The Gate and EY host speed dates for start-ups: full house at first edition of 2024

As a starting entrepreneur, it is important to gather the right knowledge and expertise. After all, you can't know everything. That is why The Gate and EY organized speed dates for start-ups last week together with several partners. 

Fifty start-ups and ten collaborating partners went on a date with each other at The Gate in Eindhoven. In three rounds of twenty minutes they had time to get to know each other and exchange important information. For example, it was about intellectual property, housing or financing issues. Besides The Gate and EY, BOM, LIOC, Innovisser, Louwers IP, Simtra, Twice, Rabobank, The Future and RVO were also present. The result: 150 matches. In the coming time, the relationship can be further developed. 

Max Aerts, alumnus of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and founder and ceo of the scale-up DENS, gave a keynote during the event at The Gate. DENS originated from a student team at TU/e and makes formic acid batteries. He looked back on his time from budding student team to successful scaleup with a wise lesson for the budding startups in attendance: "There will be setbacks, but every setback you overcome means growth."

"This region is good at collaboration. And it is exactly the strength of the network that helps startups in exchanging knowledge or matching to parties with specific knowledge." said Jeroen van Woerden, managing director at The Gate. The Gate is a platform where tech startups in the first phase of their existence can go to get a flying start. The organization offers help with issues but also offers programs and workshops and there are regular events and information sessions. 

Walk-in hours

Together with its service partners, The Gate organizes Walk-in hours on the first Monday of every month, where startups can come in with questions. Various parties are present who can answer questions in areas such as patents, insurance and financing. The next edition will be on 5 February. 

Programs

Other programs of The Gate are the Entrepreneur in Residence program (coaching by renowned entrepreneurs of startups), The Gate Academy and the Startup Readines Program (in cooperation with BOM and Braventure). During the SRP program, a startup development process is the focus and startups are helped by experts to accelerate. The program consists of four different modules: Ready, Game, Set and Match. 

The Gate - including through its programs and events - is committed to further strengthening the community of collaborating partners in the coming year.