Eghome @European Start-UP Festival

As a part of winning Royal Holloway’s first Entrepreneurship Competition, I received access to mentorship, funding and support from the University and Anica. However, the best (and undoubtedly, most rewarding) part of the competition was being sponsored to attend the first European Start Up Festival in Turin, Italy.

To have been surrounded by likeminded, driven and inspirational individuals was really exciting. We listened to fireside chats, debates and attended masterclasses on a variety of topics. They were incredibly varied, from things like “Technology Licensing – from the NDA to the Deal”, “Introductions to the global start up scene” and “Speaking the investors’ language”.
Perhaps most the most useful part of the event for me, was being able to meet senior, experienced and successful people who were willing to advise me and tell me about their experiences one to one. Their wealth of knowledge, which they very kindly shared, has been priceless. In fact, almost everyone I met, whether it was the organizers, other startups or the volunteers – every one of them had such fantastic enthusiasm that was energizing to be around.
I can’t think of a better location that Turin for this event to have happened. The city itself was gorgeous. History and beauty were tucked away in every corner, and there weren’t any shortages of restaurants, cafes and museums to enjoy the evenings in. It was incredibly close to the Alps too, which allowed for a day-trip and provides the city with a breathtaking backdrop.
Moving forwards after the competition and event, I hope to collate everything I’ve learnt and apply it to Eghome. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity, and would suggest that everyone who has an idea for an enterprise, business, start-up or otherwise, no matter what stage the idea is in, to try to actualize those dreams – there’s help out there!