On 20 May, Supernovas officially launched the 2025 edition of its Rocket Up programme during the Upstream Festival in Rotterdam. This kick-off marked the beginning of a six-month journey of strategic internationalisation support for ten women-led tech startups from across Europe.
“There is a huge gender gap in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we want to have more women-led startups scaling and actually becoming unicorns,” explains Celeste Reglá, Programme Manager at EIT Urban Mobility and part of the Supernovas team.
“Once you’ve built your startup, the next step is expanding, and we help you go into a different European region when you’re ready.”
Helping founders break into European markets
Designed by Supernovas, an initiative of the EIT Community, Rocket Up offers tailored guidance to help female entrepreneurs identify and enter new European markets. The programme provides a unique blend of online and in-person activities, combining mentoring from industry and regional experts with academic sessions, peer learning opportunities, and increased visibility within the European innovation ecosystem.
Rather than following a standard business plan model, Rocket Up focuses on practical steps toward market entry and growth.
“It just focused on what mattered,” says Dana Alef, CEO & Founder of Circonomit. “It gave us useful pointers and great energy, I loved the people.”
For other participants, the value came from being part of a women-focused environment:
“Now, thanks to Supernovas and Rocket Up, we’re brought together in a room where we’re almost made to talk to each other,” says Liina Kalamees, Growth & Business Development Manager at UNIO Enterprise. “And that helps us build a network that supports fundraising.”
Structured in two phases, the programme focuses first on market selection (months 1–3), followed by the execution of tailored market entry strategies (months 4–6). Each startup benefits from 1:1 mentoring and targeted support to accelerate its growth and international reach.
Meet the 2025 cohort
This year’s cohort includes ten innovative startups working in sectors such as foodtech, greentech, deep-tech, logistics, AI, maritime, Web3, rail infrastructure, sustainable materials and agri-tech:
- Alver (Netherlands): Sustainable microalgae-based ingredients for plant-based foods
- Bikeloop (Norway): Smart, secure bike parking systems for urban mobility
- Digiclean Solutions (Sweden): AI-powered platform for real-time chemical management
- EX9 (France): Autonomous electric yard tractors for logistics terminals
- foresAIght.ai (Germany): Forecasting-as-a-Service for manufacturing SMEs
- Gelectric (Netherlands): Remote monitoring solutions for maritime efficiency and compliance
- Open Food Chain (Netherlands): Blockchain-based traceability for agrifood supply chains
- PANTOhealth (Germany): Predictive maintenance solutions for rail infrastructure
- Smobya (Estonia): Bacterial cellulose materials for sustainable industries
- SpaceCrop (Hungary): AI-powered platform for precision agriculture
Looking ahead to Demo Day at Slush
These startups will culminate their Rocket Up journey with a Demo Day on 18 November in Helsinki, during Day 0 of the Slush Conference, one of Europe’s leading events for startups and investors.
The Rocket Up programme is not only about tools and tactics, but also about community. Participants benefit from direct interactions with experienced mentors, market experts, and most importantly, each other.
“You really do need to surround yourself with strong mentors who have gone through international expansion before,” says Alba Rocafort, Co-Founder of FABBRIC.
“The programme gives you the skills and tools to do it successfully.”
In-person meetings, like the gathering in Helsinki, have become a key moment of connection for many:
“What I liked the most was the meeting with everyone in person, because that’s when the connection starts to feel real,” shares Laure Prévault, Director & Co-Founder of SABI AGRI.
“After that, we could really share moments and experiences.”
Supernovas’ role: connecting, mentoring, scaling
As the programme lead, Supernovas oversees the entire process: selecting startups, curating mentors, coordinating activities, and facilitating connections across the EIT network. The goal is not only to scale individual companies but to strengthen the broader European ecosystem by advancing gender-inclusive innovation.
“Although we had already done several programmes, we still took something important for our development and strategy,” says Liliana Calapez, CPO & Co-Founder of Dreamwaves.
“It helps you grow your network, and most probably make friends for life,” adds Lal Polater, Co-Founder of Hergele.