Bringing projects one step closer towards innovation
2018 in a nutshell
AAL2business is a support action that provides various business support services to companies participating in the AAL Programme. Its goal is to increase the effectiveness of the business development amongst AAL projects and to improve projects’ capabilities to reach the market. In this article, we present some of the highlights of this year.
The Business Venture Academy
The AAL2Business Venture Academy is an intensive 1-day training that aims to support the most promising AAL projects of the AAL programme by improving their investment readiness, helping to create networks, and increasing capabilities to seek funding. During two Venture Academies organized in Vienna and Bilbao, 18 AAL project participants learned about investment readiness, the investment cycle and the investment types from seasoned investment experts and business angels. One-on-one mentoring was combined with the pitching to a panel of experts, who provided crucial feedback on improving the investment pitch.
“Stimulating and thought-provoking AAL2Business Venture Academy is a tool too valuable to leave in the box“
‘Project Participant’
Webinars
AAL2business has also organized two webinars for entrepreneurially-minded persons interested in accessing private funding. In April, AAL community was honoured to receive a webinar by EBAN’s president Candace Johnson, who is a highly successful serial entrepreneur and investor. Her webinar titled “a subjective guide to the mindset of investors and their requirements” provided valuable information on how to attract investors to businesses. The more recent webinar by Charles Sidman on “Important Items of Preparation when building a business” provided participants with the right tools to succeed in pitching for the investors.
Watch here the recorded webinars
Business kickstart training
Business kickstart training helps projects to establish a solid process for the business development right from the start of the project. In kickstart training, projects learn best practices about business model design and validation, and how to adopt the lean innovation sprint approach. Kickstart training has been organized both as online training and in workshops.
Business Coaching
Business coaching is a service addressed to ongoing projects participants who intend specific challenges concerning business development and commercialization. Business coaching is organized as a 1-day physical workshop where a coach provides his/her full expertise to solve the challenge at hand. AAL projects can apply for coaching via online link whenever they see it relevant to them.
“The best part of the workshop was the great scope for topic-related discussion. The coaches performed professionally from topic to topic, incorporating a number of practical applications for our project”
(Project Participant)
What is going on at the national level?
Finally, AAL2business has conducted a detailed study on AAL-related programmes and initiatives at European level and partnered with local business experts to conduct similar studies in four most active AAL partner countries. Reports from Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Netherlands outline national and regional programmes, foundations for active and healthy ageing, business support networks, incubators, accelerators and private early-stage investor networks. Check out these reports if you are interested in co-operation and investment opportunities outside AAL programme.
For more info about the AAL2Business visit this site