San Sebastian, Spain, Oct. 12, 2018 – On 16 October, Solvay, an advanced materials and specialty Chemicals Company, will host a business acceleration event for companies funded by the European Innovation Council pilot. After a thorough selection process, Graphenea was one of 22 companies selected to attend this exclusive event at the Solvay Campus in Brussels.

The event is directed at small and medium-sized companies working on breakthrough innovations in the fields of additive manufacturing (3D printing) of polymers, nanocomposites and polymer-based lightweight materials, composites and polymers (part prototyping, virtual engineering, advanced mechanical testing) and smart/functional polymeric materials (e.g. self-healing, electroactive, etc.).

Graphenea will have a chance to showcase its innovations in the field of graphene production to multiple business divisions and engage in one-to-one meetings with Solvay managers, venture capital investors and representatives from other large corporations.

“We’re very happy to be selected for this event promoted by the EIC pilot. We believe our solutions are aligned with the business of Solvay and at the event we hope to start a partnership that can help us scale-up our business”, says Iñigo Charola, Graphenea Business Developer.

In the last 12 years, Solvay has actively collaborated with start-ups globally to accelerate innovation. “Open innovation is all about finding mutual interest to work together”, explains Stéphane Roussel, Solvay Ventures Managing Director. “A well defined purpose and clarified roles and responsibilities are key conditions to success. On one side: size, scale, credibility; On the other: agility, creativity, speed… the combination has the potential to move mountains.”

The principles of Open Innovation underlined by Solvay, are aligned with one of the objectives of the EIC pilot: to support active collaboration between innovative small companies and large corporates. “The EIC should be the link between the start-ups and the corporates. By helping start-ups to access partners across value chains. From corporates to investors… and technology providers. At the same time large, corporates should be able to help start-ups to scale-up.”, said in a recent speech, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation.

About Graphenea

Graphenea, a leading graphene producer venture backed by Repsol, was established in 2010, and has since grown to be one of the world's largest providers of graphene. The company is headquartered at the nanotechnology cluster CIC nanoGune in San Sebastian, Spain and the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA Boston. Graphenea employs 22 people and exports graphene materials to more than 600 customers in 55 countries. The company has focused on constant improvement of graphene quality, becoming a supplier customers can rely on. Graphenea employs a team of skilled laboratory staff who have brought graphene production techniques to a new level. Graphenea produces CVD graphene wafers and graphene oxide. Graphenea partners with large multinationals to develop custom graphene materials for their applications. Its research agility and ability to keep pace with the progress of graphene science and technology has allowed Graphenea to become a core partner in the Graphene Flagship, a ten year project of the European Commission worth a billion euros. The company keeps a close relation with the world's leading scientists, regularly publishing scientific articles of the highest level and holds a strong patent portfolio.

About Solvay

Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Its lightweight materials promote cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with around 26,800 employees in 61 countries. Net sales were €10.1 billion in 2017, with 90% from activities where Solvay ranks among the world’s top 3 leaders, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 22%.

About the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot

The EIC pilot is an initiative of the European Commission that proposes substantial funding and competitive offerings for innovators regarding access to finance, coaching, and other means of support. The European Innovation Council pilot (EIC pilot) aims to support top-class innovators, start-ups, small companies and researchers with bright ideas that are radically different from existing products, services or business models, are highly risky and have the potential to scale up internationally. The EIC pilot consists of four support programmes including the SME Instrument, Fast-Track to Innovation (FTI), Future and Emerging Technologies Open (FET-Open), and the Horizon Prizes.