad for Deep Tech innovation. 👉 Did you know? (thank you DEEP Ecosystems for your valueable insights) · According to the European DeepTech Report 2023 by Dealroom.co Berlin is among the top 3 European cities when it comes to Deep Tech unicorns. With 21 unicorns in the Deep Tech sector, Germany's capital is only surpassed by London and Paris. According to updated signals from Dealroom, Berlin-based startup Akhetonics, which focuses on creating an all-optical processor, is now recognized as one of Europe's top 25 Deep Tech unicorns! · In 2024, Berlin has become the EU city with the highest number of developers per capita (excl. London), boasting 21,058 developers. · Berlin is the leading city in Europe for meetups about AI and data. In the last 12 months, Berlin hosted 2,160 meetups in this field, followed by London with 1,566 and Paris with 1,037 (source: meetup.com). Berlin's commitment to DeepTech is evident in its comprehensive support system. Key initiatives include: · Deep Tech Berlin and the Deep Tech Award · The DeepTech Hub (MotionLab.Berlin) · BERLIN QUANTUM · Start A Factory · INAM - Innovation Network for Advanced Materials · Techstars DeepTech Berlin Accelerator · The DEEP - Institute for DeepTech Innovation (ESMT Berlin) · Silicon Allee startup program for deep tech & AI startups Another highlight: The DeepTech Landscape that gives an overview of DeepTech startups in Berlin will be launched soon. Stay tuned! 🔔   Want to learn more about our thriving Ecosystem? Read the full article on Berlin as Europe's Rising Star in Deep Tech Innovation: https://lnkd.in/eCEhrXqT   Got an idea to make Berlin the #CityOfDeepTech? Let us know in the comments! 💬

Join us for the second edition of the Intel® Liftoff Hackathon for African AI Startups: Hack and Connect, a virtual event taking place from 27 - 31 May, 2024. Hack and Connect is designed to bring together aspiring tech entrepreneurs, software developers, and AI enthusiasts to collaborate, innovate, and create solutions to concrete African challenges. Here's why you should join: 1️⃣ Hands-on workshops that will allow participants to learn AI essentials. 2️⃣ 3 days of exciting challenges with mentors to test participants’ skills. 3️⃣ Showcase startups and forge partnerships with industry leaders. 4️⃣ Engage with fellow startups and gain insights from domain experts.   Benefits: ✅ Grow a startup with expert guidance ✅ Access exclusive opportunities for growth and collaboration ✅ Showcase innovation on a global platform The winners of the Hackathon will be invited to join the Intel Liftoff for Startups program (https://lnkd.in/eH-Wa6vt) including unique mentoring sessions with ecosystem partners and marketing opportunities with blog articles. This year’s Hackathon partners include Modus Africa (https://lnkd.in/ezTsMRQe); University Mohamed VI Polytechnic- Morocco (https://www.um6p.ma/en); TUT Hub of Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa (https://aii-sa.co.za/); Prosper Africa (https://lnkd.in/e4Vafku8); UM6P Ventures (https://um6pventures.com/); FAST Accelerator (https://lnkd.in/ey9m3RYK); Open Startups International (https://open-startup.org/) and Innov8 technology hubs (https://innov8hub.ng). To participate in the Hackathon, there are a few things to remember: ·        Participants must have their own AI/Gen AI solution. ·        Participants cannot deploy an existing solution.  ·        Each startup needs to be early-staged. ·        The startup needs to have a connection to an African country.  ·        Each team should consist of AI engineers or technology owners. Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/eHCcbgXE Application deadline: 7 May, 2024. For more information, please check out this blog post: https://lnkd.in/eVJdjkPQ. #StartsWithIntel

💥We are proud to present #Collab #Masterclass for #Accelerators speaker! 🗓️ 20 March ⏰ 14.30 - 16.00 CET Dóra Marosvölgyi will talk about the potential carried within #DeepTech startups 😎 🟣 Dóra Marosvölgyi is the Founder and CEO of DARE Innovations, whose mission is to support DeepTech innovators from Emerging Europe to be successful on the global market. 🟣 By empowering universities, international organisations and accelerators, DARE Innovations have leveraged their impact to more than 150 DeepTech startups supported. 🟣 Inspired by the personal story of a local medical student in Shiraz, Iran, Dóra is dedicated to promote #women entrepreneurship in the technology fields. 🟣 Dóra is an innovation enthusiast, #businessmentor to health tech start-ups and world traveler. #Collab with Dóra, register today 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eawS_tuB #AccelerAction #HorizonEurope #DeepTech #Accelerators #Incubators #Networking #VirtualReality #Event #Metaverse #TechEvent