Luxembourg Venture Days – key results
Within the FEL — Female Entrepreneurship & Leadership Program, UASEEDs female participants are able to work with their mentors on such topics as Access to Funding, Gender Bias and Stereotypes, Negotiation Challenges and even Responsible yet profitable business. As a result, the mentors help with the access to communities and ecosystems, and thus with funding and other visible results, as well as provide advice and support in overcoming obstacles to entrepreneurship. This has given the opportunity to prepare for the future growth and have also influenced the participation of UASEEDs startups in Venture Days to be successful.
Indeed, 7 Ukrainian start-ups attended Venture Days https://www.venture-days.lu/ event in Luxembourg on October 16-17, 2024 as part of Seeds of Bravery UA Tech Ticket program: Cardiomo, ClinCaseQuest, Costless AI, Salesdep.ai, Biobetter, Aspichi, V-Art.
Among this list, 4 start-ups are beneficiaries of the Seeds of Bravery grant program: ClinCaseQuest, Biobetter, V-Art and Aspichi.
ClinCaseQuest and Biobetter are also part of the FEL — Female Entrepreneurship & Leadership Program, which aims to connect female startup founders / C-level management with mentors who can help them build not only a successful startup in terms of metrics, but also share their experience and expertise in team management, investment attraction, or other topics that women entrepreneurs may have.
At Luxembourg Venture Days, one of the key closed events was the highly anticipated Pitching & Honest Feedback workshop, held from 9:30 to 11:00. This exclusive session brought together four women-led startups, with two from Ukraine (participating in the FEL program) and two from Luxembourg (alumni of the Fit4Start accelerator), alongside four prominent venture capitalists (VCs). The workshop aimed to foster an intimate environment where these women entrepreneurs could pitch their projects, receive insightful feedback, and refine their business strategies.
The format was straightforward yet powerful. Each startup had a total of 15 minutes—5 minutes for pitching their startup, 5 minutes for Q&A, and 5 minutes for feedback from the panel of experts. This highly structured approach allowed for focused discussions and meaningful feedback that could be immediately applied by the entrepreneurs.
The women-led startups showcased innovative ideas across diverse industries:
- Athena Studio (Luxembourg) – www.athenastudio.io
- V Art (Ukraine) – https://v-art.digital
- ClinCaseQuest (Ukraine) – https://clincasequest.hospital
- Aerd Lab (Luxembourg) – www.aerdlab.com
Each of these startups brought a unique vision to the table, representing cutting-edge innovation in their respective fields. The feedback and mentoring were facilitated by a group of experienced panelists, including:
- Arnold Spruit, Independent Director and LBAN member
- Tanja Ruesch, Global Human Resources Director and LBAN member
- Verica Poposka, Senior Associate at Accelerace
The Q&A and feedback session proved to be a key learning experience, not only for the individual startups but also for the broader entrepreneurial community present. Each participant noted that the opportunity to present their project and hear candid feedback was invaluable. The structure allowed them to delve deeper into their business model, identify potential pitfalls, and develop stronger next steps.
What stood out was the camaraderie and inspiration that developed among the four women entrepreneurs. Each pitch sparked insightful questions and led to collective learning, as the entrepreneurs shared their experiences and challenges. According to the participants, the event provided an ideal setup for receiving targeted feedback and making meaningful connections with both VCs and peers.
The closed workshop exemplified the FEL program’s mission to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with access to mentorship, networks, and direct feedback. All startups involved expressed enthusiasm about the next steps for their projects, energized by the insights shared.
Testimony, Nataliia Lopina, ClinCaseQuest “The Seeds of Bravery program provided invaluable support in preparing for Venture Days. Through non-financial support such as Matchmaking, Access to Investors/Accelerators Community, Female Entrepreneur & Leadership (FEL) initiative, and Market Fast-Track, I was able to refine my pitch deck and enhance my presentation skills. These resources equipped me to confidently hold meetings with venture funds and international investors, significantly boosting my readiness for the event.”
Testimony, Maryna Malynovska, Biobetter:
“At Luxembourg Ventures Days, we got acquainted with the local ecosystem: organizations, funds, angels, and fellow startups. Special thanks for the support to Seeds of Bravery and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce.”
“I was truly impressed by the warmth with which we were welcomed at Venture Days. Olena, Inna, and Nataliya created all the conditions for building valuable connections. Special thanks for the support during the pitching as well. Although we didn’t win the competition this year, being the only Ukrainian team participating in the Fit4Start competition is already a great honor and victory 🇺🇦.”
After the workshop, UASEEDs grantees attended the Panel Discussion: The Strategic Value of Investing in Women-Led Startups (11:45–12:15), featuring:
- Victoire Laurenty – Principal, Wendel Group
- Jerome Wittamer – Managing Partner, Expon Capital
- Verica Poposka – Senior Associate, Accelerace
- Inna Perepelytsya – Senior Advisor, Luxinnovation
Female entrepreneurs learned valuable insights on how to attract investors. The panel answered key questions, such as:
- Investing in Women-Led Startups: Panelists shared their experiences, highlighting how women-led startups bring unique perspectives and a strong customer focus.
- Syndicate Investments: Co-investing in women-led businesses is often easier with aligned investors, creating a positive dynamic.
- Visibility to Investors: Entrepreneurs were advised to enhance visibility by attending industry events, using accelerators, and showing strong product-market fit.
- Notable Stories: Investors shared success stories, proving that investing in women-led startups leads to impactful, scalable growth.
The discussion reinforced the strategic importance of diversity in founding teams and provided actionable strategies for growth.