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IESE launches new learning platform for European deep tech
Open online courses to help entrepreneurs become investment ready
The platform, called InvestHorizon Academy, aims to accelerate the investment readiness of deep tech companies through 37 open online courses.
March 3, 2020
IESE has launched a new learning platform for deep tech startups, which will offer online courses to better prepare European entrepreneurs to attract the investment they need to flourish.
The InvestHorizon Academy aims to accelerate the investment readiness of deep tech companies through 37 open online courses and materials. The courses will cover areas such as pitching to investors, designing business models, analyzing customer feedback, leveraging trends in the healthcare or fintech sectors and valuing the company. IESE has designed and recorded all the InvestHorizon Academy courses.
“These are practical courses, tailored to European deep tech entrepreneurs, so that they can acquire the required insights to raise their next funding round,” said professor Mª Julia Prats, head of IESE’s Entrepreneurship Department.
The courses are free, 15-20 minute lectures, which end in a one-minute challenge to entrepreneurs. Of the 37 courses planned, 24 are already live and the remaining 13 will be rolled out over the next year.
These are practical courses, tailored to European deep tech entrepreneurs, so that they can acquire the required insights to raise their next funding round.
Mª Julia Prats
Professor
According to recent IESE studies, around 95% of existing European patents may be dormant, while the remaining 5% contribute to an estimated 40% of EU gross domestic product.
One of the reasons is the difficulty European deep tech entrepreneurs face when raising capital. Investors are typically unwilling to take on these projects, which are usually characterized by high risk, large expenses and long-term gestation periods.
“We found that many deep tech startups in Europe have brilliant, cutting-edge technology behind them. Yet founders seek additional advice on how to be investable and how to get a ‘yes’ from investors,” said Josemaria Siota, executive director of IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center.
The platform gathers insights from international experts in leading corporations and investment firms such as Marvin Liao (500 Startups), Smriti Vicari (Visa), Francesca Wuttke (Almirall), Alexis Brion (Allianz), Enrique Dupuy (Telefónica), Gabriel Perdiguero (Iberia), Francisco Jeronimo (IDC), Clara Pombo (ClarkeModet), Aquilino Peña and Juan Lopez Santamaria (Kibo Ventures), Itxaso de Palacio (Notion.vc), Oriol Juncosa (Encomenda Smart Capital), Isaac de la Peña (Conexo Ventures), and IESE’s Siota, to name a few.
The new platform forms part of InvestHorizon, a project that aims to support 5,000 European deep tech entrepreneurs, ensuring that 100 of them raise €500 million in 2.5 years.
InvestHorizon is a program financed by the European Commission, in association with Eureka, to facilitate funding for selected deep tech companies by boosting their investment readiness and investor relations. The consortium includes TechTour, BPI France, Meta Group, EurA, BWCON, EBN and IESE.
