Interview With Michalis Stangos ~ The Golden Period For Greek Start-Ups
- by XpatAthens
- Monday, 18 July 2016
In an interview given by Embassy News, Michalis Stangos, who is co-founder of Industry Disruptors-Game Changers (ID-GC), a non-profit/non-governmental organisation that was founded to promote entrepreneurship in Greece, discussed the current opportunities and challenges Greek start-ups are faced with and the ‘Start Tel Aviv 2016’ competition. Greek start-ups have been vital to the economy during the last few years and what ID-GC does is focus its strategy on industry sectors that offer a competitive advantage and aims at supporting start-ups and young entrepreneurs.
Interview to Eleftheria Pantziou
EN: Please, provide us with some information on ID-GC’s main objectives.
Michalis Stangos: Industry Disruptors-Game Changers (ID-GC) is an organization created three years ago by a group of young entrepreneurs, whose business survived the crisis. We decided to take action in order to help young entrepeneurs and people with innovative ideas, stay in Greece and pursue their dreams. The whole idea is to change the mindset, as there are many talents in Greece, but we see many people migrating to pursue a career abroad, whether in academia or in business. We tried to change the mindset and create an organization that would help the youth become more extroversive, gain opportunities and become the next generation of entrepreneurs.
During these three years we managed to raise around 2.5 million euros that we distributed through grant programs and scholarships addressed to startups. We do not work on commission as ID-GC is a non-profit organization.
We also organize “Investor Days” and boot camps to match entrepreneurs and investors with startups. This has also generated a lot of deals and funding opportunities for startups in Greece and abroad.
EN: What are some of the initiatives undertaken by ID-GC on business and education?
Michalis Stangos: Our initiatives include international competitions and our structure is sectoral, as we focus on a) healthcare, b) cleantech and energy, c) agro and agrotechnology, d) creative industry – from gaming to architecture and art, e) Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and f) tourism.
We collaborate with big institutions and organizations in Greece and abroad, as well as sectoral associations such as SFEE – the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies and SEV – the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises. Also with Greece’s major universities. Along with the Athens University of Economics and Business we created a national MBA, that focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship.
In private-public partnership with the University, an NGO and a major multinational company from the pharmaceutical sector, we’ve managed to provide 22 scholarships. As a result a student is able to conclude an MBA and at the same time develop his/her idea into a business.
Also with the University of Thessaly and the National Hellenic Research Foundation we have developed the first Master’s program in Bioentepreneurship. With the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens we are working on an incubation program and we are also launching a new incubator program with the National Technical University of Athens.
The City of Athens has made some efforts to promote entrepreneurship and Greek start-ups, through Innovathens and other initiatives.
EN: What are the main features of a “successful” startup?
Michalis Stangos: The team is the most important element in a start-up. Definately at the end of the day everything is about the team. Also the idea. And it needs a lot of work, hard work and “thrassos” (nerve) as we say in Greek!
To read this interview in full, please visit: Embassy News
Interview to Eleftheria Pantziou
EN: Please, provide us with some information on ID-GC’s main objectives.
Michalis Stangos: Industry Disruptors-Game Changers (ID-GC) is an organization created three years ago by a group of young entrepreneurs, whose business survived the crisis. We decided to take action in order to help young entrepeneurs and people with innovative ideas, stay in Greece and pursue their dreams. The whole idea is to change the mindset, as there are many talents in Greece, but we see many people migrating to pursue a career abroad, whether in academia or in business. We tried to change the mindset and create an organization that would help the youth become more extroversive, gain opportunities and become the next generation of entrepreneurs.
During these three years we managed to raise around 2.5 million euros that we distributed through grant programs and scholarships addressed to startups. We do not work on commission as ID-GC is a non-profit organization.
We also organize “Investor Days” and boot camps to match entrepreneurs and investors with startups. This has also generated a lot of deals and funding opportunities for startups in Greece and abroad.
EN: What are some of the initiatives undertaken by ID-GC on business and education?
Michalis Stangos: Our initiatives include international competitions and our structure is sectoral, as we focus on a) healthcare, b) cleantech and energy, c) agro and agrotechnology, d) creative industry – from gaming to architecture and art, e) Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and f) tourism.
We collaborate with big institutions and organizations in Greece and abroad, as well as sectoral associations such as SFEE – the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies and SEV – the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises. Also with Greece’s major universities. Along with the Athens University of Economics and Business we created a national MBA, that focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship.
In private-public partnership with the University, an NGO and a major multinational company from the pharmaceutical sector, we’ve managed to provide 22 scholarships. As a result a student is able to conclude an MBA and at the same time develop his/her idea into a business.
Also with the University of Thessaly and the National Hellenic Research Foundation we have developed the first Master’s program in Bioentepreneurship. With the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens we are working on an incubation program and we are also launching a new incubator program with the National Technical University of Athens.
The City of Athens has made some efforts to promote entrepreneurship and Greek start-ups, through Innovathens and other initiatives.
EN: What are the main features of a “successful” startup?
Michalis Stangos: The team is the most important element in a start-up. Definately at the end of the day everything is about the team. Also the idea. And it needs a lot of work, hard work and “thrassos” (nerve) as we say in Greek!
To read this interview in full, please visit: Embassy News