The document summarizes REACH, a European incubator program that aims to boost data-driven innovation. Over 3 years, REACH will select and fund over 100 startups and SMEs through 11-month incubation programs. It will connect these companies with large corporations and Digital Innovation Hubs to help develop new Data Value Chains. The incubator seeks to break down data silos and enable multi-stakeholder collaboration across sectors to generate sustainable solutions using data analytics. DIHs play a key role by defining challenges, sharing relevant regional data, and supporting startups throughout the incubation process.

1. Boosting data-driven
innovation in Europe with the support of DIHs
Prof. Diego López-de-Ipiña
Incubation Process Coordinator in REACH, University of Deusto
dipina@deusto.es

2. Story behind REACH Incubator
Creation of cross sector Data
Value Chains (DVCs) towards
large-scale deployment of
data-based products and
service
Support for data driven
innovation experiments
with secure and privacy-
aware analytics solutions
The EC and EU ecosystem
is pushing towards greater
• Data access,
• sharing
• security
• Use of AI & ML and
• environment of trust

3. A Data Value Chain represents a multi-stakeholder data
workflow where by applying data analytics, both data and
solution providers reciprocally benefit through joint
exploitation models

4. About REACH
Innovation Action project funded by the EU launched in September 2020
• REACH is a 2nd-generation Big Data incubator, builds on the successful efforts of
European Data Incubator to accelerate data-driven innovation
• REACH connects data corporations and Digital Innovation Hubs with startups/SMEs to
enable the development of DVCs based on industrial and private data
• Over the period of 3 years, we will select, incubate and coach +100 data-driven SMEs
and startups in 11-month incubation programmes
• Distribute 3.5mil EUR in equity free funding to SMEs (up to 120K EUR per organization)

5. The concept behind REACH Incubator
Startups and SMEs
get to grow their business
whilst solving a big data
challenge
Large European
Corporations
have a big data challenge
solved by participants
Embark on an open Innovation journey, where startups/SMEs, large corporates and DIH’s work
together towards creating novel data value chains
Digital Innovation Hubs
providing support

6. Our final aim is to demonstrate that
Data Silos can be broken by enabling a
multi-stakeholder cross-sectorial
collaboration to boost data-fuelled
sustainable solutions.

7. The REACH Core Consortium

8. The REACH Data Providers and DIHs
Data Providers
Digital Innovation Hubs

9. REACH Incubator
• A multi-stakeholder ecosystem of actors in data
value chains
• Aim is to select, incubate and coach +100 data-
driven SMEs and startups (distribute 3.5mil EUR )
• Focus on: data access, data sharing and usability,
data security, AI, and Trust framework.
• Three annual incubation rounds
• 2nd round launched 22nd November 2021
• Each round: 11 month long focus on business-
oriented experimentations
• Each round has specific calls for Data Providers,
Investors and DIHs
Data sets
Technologies
Services
Business
Models
Development
Private
investment
Market
launch
Analysis
Support
Channels
Networks

10. What do we offer to startups/SMEs?
UP TO 120K€ IN EQUITY
FREE FUNDING
ACCESS TO LARGE CORPORATIONS
AND THEIR DATA SETS
REACH TOOLBOX
VISIBILITY
BIG DATA
INFRASTRUCTURE
DIGITAL AND
BUSINESS SKILLS
ACCESS TO PRIVATE
INVESTMENT

11. REACH Incubation Timeline
REACH is a four-phase incubation programme:
Explore. Experiment. Evolve. Expose
The best solution per incubation round
will be awarded €20K (as Slush)

12. A DIH is an orchestrator of the R&I actors in a geographical
region that serves as a one-stop shop for SMEs to access
services to pursue their digital transformation.
DIHs participate in REACH as catalysts of new Data Value
Chains in their region, helping to break the data silos
among different sectors and stimulating innovation where
value is driven by data sharing
Role of DIHs in REACH Incubation Programme

13. Italia, Emilia-Romagna
Greece, Thessaloniki
Spain, Valencia
Latvia, Riga
France, Paris region
REACH DIHs

14. Benefits for Digital Innovation Hubs
BECOME PART OF THE REACH
INCUBATION PROGRAMME
CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNLOCKING
OF THE DATA ECONOMY
ENGAGE WITH THE
ECOSYSTEM
SET UP NEW THEME-DRIVEN
CHALLENGES ALIGNED WITH DIH
ECOSYSTEM/REGION NEEDS
FACILITATE ACCESS TO DATA AND
PROMOTE DIH SERVICE OFFERINGS
ENGAGE REGIONAL NETWORKS IN
DATA INCUBATION &
ACCELERATION SUPPORT SERVICES
TAP INTO INNOVATION &
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
DRIVE & SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION
OF CUTTING-EDGE SOLUTIONS
ENROL INCUBATED STARTUPS/SMEs AND
ENHANCE DIH ECOSYSTEM PARTNERSHIPS

15. DIH involvement in REACH incubator
TRACK 1
1. Propose a data-driven sector theme & challenges relevant to
your region/ecosystem (e.g. RIS3 priorities)
2. Prepare the samples of data they will eventually share with
the startups to address the theme challenges proposed
3. Participate in the dissemination of the open call to involve
their regional SMEs/Startups
4. Participate in the evaluation and selection of the startups
5. Possibility to mentor with the selected startups in their
development phase, and/or possibility to track/engage with
them in their later stages
6. Facilitate startups/SMEs access to your DIH
network/channels
7. Possibility to become REACH Incubation Programme adopters
Startups will tackle the challenges defined by the Digital Innovation Hubs

16. Data Value Chain Themes
Application Track 1 – Theme Driven
• Digital Innovation Hubs propose multi-stakeholder
cross-sectorial Data Value Chain (DVC) themes, that
are to be tackled by Track 1 applicants (through Startup
& SME open calls).
• DVC themes and their respective data challenges
represent the most pressing issues from key
European industrial sectors.
• Applicants are to leverage on the domain knowledge
and DIH’s and Data Providers datasets, or make use of
external datasets to tackle these themes.

17. REACH Themes and challenge sectors
DIGITAL
MARKETING
MEDIA
HELTHCARE &
INSURANCE
FINANCE
MANUFACTURING &
INDUSTRY
AGRICULTURE
ENERGY RETAIL CIRCULAR
ECONOMY
TOURISM &
ENTERTAINMENT
SOCIAL
SERVICES

18. REACH cohort 1 end of EVOLVE: Slush 2021!

19. REACH OC2 Ways to apply
Deadline: February 22nd 17:00

20. Follow us
www.reach-incubator.eu
info@reach-incubator.eu