The accelerator model has seen its own success in the United States, with business experts funding and mentoring 3D printing-related businesses like Feetz and 3D Pediatrics. In Europe, there may be more than 100 accelerators spanning the continent, so it’s only natural that at least one of them would grab a hold of the 3D printing trend. The FIWARE Accelerator of the European Commission, which is made up of 16 different accelerators, has birthed its own 3D printing accelerator called FABulous, the Future Internet Business Acceleration Programme for 3D Printing Services, now launching its first Open Call.
Loaded with a budget of €5.4 million, FABulous is ready to fund 150 different SMEs and entrepreneurs to create web-related 3D printing businesses. Those that are accepted will receive repayable funding, training, and technical support, as well as networking and consultancy services to create their business models and plans.
The program will take place in three stages. The first phase will fund 100 startups and small businesses over the course of four months to create new internet services. The next phase will last from July 2015 to February 2016, in which 30 projects be given €60,000 to develop their services into a commercial application. Finally, the ten best projects will be given a final €40,000 from March to August 2016 to commercialize their web services in 3D printing. At the same time, a second Open Call will launch for 50 more companies starting next June that will see a similar, but slightly different process. See, 150 companies!
If you’re interested and think that you’ve got the next big web 3D printing business, you can submit your proposal to www.fabulous-fi.eu. You have from now until December 18 to do so, so get on it and give me something to write about for next year 😀
