Through the support of the CE4BIG Partnership, 4 clusters from France, Germany, Poland and Belgium and 5 SMEs took part in an online training session on how to pitch in the life sciences sector as a virtual ClusterXchange.

Although the training could only take place virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis, it worked well due to the flexibility of breaking up the sessions over shorter periods which made it more attractive and easier to recruit participants. The three days included training, networking opportunities, exchange of good practices, and planning for the future. Pitching is a very pertinent topic for companies working in the health sector, and participants were able to learn from an experienced trainer, as well as from one another through peer reviews and exchanges with cluster managers and other SMEs working in the same sector.

The training provided the startups with clear, focused feedback on what works and does not work well, as well as what needed to improve. By the end of the training, the participants were knowledgeable about tools and techniques for preparing Pitch Decks in order to be better prepare to present to partners and clients.

The Cluster Exchange scheme was deemed really valuable in creating links across European cluster ecosystems. Jessica Walker from Atlanpole Biotherapies explained that “Thanks to this exchange, 5 companies and 4 clusters in the life sciences sector had access to an experienced pitch trainer, and learnt valuable lessons on how to secure investment in the future.”