Rocket Up
The Rocket Up programme supports top women-led technological ventures achieve successful international expansion in Europe. Seamlessly enter a new European market with a solid strategy and local validation of your innovative product and service.
Applications are now closed, if you are interested in the next call,
Check the Guide for applicants here
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Rocket Up in a Nutshell
Achieving significant growth in Europe demands a comprehensive internationalization process. Each market launch requires a specific path according to its unique history, attributes, needs and goals. That is why in Rocket Up we provide a personalized programme, that combines insightful & inspiring lessons with the finest methodology and tools to shape your expansion journey, complemented by carefully selected, exceptional mentors. These mentors encompass both business-oriented experts and regional advisors, contributing to your success in your new market expansion.
Join the Rocket Up journey today to leverage our specialized programme, tailored support, and invaluable networking opportunities for scaling your tech venture. Whether you’re in mobility, food, or manufacturing, our programme is designed to propel your growth and make your mark on the global stage.
- Know which market to expand to and why.
- Get a defined go-to-market strategy and actionable to-do list.
- Meet the right stakeholders and potential new partners at your destination.
- Grow your network with experts and mentors.
- Connect with other woman-led startups.
Why RocketUp?
Rocket Up recognizes the substantial gender disparity in the tech startup ecosystem, where merely 15% of companies are either founded or co-founded by women. This gender imbalance is even more pronounced when it comes to successfully scaling ventures and securing funding. We acknowledge the unique challenges that women encounter while striving to grow their businesses within a predominantly male-oriented environment. It is for this reason that our programme is dedicated to support women-led ventures, helping them overcome barriers and access new markets an essential step for scaling and achieving success in Europe.
By providing customized support and networking opportunities, we aim to bridge the gap and facilitate the growth of women-led startups, enabling them to become influential players in the entrepreneurial landscape and serve as inspiring role models for future generations.
How?
Lessons
Online group sessions that aim to establish the academic foundation for expanding a company beyond its original geographic borders. The lessons provide a structured perspective, offering valuable insights and real-world examples. These are delivered by growth experts who bring their extensive knowledge and experience to the table.
Invited speakers
Invited speakers in the fields of entrepreneurship, investment, and technology are invited to bring a wealth of knowledge and practical insights to the programme. The speakers contribute by sharing their expertise, offering real-world case studies, and providing a broader perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the startup ecosystem.
Peer-to-peer
The programme incorporates modules that specifically encourage peer-to-peer learning, where participants can learn from each other. Beyond structured modules, participants have the chance to network and connect with other entrepreneurial women during the sessions. This creates a supportive community where experiences can be shared, and valuable connections can be formed.
Business mentor
Participants are carefully matched with a business mentor based on the specific expertise required to address their key needs and challenges. The business mentor, drawing on their extensive experience, provides a customized business perspective. This complements and extends what participants have gained from the lessons, offering personalized guidance and support.
Regional advisor
The regional advisor is thoughtfully selected to have expertise on the European region where the startup aims to expand. The advisor provides insights into the local market, helping startups understand the regional dynamics. They assist in identifying potential stakeholders, helping the startup navigate the regional landscape effectively and potentially in establishing connections with relevant contacts.
Your Journey
Month 1-3
Choose your market
Participants work on identifying success factors in their home market, translating them into parameters to measure the potential for new markets, to finally understand their opportunities. This is done taking into account their customer needs, pricing, culture, regulation, competition, among others. Additionally, participants define and execute a validation strategy to corroborate their geographical markets expansion priorities.
Month 3-6
Plan your strategy
The programme reviews important factors for a successful expansion planning, such as product localisation, communication and marketing needs, partnerships, distribution channels, differences in business cultures and organisational impacts. Start-ups learn how to define their successful entry strategy, an implementation path and how to repeat the process in future expansions.
Who is it for?
We are looking for growth-stage start-ups looking to expand and scale their company.
Startups
Highly innovative, scalable, and impactful companies.
Growth stage
With a Product-Market Fit and ready to access new markets.
Mobility, Food or Manufacturing Industries
Topics covered by EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Food and EIT Manufacturing.
Women-led
Founded, co-founded or led by a woman.
European
Based in Horizon Europe associated countries.
Testimonials
“The program exceeded our expectations in many aspects. Not only is it superbly structured and covers all the important points for internationalization in the short time – 3 months – but we can now really put theory into practice in our target market thanks to personal mentors who were carefully selected to suit us. We can only recommend everyone to apply for the program. It is worth it!”
–
Julia Katrin Rohde
from Corbiota
“This was a very useful program. It was very insightful to meet all the guest speakers, mentors and learn from the team. The main take-away for me was the structured approach to the international scale-up. I already see how all this knowledge helps me in my work”
–
Valeria Kogan
from Fermata
“The program was truly valuable, especially with the support of the business and regional mentors”
–
Natalie Kerres
from SCALED
“The EIT Rocket Up Program has been incredibly valuable. The mentorship provided invaluable guidance, the content was spot-on, and the network opened doors we did not imagine before. Highly recommend for anyone serious about entrepreneurial success”
–
Helena Most
from Resourcly
“The program provided us with valuable insights into global market strategies. One of the highlights was engaging with a diverse group of mentors and industry experts whose guidance was very helpful in refining our approach to new markets. The learnings from this program have also equipped us with the tools and confidence to navigate the challenges of international expansion”
–
Nika Pintar
from Ani Biome
“My experience in the program was transformative. It has left me with a richer understanding of myself, a deeper insight into how to effectively launch my business in new markets, and valuable connections. I am immensely grateful to our mentors for their generous sharing of wisdom and for helping me navigate the nuances of our target market, which was instrumental in our decision-making for next year’s expansion”
–
Anna Walkowska
from ProperGate
“I couldn’t recommend the programme enough. It gave us the opportunity to have intros with relevant experts, also to start really putting together a strategy to go abroad”
–
Chanez Djoudi
from Beev (France)
“EIT Rocket Up programme truly broadened up my perspective on the internationalization journey. All modules were to the point and very fun.”
–
Selvi
from WiCow (Turkey)
“The programme has not only given us experts and really great mentors, but it has also given us tools that we can use to develop our strategy. We take with us the learnings and all the wonderful people in this network.”
–
Karin
from Vienna Textile Lab (Austria)
“We highly recommend participating. The mentors worked with us in a customized way and addressing our actual challenges. ”
–
from Alcyon Photonics (Spain)
Operations & Financials
Our program’s operations primarily occur online, including lessons, speaker sessions, peer-to-peer discussions, and personalized mentoring. However, the final event, ‘Demo Day,’ where participants showcase their international expansion strategies, takes place in person. Scheduled for November 19th, 2024, in Helsinki, Demo Day will be held within the InnovEIT Women Entrepreneurship event and on Day 0 of the Slush conference.
For further information, please consult the Call Guidelines.