🎯 Innovate to Win – CERN 2025

Monday 19 May 2025, 13:00 → 17:00 Europe/Zurich

Hanae Taxis, Linn Kretzschmar (CERN)

 

 

 

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Are you an innovative startup looking to make it BIG?

Then, we've got the perfect opportunity for you!

 

🏆 What We’re Looking For

 

Pitch your groundbreaking ideas at "Innovate to win" and be in with a chance of winning an incredible prize - a free entrance fee for our EIC Accelerator consultancy and writing services worth over €25,000 (a success fee will be applied)!

 

We're looking for the most creative and disruptive DeepTech startups to come forward and show us what they can do. The best startups will be selected to pitch their idea to a jury at Innovate to Win in CERN. 

Ideal company profile:

Innovative, Game-changing product Deep-Tech High risk / High potential Company with Scale-up potential, TRL 4 - 6.

 

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🧩 How to Participate?

 

Step 1️⃣ – Pitch Deck

If you are an innovative and deep tech startup or SME, prepare your pitch deck with the following information:

• Define the Problem
• Showcase Your Solution
• Market Opportunity
• Business Model
• Team Overview

 

Note: The Pitch Competition will be held in English. Therefore, only submissions in English can be considered.

 

Step 2️⃣ – Submit by May 7th:

To participate, upload your pitch deck using the link above before May 7th. 

Upload Process:

• Click on the provided link.
• Fill in all the information you are asked on the form, including uploading your prepared pitch deck.
• Confirm all the details are okay and press “send.”

 

Upload your pitch using the link on this page. Complete all form details and confirm submission.

 

Step 3️⃣ – If selected:

 

After the deadline, our team will review all the applications and decide on the finalists. By May 9th, the finalists will be invited via email to pitch in person at CERN in Geneva.

 

• On the pitching competition, you must prepare a 5-minute pitch and be ready for a 5-minute Q&A!

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🕐 Schedule

• 13:00 – 13:30 | Welcome coffee
• 13:30 – 15:30 | Startup pitches
• 15:30 – 17:00 | Guided Tour in CERN
• 17:00 – 17:30 | Tasty Lunch
• 17:30 – 17:40 | Winner Announcement

 

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👩‍⚖️ Jury Panel

• Laila Aoufi – Head of EIC Accelerator Division
• Panagiotis Antonopoulos – EIC Accelerator Project Manager
• Linn Kretzschmar – Entrepreneurship Development Officer and Head of the CERN Venture Connect Programme
• CERN Venture Connect – Partner
• Nicolas Gibaud – Head of Inspiralia France

 

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13:25 → 13:50 Welcome & Introduction from Inspiralia

13:50 → 14:05 Introduction to CERN Venture Connect

14:05 → 16:25 Pitches