The opening kick-off for entries from today , Monday 26 February until Tuesday 26 March 2024, in the
5th Youth Idea Platform Competition
of
CapsuleT Travel and Hospitality Accelerator
, the only accelerator in Greece that focuses exclusively on the effective support of technology start-ups in the tourism sector.
If someone wishes to see their idea for tourism blossom and become a modern technology startup with the support of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels then they should register for the 5th Youth Idea Platform Competition.
It is now commonplace that the specialized direction and support that his team will receive from the mentors and speakers of the competition program – all of them experienced professionals in the industry – will provide the impetus needed to turn his idea into a new, innovative, business proposal!
Ο CapsuleT is looking for young people
More specifically, CapsuleT for the 5th Idea Platform is looking for young people who have innovative ideas that can solve practical, real problems in tourism through the use of technology.
The accelerator, always with a view to promoting innovation and upgrading the Greek tourism product, invites teams to apply for a place in the competition and – if selected – to have the opportunity to work intensively on their idea with the help of industry experts. The 12-day competition program is full of workshops, mentoring sessions and speeches by industry experts, such as recognized start-up founders and executives of large organizations and companies active in tourism, with the ultimate goal of guiding the start-up teams, supporting the further development of their idea and its transformation into a start-up business.
Who can participate?
The Idea Platform is addressed to young people, students, graduates, postgraduate or doctoral students of the country’s schools, young unemployed executives, as well as new businesses at a very early stage of activity with a technological and entrepreneurial background. The aim for the participating teams is to submit business proposals that can solve practical problems identified in tourism through the use of technology and focus on the categories/sectors of the competition.
The accelerator team is looking for ideas that can evolve into startups with a positive impact on the digital transformation of the Greek tourism industry, and if they wish, the 3 winners of the competition will have the opportunity to qualify directly to the 7th cycle of the Acceleration Programmeto further develop their business.
More specifically, eligible applicants, in order to secure a place in the programme that will take place between 8 April 2024 and 15 May 2024, must be:
- teams (at least 2 people) with an innovative business idea for the tourism sector, which requires the use of technology to be implemented.
- members of the teams must be 18 to 35 years old, graduates or postgraduates of schools related to fields such as Science, Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration, Economics, Tourism Management and so on.
- applicants must have Greek citizenship or be resident in Greece.
- candidate teams must not have received any other funding, except for a first round of funding from friends and family (not exceeding 50,000 euros)
- if they have already established a company, the period of establishment must be less than 6 months from the date of application for participation in the programme.
The teams participate with ideas for applications in products and services that are relevant to the objectives and theme of the Idea Platform, namely: applications and solutions, such as:
a) for the hotel and catering sector (hotel management, revenue management, channel management, HR management, guest products & services, operation tools etc.),
b) for tourist transport (Distribution & Transfers)
c) for booking engines and online travel agencies (booking engines & OTAs)
d) for tourist and cultural activities, guided tours and events (advanced booking engines, virtual/digital tours, experience management etc.)
e) products and solutions for airports, marine tourism – marinas (boat/traveler management, quality management/quality control, reservations, etc.)
f) sustainability solutions, such as applications and solutions for saving energy and natural resources, food waste, recycling of materials, etc. (indicatively applications – solutions for hotels, tourist facilities, museums, but also for islands, villages, areas with a high concentration of tourists, etc.)
g) specialised communication and promotional solutions (such as measurement and evaluation of services, social media, advertising, etc.).
h) products/services and applications for the wider tourism industry, such as fintech solutions (payments/billings/pricing engines), big data analytics, cloud services, AI solutions, Augmented/Virtual Reality solutions, etc.
Structure of the programme
It is highlighted that the 5th Idea Platform will have a total duration of 12 days and will take place between 8 April 2024 and 15 May 2024, where the Closing Ceremony & Awards Ceremony.
The Idea Platform will include free educational seminars (workshops), lectures and counselling (implementation of the programme during lunch/afternoon hours). It is noted that the 12-day period includes both the preparatory period and the competitive part. For the successful completion and the participation of the teams in the Closing Ceremony (competitive part – presentations) on 15 May 2024, the attendance and participation of at least 1 team member is required throughout the duration of the programme.
The application period for the 5th CapsuleT Idea Platform starts on Monday 26 February 2024 and will close on Tuesday 26 March 2024.
To register, click here: https://www.eventora.com/el/Events/IdeaPlatform5/
Before applying, please read carefully the eligibility criteria, the terms/conditions of the project and prepare all the necessary content to include in your application (details, CVs of the team members, summary of the main idea).
Please note that applications must be submitted in Greek. The programme is also implemented in Greek with frequent use of English terminology.
Important note
: The applications submitted by the teams will be evaluated by the Accelerator’s Organizing Committee throughout the application period (26/2 – 26/3) and those that meet the criteria will immediately secure their participation in the programme. Candidate teams are therefore invited to register as soon as possible in order to secure their place in the programme in good time.
