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An Interview with Mayte Carracedo

from FundingBox

November 22, 2022

Ms. Mayte Carracedo is the Chief Business Developer & Co-Founder of FundingBox.

 

She has a degree in Political Sciences and International Studies from the University of Santiago de Compostela, a master's in European Policies from the ULB (Belgium) and an MBA from EAE. Mayte has been active in public funding for innovation for the last 20 years, taking part in international projects with various roles.

 

Mayte is currently playing a leading role in several initiatives supporting European companies' digital transformation, such as ICT for Manufacturing SMEs (I4MS), Digital Innovation Hubs Network (DIHNET) or PhotonHub, as well as facilitating the connection among deep tech startups with private capital.

Can you give us a brief overview of what the Cascade Funding mechanism is all about, and specifically, how it benefits SMEs, MidCaps and Startups?

 

Cascade financing is a funding mechanism for distributing financial resources to third parties (beneficiaries) through a system of open calls for proposals, managed by a consortium of partners, which acts as an intermediary between the beneficiaries and the organisation manager - in our case, the European Commission.

 

The mechanism of cascade funding facilitates the adoption of new digital technologies promoted by the European Commission,  allowing companies to test them and see the real advantages of the adoption before investing in them.

 

It represents a simpler and more attractive mechanism for companies (less voluminous requests and shorter evaluation times). It also helps companies understand new opportunities and return on investment.

 

Companies normally can also benefit from a supporting programme, where they receive technical support, business advice and access to private financing.

 

What is FundingBox Accelerator's role in the PLATOON project?

 

The FundingBox team was responsible for launching two Open Calls for Proposals and building an ecosystem to support the selected beneficiaries. We adhere to EC standards in selecting the top 13 disruptive applicants which have been accepted into two technology transfer programmes. We aim to accompany our champions with a full range of services during the 9-month period of these programmes.

 

FundingBox is Europe's Largest Deep Tech Funding Ecosystem. Our online community consists of more than 46,000 members, and we were pleased to enlarge it with PLATOON's community. Up to date, more than 250 Energy and Data Grids enthusiasts have found their place there and, we hope, found a unique value in exchanging ideas and sharing experiences with their fellow members.

 

While researching your background, we found a repertoire of management/coordination roles for European funding schemes and sustainable energy and digital transformation projects, including two stints at the European Commission. Can you please tell us a bit about your experience working with EU-funded projects?

 

This is giving us the possibility to enter into contact with innovators that come to us looking for funding and retaining them in our tech communities, but also to create the huge ecosystem that today represents FundingBox in the Deep Tech ecosystem. The public funding distribution is just the beginning of a journey for supporting those companies in their growing path, also providing them with the right connections and access to private funding.

 

What advice would you give to companies who are looking for improved access to funding in order to progress and grow?

 

I would strongly recommend keeping up to date with the latest funding opportunities by either checking them frequently on the EC's website or signing up for the FundingBox newsletter, where we disseminate all available open calls we are involved in on a monthly basis. Secondly, I truly suggest applying for as many opportunities as one can since, as with any selection process, it is always a learning process and it simply needs experience. Lastly, I advise applying for mentoring opportunities too as, although they do not bring cash, they support participants in becoming "investment-ready" in the longer term.