Kevin Kessler is a Network & Ecosystem Manager at BRYCK, an innovation hub and future factory at the heart of the Ruhr area, Germany.

BRYCK creates a space & and network for aspiring founders, growing startups, progressive scientists, accelerating investors, corporate innovators, hubs, accelerators, and startup programs.

BRYCK is one of the 12 consortium partners behind the D2XCEL scaling programme and is responsible for the fourth market opportunity - large-scale stationary energy storage, as part of Open Call 1.

What change are you aiming to achieve for the European innovation ecosystem as part of D2XCEL?

An important part of our self-image is that we connect players and resources that already exist with each other and foster their collaboration with the tools we offer. That's why we want to use D2xcel together with all our partners to create an opportunity for start-ups to raise their ventures to an international level quickly.

Companies operating in the selected market sectors are usually quite capital-intensive and therefore require well-positioned investors at an early stage. One of our goals is to use the programme to establish a fast and suitable deal flow for investors from all over Europe.
In addition to our startup programme at BRYCK, which is primarily aimed at teams from the Pre Seed to Series A phase and aim to bring the teams into the first market access, the D2xel practice programme complements our depth of support sensibly with the topic of internationalization.

On a small regional scale, we can see how important it is to know the ever-growing startup ecosystem and use it sensibly. Through D2XCEL, we actively contribute to innovations, investors, accelerators, and startups getting to know each other and thus gaining a coherent picture of Europe.
With D2XCEL, we want to build on the EU's strength as an innovation hotspot and make it visible internationally.

Why is this market opportunity (MO) important to you?

As Europe’s energy capital, Essen is one of the largest cluster areas for the energy industry. With various established and internationally active companies within easy reach of BRYCK's headquarters, we can offer rapid access to the market.
We currently have our own Energy Booster, a multi-week programme with which we support teams working on solutions for one of the biggest problems of our time: the energy transition. This includes several teams working on the storage of large amounts of energy. We can draw on our experience of working with these teams.

From discussions with our large network of investors, we also know that solutions in this MO are currently a popular investment area. We are therefore convinced that this MO will also generate suitable deal flow.

What potential do you see for deep tech and digital innovation in this MO?

Energy storage solutions make a significant contribution to the medium and long-term competitiveness of the European industry. This market sector offers an incredibly large volume, as we are all dependent on a sustainable and independent energy supply for Europe in the short and long term. The relevance of developing solutions here could not be greater.

The general investment volume fell massively last year, except in the verticals energy, deep tech, AI, and data. So there is still a good chance for ventures to get an investment.

From your perspective, why should ventures that fit in this MO apply for the ongoing open call?

As a former founder, I can say that almost everything happens through your network. With d2xcel, there is now an opportunity to quickly expand this network to an international scale. This gives companies access to suitable investors and established companies.

The program gives you the tools to operate on international markets, which is a delicate moment for most startups, as too rapid or ill-considered internationalization can also hurt business growth. The diverse consortium facilitates access to many industry experts and allows you to have your own solution and business model challenged.

D2XCEL invites deep tech and digital ventures across Europe, operating in the field of large-scale stationary energy storage to check the eligibility requirements and join our scaling programme!

Apply here and join one of our live webinars for interested companies, where you can get all the information you need!

Learn more about all five market opportunities of the First Open Call here.

This project has received funding from the European Union under grant agreement Nº101121100. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.