Are you interested in coaching startups willing to access Series A funding?  

EBN is recruiting high-level professionals to be involved as expert coaches in the next round of InvestHorizon accelerator programme - a dedicated EU project facilitating series A funding for European deep-tech companies.

Sounds interesting?

Check out the details of the call below and apply here by 31 of January 2020 and get access to the most disruptive deep-tech startups in Europe.

The Call for Experts

The online coaching programme of selected companies will take place from March to June 2020.

Duties and requirements as an expert coach

• Take part to 7 online coaching sessions: sector-specific Trust Groups, amounting to max 12 hours per Trust Group, spread over time between March and June 2020
• Each selected expert may be involved in one or two different Trust Groups
• Experts will be compensated with a daily fee of €500, entailing 2 days per Trust Groups. The fee will be paid at the end of each assignment after approved payment by the European Commission (by the end of September 2020)
• Complete a feedback survey until end of June 2020
• The Trust Groups follow the InvestHorizon methodology. The selected experts will be acquainted with the methodology by participating in a mandatory explanatory webinar
• Experts will need to sign a standard Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for the information they obtain as expert coaches.

The Expert Coaches are being selected based on their expertise, experience and achievements in European and global context. Only highly qualified and experienced coaches, working to high professional standards in knowledge transfer, with excellent presentation skills and proven track record of successes will be attracted to participate in the programme. 

Eligibility requirements and Selection criteria

1. Professional experience raising, coaching or investing Series A investments for high-tech companies either as:

• Consultancies, corporate finance advisory representatives, legal specialists 
• Business and Innovation Centres, Accelerators, Incubators or Science or Development Parks 
• Public Research Organisations (incl. Universities) Knowledge/Technology transfer office representatives (K/TTOS) 
• National/Regional Promotional Banks 

2. Sectorial expertise in one or several of following fields:

• Preventive medicine 
• Satellite data 
• Smart mobility 
• Hydrogen technologies 
• Life sciences (Chemistry, Health, Biotechnology, Neuroscience) 
• Energy & Clean Tech 
• Digital Electronics & IoT (Blockchain, AI & Mixed reality)  
• Space Tech, Automotive & Additive Manufacturing (Robotics, Computing & KETs – Key Enabling Technology) 
• Other sectors considered to be deep-tech and not mentioned here. 

3. Business expertise in one or several of the following topics: 

• Management: improve the business ideas and the organisation and process of the company 
• Market & Competition: improve the value proposition towards competitors and different markets 
• Financial & Investment: improve the investment value and develop a funding strategy 
• Communication skills to improve the investor slide deck and pitching skills  
• Negotiation skills 

4. Additional valuable assets would be: 

• entrepreneurial experience, e.g. having been involved or facilitating the creation and growth of a start-up or early-stage SME; 
• experience in investing government/public or private funding for deeptech SMEs  

5. Proficiency level of English:

Due to the nature of the InvestHorizon programme and tasks, English remains a prerequisite as it will be the daily working language of InvestHorizon Trust Groups. Therefore, candidates must have a very good or proficient level of English (speaking, writing, reading and listening) 

How to apply 

Candidates interested to take part in the InvestHorizon Programme as Expert Coaches shall apply with their updated CV and a Cover Letter of not more than 1 page explaining their achievements and success stories, citing checkable references and describing the investor network they work with, along with the list of sectors that they are most experienced and interested in to participate. 

All applications must be submitted online by January 31^st here: https://forms.gle/XvvcanqV9iC3di5v6#

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The closing date for the submission of applications is 31 January 2020 16.00 CET (Brussels) time. 

About InvestHorizon Accelerator Programme

https://investhorizon.eu

By 31 December 2021, the Programme will have supported over 1000 carefully selected deep tech SMEs by value-added services to scaling-up SMEs’ investment and business activities by leveraging the power of group coaching and peer collaboration with the most effective tools and efficient use of their limited time and resources. 

The next round of companies will be selected in February 2020.

Please contact Perrine Hamon, EBN project manager of InvestHorizon, if you have any question regarding the application process.