The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award Announces 2015 Winners

June 23, 2015

The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award (HEA) has announced three winners of the 2015 award who, in addition to sharing prize funding of up to €1,000,000, will be provided with an expert mentor and a range of business support services. This year the HEA has again achieved higher levels of participation than in any previous year, with more than 730 submitted business plans. The 2015 winners span a range of commercial ventures from a clean energy technology, to a mobility aid for the sightimpaired, to a specialist online delicatessen.

The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award was founded in 2012 by the Libra Group on behalf of the Hellenic Initiative (THI), in order to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit by supporting Greece’s most promising new businesses. The winners were chosen on the basis of business plans which demonstrated sustainability, innovation, financial prudence and job creation in Greece. Since its formation, the HEA has presented the award to eleven businesses, supporting their vision and contributing to the implementation of their business plans.

The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award 2015 winners are:

Heliix – A ground-breaking technology which converts thermal energy into electricity. The company’s first implementation of the technology, Phaethon™, is a device that can be retrofitted to any type of solar water heater, in order to create a solar co-generation system that produces hot water and electricity at the same time, providing a reduction of up to 30% in a household’s annual electricity costs.
Applicants: Nick Arapkoules, Panagiotis Papadiamantis.

Smart Guide – A wearable electronic mobility guide that senses nearby obstacles and obstructions for the blind and visually impaired. This innovative product will be produced in the facilities of “Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece” by employees who themselves have impaired vision. The project aims to create social as well as economic impact through its workforce focus, affordability and strong export prospects.
Applicants: Karkoulias George, Thravalos Nikos. 

Yoleni’s – An online delicatessen that enables European and American customers to purchase authentic products from every corner of Greece fast, easily and securely. www.yolenis.com offers more than 1200 products from 110 highly regarded rural producers across Greece. The website includes a wide variety of food and drink combinations and features a wealth of information on each region plus numerous local recipes and serving ideas.
Applicants: Nikolaos Pipas, Yannis Georgiadis, Petros Agazanis.

Jimmy Athanasopoulos, Chairman of the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award, stated: “We congratulate not only the winners and finalists, but every entrant who had the courage and resourcefulness to turn their ideas into action through the creation of a business plan. Everyone who enters this award programme shares our belief that Greek ingenuity and business acumen have the power to transform this nation’s economy. We look forward to working with this year’s winners to bring these brilliant business concepts to fruition”.

For more information about the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award please visit www.hellenicaward.com

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