Seeds of Bravery: a bridge between the Benelux and Ukraine

As part of the Seeds of Bravery initiative, Luxinnovation and Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship (ECE) have been working to connect Ukrainian startups to the opportunities existing in the Benelux market.

Seeds of Bravery is a €20 million project funded by the European Union under the European Innovation Council (EIC) to support Ukrainian tech startups bringing them closer to the EU.

Through events and a structured programme, Ukrainian entrepreneurs were able to receive key market information, practical training and direct access to potential investors and business partners in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, particularly in sectors such as finance and cybersecurity.

Luxinnovation has helped to extend the reach of Luxembourg's innovation ecosystem well beyond its borders. Inna Perepelytsya, Luxinnovation

"These sessions have been recorded and published, providing continued value not only to participants but also to European stakeholders, global startups and innovation support organisations interested in the Benelux region," says Inna Perepelytsya, Senior Advisor – Startup Relations at Luxinnovation, in charge of the Seeds of Bravery project within the agency.

A Cybersecurity Soft-Landing workshop, for example, positioned Luxembourg as a strategic partner in cyber resilience and innovation, with contributions from local experts and accelerators.

Strong ties within the Benelux innovation ecosystem

"Thanks to this approach, Luxinnovation has helped to extend the reach of Luxembourg's innovation ecosystem well beyond its borders, increasing visibility among ecosystem builders from Europe and creating lasting links for future collaborations."

Throughout the Seeds of Bravery project, ECE and Luxinnovation have been actively working to build a very strong relationship between the Benelux and Ukraine. "We see this project of Bravery as an important and very practical bridge, bringing Ukrainian companies, innovators and entrepreneurs closer to the Benelux market. More broadly, it strengthens their links with the wider European ecosystem," explains Ata Engin, Innovation Project Manager at ECE.

This collaborative spirit also enabled to extend the reach of the project beyond the initial consortium members. Although Belgium was not originally represented within the Seeds for Bravery’s consortium, the strong ties within the Benelux innovation ecosystem allowed Luxinnovation to involve key Belgian stakeholders in the programme.

“Thanks to these connections, we were able to include highly impactful and insightful contributors from Startup Flanders, Flanders Investment & Trade, Awex Wallonia and EuroQuity Belgium in our workshops. Their participation strengthened the value delivered to Ukrainian startups by offering a broader and more diverse view of the Benelux market," confirms Mathilde Hampert, Market Intelligence Analyst at Luxinnovation.

Consolidating and developing links

The ongoing circumstances and their impact on daily life in Ukraine have obviously been a source of complication and obstacles... but also courage and adaptability. "The Ukrainian founders and teams consistently showed remarkable resilience, strength and optimism," Mr Engin recalls. Despite the realities of what's going on there, what stood out the most was the founders' ability to stay focused and forward-looking. Even when they went through all the challenges of everyday life, they continued to dream, plan and implement."

Now that these bridges have been established, the challenge is to consolidate and develop these established links, ensuring a coherent and concrete follow-up and keeping the relationships alive thanks to the right associations between the right people at the right time. "For us, one of the most valuable results of Seeds of Bravery has been getting to know so many strong entrepreneurs and companies from Ukraine. We are now part of each other's ecosystems and networks, and this is the most powerful starting point."

Seeds of Bravery strengthens Ukrainian companies, innovators and entrepreneurs links with the wider European ecosystem. Ata Engin, Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship

The sustainability of this network is now in the hands of the players themselves, with a view to transforming good connections into real collaborations and, ultimately, into concrete results in the market.

"We were delighted to introduce Ukrainian startups to the Benelux region in collaboration with Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship. This initiative was made possible by the invaluable support of key ecosystem players who shared their expertise, including Nasir Zubairi, CEO of the LHoFT; Christophe Bainco, Venture Partner at 33N and member of Luxembourg Business Angel Network; and Kevin Muller, co-founder of Passbolt,” concludes Inna Perepelytsya. 

The recording of the Benelux Market Discovery Workshop is available for viewing  on the Seeds of Bravery YouTube channel.

Seeds of Bravery (UASEEDs) is funded by the European Union, under the European Innovation Council (EIC). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. The UASEEDs project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme under grant agreement No 101104445.