Initiated in 2015 by the Ministry of the Economy, Fit 4 Start is managed by Luxinnovation in collaboration with Technoport, the Luxembourg City Incubator and the Luxembourg Space Agency. Its objective is to support start-ups in the ICT, health technologies and space sectors from their start-up phase. The programme offers tailor-made coaching over a period of 4 months and funding of €50,000. An additional grant of €100,000 is allocated to start-ups that have successfully graduated from the Fit 4 Start programme and succeeded to raise private capital in the 6 months following the end of the programme.
Over 1,800 start-ups have applied to the 10 editions of the programme organised so far. 78 start-ups have participated in the various support sessions and 56 have graduated. The start-ups participating in the first 9 editions of Fit 4 Start have raised, since their creation, a total amount of more than €15.2 million from private investors.
Fit 4 Start attracts international start-ups to Luxembourg and is a springboard for Luxembourg start-ups going international.
“The tremendous evolution of Fit 4 Start over the past five years and the constantly growing interest shown by start-ups around the world clearly demonstrate the relevance of the programme and its importance in the start-up ecosystem, at the national as well as the international level. I am delighted,” said Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot.
“The programme has accomplished a two-fold objective: to attract international start-ups to Luxembourg and to be a springboard for Luxembourg start-ups going international,” commented Sasha Baillie, CEO of Luxinnovation. “Fit 4 Start facilitates a real exchange and cooperation between participants, while also acting as a very efficient marketing/branding tool for Luxembourg at the international level.”
Fit 4 Start #10: 476 candidates from 60 countries
476 start-ups from 60 countries responded to a call for applications launched this summer for the 10th Fit 4 Start edition. The sustained interest in a proof of the success of the programme that is confirmed with each new edition. Finally, 79 start-ups pitched in front of a jury of experts during sessions that took place in early October.
On 15 October 2020, the list of start-ups that have been selected among the 82 candidates was announced. The 20 selected start-ups (10 in the field of ICT, 5 in health technologies and 5 in space) come from 11 different countries, including two originating from Asia.
Three start-ups that have successfully completed the acceleration programme in the past – Passbolt (edition #3), Salonkee (edition #6) and LuxAI (edition #7) also testified to how Fit 4 Start has contributed to the success of their journey as young innovative entrepreneurs.
The Fit 4 Start programme continues to evolve. The next step that will be brought to the attention of the public has already been determined, with the call for applications to the 11th edition that will be launched in January 2021.
And the selected start-ups are…
The jury of experts have selected the following start-ups for participation in the 10th edition of Fit 4 Start. The new group, which will begin its activities in January 2021, is composed of (in alphabetical order):
ICT
- Ceasy (Luxembourg)
- CleverYak (Luxembourg)
- Cybavo (Taiwan)
- EmoHack (Luxembourg)
- iRoboInvest (Bulgaria)
- Kidola (Luxembourg)
- Re(D)scue (Luxembourg)
- SM Cloud (Slovakia)
- TiQuest (Luxembourg)
- Zetako (Luxembourg)
Health technologies
- PatchAi (Italy)
- Meracle pte Ltd (Singapore)
- Organo Therapeutics (Luxembourg)
- MyelinH (Luxembourg)
- Wavy Assistant (Netherlands)
Space technologies
- Numer8 (Czech Republic)
- OKAPI:Orbits (Germany)
- ReOrbit: AB (Sweden)
- SPiN (Germany)
- Vingineers (France)
More information about the selected participants is provided in these company descriptions.
Fit 4 Start graduates
14 start-ups have also successfully graduated from Fit 4 Start edition #9 which took place at the end of last year:
ICT
- Anote Music
- DataCue
- Quantego
- Rebolet
- Symvio
- WearHealth
Health technologies
- Sanascope (Xscope)
- ViewMind
- HuMiX Biosciences
- Cohesys
Space technologies
- NoHunger
- RespectUs
- WEO
- GlobeEye
Hear what they have to say: