Author: 95001rbu@eur.nl

Matching for impact: why the right partners are just as vital as the right idea

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So far in the Impact Starting Guide series, we’ve discussed how entrepreneurship starts with fleeting revolutionary ideas, Eureka moments, and validating the ideas through experienced entrepreneurs and companies, but we have yet to discuss YOU… well, your team composition, or your matching phase of entrepreneurship. Throughout this article, we will introduce you to this new entrepreneurship phase while emphasizing Chiara Cadeddu’s best practices that you should keep in mind when matching with partners to ensure your venture’s success! 

Experienced matchmaker

Dr. Cadeddu is no stranger to the complexities of interdisciplinarity, a key factor in entrepreneurship, as she has a background in medicine, a PhD in public health, and over six years of research in planetary health, which led her to become the theme chair of the Planetary Health Alliance, a field that analyzes the intricate intersection between human health, ecosystems, and climate. 

Dr. Cadeddu, alongside her team of researchers, has been on a mission to change healthcare’s ecological footprint on our ecosystem. Their mission has taken root since 2024, when they received three-year funding from the European Union within the Horizon Europe Project. CARING NATURE re is a project that seeks to develop regenerative and sustainable solutions for healthcare systems by fostering collaboration between academics, private companies, and public institutions. 

Their interdisciplinary nature does not come only from the variety of disciplines presented in the team, but Caring Nature also transcends geographical borders, as they partner with 19 companies across 11 countries. This fact piqued our interest, as we were curious to see how the matching phase of entrepreneurship aligns with their program. So, we invited Dr. Cadeddu to sit with our team for an interview on matching.

Matching for success

According to our Impact Starting Guide, the step-by-step guide that supports your entrepreneurial journey, matching is the third step in entrepreneurship. This phase is characterized by developing your team and partners, and the secret recipe is made up of four steps:

  1. Identify your requirements: pinpoint the missing skills or expertise in your venture.
  2. Define the right composition: map out roles and required capabilities, knowing your team will evolve.
  3. Recruit co-founders: use role descriptions to find and interview potential team members.
  4. Identify potential partners: look within and beyond your network for aligned partners, and craft a clear value proposition to engage them.

“You can have the best idea, a Nobel Prize-worthy even, but if you don’t have the right people to bring it forward, it will go nowhere.”

Chiara Cadeddu

Improving the match-making process

For Dr. Cadeddu, matching the right people to a project means more than checking skills off a list. It’s about shared purpose, complementary expertise, and aligned values. To ensure that the Caring Nature team has the best-fit people, they followed a dual approach:

  1.  Trusted networks: they reached out to collaborators they had worked with before, partners with proven alignment in values and ways of working.
  2. Strategic discovery: where gaps existed (for example, finding architectural expertise for sustainable healthcare buildings), they ventured into new territory. Tools from the European Commission, combined with good old-fashioned research and direct outreach, helped them expand their network with intentionality.

“For areas where we had no prior contacts, we just researched, sent emails, jumped on calls, and found alignment from there.”

Chiara Cadeddu

This hybrid strategy made the consortium both rooted and adaptable, giving the team the flexibility to build something bold and resilient.

How to manage matching failures

Despite best efforts, even a well-matched team can face setbacks, as Chiara mentioned. “Months after the project launched, one partner withdrew due to internal organizational constraints,” a reminder that even the most committed collaborators can be limited by structures beyond their control. As Dr. Cadeddu views these challenges as inevitable obstacles in the life of a project, she advises entrepreneurs: 

“You can’t eliminate all risk, but you can manage it. Being clear about commitments and timelines from the beginning can help.”

Chiara Cadeddu

What matters most is how you mitigate the setbacks, not how many you have or when you face them. For her team, the loss of a partner meant realigning resources, rethinking workflows, and integrating a new organization mid-project, while staying true to the project’s original mission.

Matching beyond business

In entrepreneurial environments, especially within the private sector, values can sometimes take a backseat to profit. But for projects like Caring Nature, where the goal is to make healthcare more sustainable, alignment on values is not optional, but foundational. 

“We want partners who are here not just for business, but because they believe in creating a better, greener world for future generations.”

Chiara Cadeddu

This purpose-driven approach is what cements strong collaborations. Whether in academia or entrepreneurship, finding people who believe in the mission is what transcends a concept into a lasting contribution.

Final thoughts

Although the matching phase may not be the most glamorous part of building a venture, it is the most consequential. As Dr. Cadeddu’s experience shows, real impact requires more than innovation: it requires collaboration with people who are not just skilled, but also aligned in vision and values.

And that is where support systems like Erasmus Enterprise can make a difference. Although not professional matchmakers, we can help you find your match in business, support with idea validation, and connect you with the needed sources. Check out more about our services and the Impact Starting Guide for more entrepreneurial advice.

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Validating to Success: Lessons from ChatLicense

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Bringing an idea to life is exciting, but turning it into a real, thriving business? That’s where things get tricky. In this article, we are sitting with Marjolein van Tilburg, the founder and CEO of ChatLicense. Her app helps kids and parents navigate the first smartphone experience, teaching digital responsibility in a fun and interactive way. But before ChatLicense became what it is today, Marjolein had to go through the rollercoaster ride of startup validation, figuring out if her idea was actually worth something.

From idea to reality

The idea for ChatLicense didn’t come from a boardroom brainstorm, it came from real life. As a mother of two, Marjolein saw firsthand how unprepared kids are when they get their first smartphone. One day, she realized: “We don’t just hand them car keys without driving lessons, so why are we doing that with phones?” That thought turned into ChatLicense, an app packed with quizzes, animations, and lessons to help kids use their devices responsibly.

But having a great idea is only step one. “Somebody invited me to pitch my idea,” Marjolein recalls. “I didn’t even know where to start. I was a lawyer, not an entrepreneur, and I certainly didn’t have the technical skills to build an app.” Despite her doubts, she built a pitch deck, took the stage, and…surprise! I won the competition. That was her first taste of validation: people actually believed in her idea.

The real test begins

Winning was a confidence boost, but the real challenge was ahead. As part of her prize, Marjolein got mentorship from a regional development organization. She expected to keep riding the high, but her mentor had a reality check for her: “You’re still making a lot of assumptions.”

Enter structured validation. Instead of assuming parents would love ChatLicense, she started asking them questions, real, open-ended ones. “I stopped asking, ‘Do you like my idea?’ and started asking, ‘How do you feel about giving your child a smartphone?’” The answers gave her valuable insights that helped shape the app into something parents actually wanted.

Bumps, pivots, and hard truths

Validation isn’t just about proving yourself right, but about being open to being wrong. “Sometimes the feedback isn’t what you expect, and that’s tough,” Marjolein admits. “But it also forces you to make your product better.”

One of her biggest lessons? Passion alone won’t pay the bills. “Impact startups love solving problems, but if nobody’s willing to pay for the solution, the business won’t last. Validation isn’t just about proving there’s a need, it’s about proving there’s a business.”

Lessons for entrepreneurs

Marjolein’s journey is packed with takeaways for anyone building a startup:

  1. Follow a framework – Books like The Mom Test can help you go from idea to execution without getting lost.
  2. Talk to real people – Don’t just ask for validation, but ask real users about their actual problems.
  3. Stay flexible – Be ready to pivot when feedback tells you to.
  4. Think about the business – Passion is great, but a solid revenue model keeps the lights on.

For all the entrepreneurs, Marjolein’s story is a great reminder: validation isn’t just about proving your idea is cool. It’s about making sure it can actually work in the real world.

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EUR en gemeente gaan samenwerken: 300.000 euro naar ondernemers en innovatie

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De Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (EUR) en de gemeente Rotterdam ondertekenden woensdag een overeenkomst om de samenwerking het komende jaar op te schalen. Samen gaan ze flink investeren in ondernemerschap en innovatie in de stad.

Zowel de gemeente als de universiteit verbindt zich met de overeenkomst aan het investeren van 150.000 euro per jaar – in geld of in natura – in bestaande en nieuwe projecten om ondernemerschap, innovatie en maatschappelijk welzijn in Rotterdam te stimuleren.

In een arbeidersstad als Rotterdam zijn het opstarten van middelgrote en kleine bedrijven en het innoveren van bedrijfsvoering belangrijk. Binnen de Erasmus Universiteit is de organisatie Erasmus Enterprise (EE) verantwoordelijk voor verschillende programma’s om studenten en ondernemers bij elkaar te brengen.

Verschillende programma’s

Zo organiseert EE onder meer aankomend jaar een nationale wedstrijd, waarbij deelnemers een halve dag workshops krijgen in het opzetten van een bedrijf en een klein stimuleringsfonds kunnen winnen voor het beste idee voor Rotterdam.

Ook is er bijvoorbeeld Talent for Transition: een ander programma van EE, waarbij de focus ligt op het verduurzamen van bedrijfsvoering. Daarnaast zijn er meer maatschappelijke programma’s als SheLeads+, dat zich inzet op het aantrekken van vrouwelijke ondernemers.

Prof. dr. Annelien Bredenoord, bestuursvoorzitter van de EUR, ondertekende de overeenkomst. ,,Via concrete projecten in de stad zetten we academische kennis om in praktische oplossingen voor het midden- en kleinbedrijf. Ik kijk uit naar de impact die we hiermee gaan maken.”

Credits to AD.nl

Nadia Madnoersan​

Founders’ Friday with Sofia van Buuren, FitFlask

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Entrepreneurship can be demanding and sometimes overwhelming, especially when balancing a full-time student life with the fast-paced world of business. However, to succeed and avoid being bogged down by negativity, it’s essential to focus on the positive and draw inspiration from those around us. One such source of inspiration is Sofia van Buuren, one of the ideation finalists of the Erasmus University Challenge 2024. As the founder of FitFlask, Sofia embodies resilience, passion, and vision: qualities that make her our Friday Founder.

Goals and Mission

Sofia, the mastermind of FitFlask, brought the idea of combining something ordinary, like a water bottle, and combine it with something revolutionary: the palm cooling technology. Initially, this technology may sound like something taken out of an alien movie, something that cannot be confined within a water bottle- and that was true, until Sofia came up with this twist. 

The palm-cooling works like this: when you feel overwhelmed during your regular workout, it is usually because you are overheating, which nudges you to stop working out completely. But, by touching something that has a cold surface, your bodily temperature is regulated, then you can continue to work out! 

Noticing that palm cooling technology was overlooked, she integrated it into a gym essential: a water bottle, making it effortless to adopt and fit seamlessly into existing routines.

Sofia's Mission: to decrease the level of athletics who are resuming to the consumption of steroids while combining the use of something that already exist and scaling it to the next level!

The Shiny Object Syndrome

Her first challenge was battling shiny object syndrome which is the tendency to focus on tasks that feel important but don’t actually drive progress. Early on, she found herself caught up in activities like designing logos or building a website without a viable product or leads. And, although they are important aspects of a business, Sofia claimed that it took conscious effort and practice to shift her focus toward tasks that truly moved the needle. Once she made that change, her business started to grow.

Another challenge was navigating the entrepreneurial world as a medical student with no prior business experience. She often felt unqualified, especially when competing in events like the Erasmus University Challenge. However, she realized that everyone brings unique strengths to the table. Her scientific background, for instance, became a valuable asset, helping her impress mentors and apply critical knowledge to her business. The key, she discovered, is to identify and leverage your strengths, even if they don’t seem relevant at first, to propel your venture forward.

The Innovative Product

To integrate palm cooling technology into something as simple as a water bottle, the design involves two layers: an inner layer for the water and an outer layer housing the cooling system. While the specifics are under wraps, the main challenge lies in miniaturizing the cooling technology. Unlike heating systems, cooling systems are notoriously difficult to shrink, making this a significant hurdle.

The biggest challenge is balancing size, weight, and functionality. While reducing the bottle’s size is tough, the focus remains on ensuring optimal cooling performance. Sacrifices like holding less water or being slightly heavier are acceptable if the product delivers maximum efficacy. The priority is to create a solution that works effectively, rather than compromising performance for convenience.

Advice

Pick something you genuinely love, something you can turn into a lifestyle.

Sofia van Buuren

To young entrepreneurs, her message is clear: become an action taker. Action is a skill you build and practice daily, and it’s the most valuable asset an entrepreneur can develop.

What's Next?

Sofia is on an exciting journey and invites you to be part of it! She’s currently searching for a tech co-founder, an engineer with expertise in medical, mechanical, or thermodynamic systems, to help bring FitFlask to life. Alongside this, she’s diving into market research to ensure the product meets real needs. “A great idea is just the beginning,” she shares. “Understanding the market is key before building something truly impactful.”

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Startup OASYS NOW van EUR-alumni wint €1 miljoen in SLUSH competitie

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Van Berlijn tot Helsinki: A Winning Streak

OASYS NOW, dat een intuïtief platform biedt dat patiënten wereldwijd in contact brengt met mogelijkheden voor klinisch onderzoek, begon hier aan onze Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. Ze waren de eerste winnaars van de Erasmus University Challenge drie jaar geleden, georganiseerd door Erasmus Enterprise. Sindsdien heeft het team hun ondernemersvaardigheden aangescherpt en in 2022 wonnen ze dan ook de Stage Two prijs in Berlijn, waarmee ze hun positie als een van Europa’s top universitaire startups verstevigden.

SLUSH is een wereldwijde competitie voor startups, investeerders en de industrie, die jaarlijks wordt gehouden in Helsinki, Finland. SLUSH licht transformatieve innovaties uit en dient als lanceerplatform voor ondernemend talent dat wereldwijde uitdagingen aanpakt.  

Medeoprichter Nima Salami: “Het winnen van de SLUSH-prijs van € 1 miljoen is een bewijs van het potentieel van onze missie. We zetten ons in om de manier waarop mensen hun gezondheidsreis ervaren te transformeren. Deze erkenning biedt ons de kans om onze impact verder te vergroten.”

“We proberen de beste talenten in meerdere sectoren aan te trekken. Ik denk dat wat we gaan bouwen veel mensenlevens raakt, dus het aantrekken van het beste talent betekent niet alleen de ‘harde’ vaardigheden die ze hebben, maar ook de ‘hart’-vaardigheden”, zegt Nima Salami. Bovendien breidt OASYS NOW haar activiteiten uit buiten Europa. Sara Okhuijsen: “Het is onze missie om gepersonaliseerde gezondheidszorg wereldwijd toegankelijk te maken voor iedereen.”

Innovatie ondersteunen aan de Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

Het succes van OASYS NOW illustreert de impact van initiatieven zoals de Erasmus University Challenge, die innovatie stimuleert en opkomende ondernemers belangrijke middelen biedt. Erasmus Enterprise blijft ondernemingen steunen die echte problemen aanpakken met creativiteit en vastberadenheid.

Photo: Petri Anttila

Ideation: The Cornerstone of Entrepreneurship

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When we think about entrepreneurship, we will think about hardship, we envision the finished product, thriving business, and satisfied customers. The truth is, all the successful businesses have one common foundation: the spark, or the idea. Ideation is the process of shaping and refining that spark. At Erasmus Enterprise, the importance of this phase is emphasized not only as the starting point, but also a stage that entrepreneurs revisit throughout their journey.

I’m Raluca Bularca, the social media and marketing assistant at Erasmus Enterprise—our vibrant ‘Yellow Temple.’ My own entrepreneurial journey is just beginning. While I’ve been lucky enough to support students chasing their entrepreneurial dreams, I’ve always hesitated to take the leap myself. That’s why I sat down with Ernst Hoestra, CEO of Erasmus Enterprise, to get his insights on the phases of entrepreneurship, starting with ideation. Here are the main takeaways:

Ideation is where it all begins, it's that phase where you take a mere spark of hope and work on making it tangible. This isn't just a one-time thing, no matter how successful your business becomes, you'll find yourself returning to this phase over and over again.

Ernst Hoestra

From Problem to Possibility

One of the key takeaways from the interview was the importance of aligning ideas with passion. Identifying that “big idea” starts by looking at everyday problems and considering how they can be solved. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to ask: What is the core issue? Who can benefit from the solution? And how can assumptions about the idea can be challenged and refined?

“Constant research and refinement are pivotal. If you want to make sure that your idea will evolve into something meaningful, you must start assuming things about your surroundings. Test your assumptions, research, and apply your findings.”

The Power of Passion

At the heart of ideation lies personal passion, and most of the successful ideas often come from entrepreneurs who are deeply invested in the issue that they are trying to solve. That is why entrepreneurship is not just about the problem you are solving; it is about tackling something that resonates personally. More than this, Hoestra emphasized that the ideation phase is not about developing a full business model, but it’s about exploring the idea’s potential and finding a unique space in the market.

A Journey That Never Ends

Innovation is never a straight line. Entrepreneurship is about constantly adapting, questioning, and being open to new ideas. Even experienced entrepreneurs revisit their original ideas when faced with challenges. Uncertainty shouldn’t be seen as an obstacle but as a signal to return to ideation, refine the idea, and let it guide you forward.

Embracing Uncertainty

The process of ideation is not a one-time event; it’s a continuous cycle. As the CEO put it, “You return to ideation again and again.” No matter how successful a business becomes, revisiting and refining the original idea remains crucial. This approach of breaking down thoughts, or “reverse engineering,” allows entrepreneurs to reconnect with the essence of their ideas and refine their solutions.

Entrepreneurship often begins with a mission or a burning question, whether it’s solving a problem or filling a gap in the market. The initial moment of inspiration might come from something as simple as observing challenges in daily life, such as inefficiencies at work or issues faced by students on campus. This is where the magic of ideation begins.

Ready to Begin?

Every entrepreneurial journey is unique, but guidance is always helpful. Erasmus Enterprise offers ideation workshops designed to spark creativity; help identify your audience, and guide you through the process of refining your solutions. Think of it as having a mentor by your side, ensuring you stay focused on your vision. You can download The Impact Starting Guide for more insights on how Erasmus Enterprise can support your journey. Follow along as we explore the endless possibilities of entrepreneurship together.

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Founders’ Friday: Hops&Co.

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Located in the heart of the Woudestein Campus, Erasmus Enterprise connects the entrepreneurial community with aspiring students eager to make a significant impact. With passion and dedication, we foster innovative ideas, expand networks, and provide financial advice and support.

In this week’s Founders’ Friday series, we shine the spotlight on an innovative student-led  startup that has received the Startup Voucher, a financial support product offered by Erasmus Enterprise. Their dedication to entrepreneurship and sustainability shines through their participation in the Erasmus University Challenge, a competition for startups at all stages. As one of the finalist teams, they stand out for their innovative approach. Join us as we explore their entrepreneurial journey and uncover how they aim to revolutionize the beer industry

From waste to resource, from problem to solution! Innovating with purpose, inspiring with action! Where brewing ends, innovation begins!

Hops&Co.

Overview and Mission

Hops & Co. is on a mission to make the beer brewing industry more sustainable. They achieve this by upcycling the byproducts of beer brewing into highly nutritious, sustainable flour. After collecting the spent grain from their partner breweries, they dry and mill it to produce flour. This flour is then distributed to their customers, which include local cafés, bakeries, and restaurants that use it to create a variety of goods. By doing so, Hops & Co. contributes to a circular economy, reduces waste, and helps local businesses adopt sustainable practices at an affordable price—offering their flour at a price comparable to conventional options.

Moritz Jäger and Luis Koenigs are the co-founders and team leaders of Hops & Co. Both are 20-year-old International Business students from Germany, currently expanding their team with plans to have 7-8 members by the end of September.

Initially, Moritz and Luis were part of an innovation team within Enactus, a student association at Erasmus University that serves as a startup incubator. In late 2023, along with a few former team members, they founded Hops & Co., inspired by the vast potential for upcycling spent grain, a highly nutritious byproduct. Rotterdam’s network of microbreweries, cafés, and restaurants further fueled their mission.

Through conversations with brewery representatives, Moritz and Luis discovered that waste management is often an expensive, time-consuming task that harms the environment, especially when spent grains are transported over long distances or disposed of. Even when not wasted, these byproducts are typically sent to farms for animal feed. On the customer side, they found that many local businesses want to adopt sustainable products but are often deterred by the high costs—sustainable alternatives are typically three to four times more expensive than conventional products. This is where Hops & Co. saw an opportunity: to upcycle byproducts into highly nutritious flour and offer local facilities an affordable, sustainable alternative.

Journey and Startup Voucher

To turn their vision into reality, Hops & Co. needed financial support. They quickly identified Erasmus Enterprise’s Startup Voucher as a potential funding source and decided to apply for the €2,500 voucher. During the application process, they were closely guided by Erasmus Enterprise representatives, who provided invaluable support. The team was required to outline their business model, evaluate their competitive advantage, and present a detailed plan for the voucher’s use. Shortly after submitting all necessary documents, they were thrilled to learn that they had been granted the voucher.

This achievement marks a crucial turning point for Hops & Co. Not only do Moritz and Luis feel proud and validated in their work, but they now have the means to turn Hops & Co. into a fully operational venture. The voucher will enable them to purchase professional equipment, rent a production facility, and generate their first sales.

They learned that if you are confident in an idea and truly believe in it, even when it’s still in the theoretical stage, you should share it with others. Once you dare to do so, representing your idea to potential stakeholders becomes much easier, and convincing others of your concept follows naturally. Hops & Co. took that leap of faith and have been substantially rewarded.

Insights for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Know the customers, not just your product

Understanding customers is key to growing a business. Identify their pain points, unmet needs, and create solutions around them. If you focus on solving a real problem, there will always be customers. The best business ideas aren’t necessarily new inventions—they simply address a clear unmet need.

Networking and Relationships

Surround yourself with mentors, fellow entrepreneurs, and customers who can provide valuable feedback and support as you pursue your mission.

Get comfortable with uncertainty

There will always be things you can’t predict. Embrace uncertainty and move forward with calculated risks, rather than trying to control every aspect.

Reflecting on Journey

Not every decision Hops & Co. made turned out as planned. However, each choice was crucial for learning important skills and developing aspects of the venture that are essential today. For example, when they first experimented with brewing spent grain, they started by making granola bars. While they have since shifted their focus entirely to flour, the lessons learned from those early experiments were invaluable.

Erasmus University Challenge: Grand Finale

Join us for the exciting Grand Finale of the Erasmus University Challenge, where the entrepreneurial minds showcase their innovative startups. Whether you're rooting for Hops & Co. or another inspiring startup, this is your chance to support your favorite and make your voice heard. Cast your vote and stand a chance to win an official Excelsior scarf, a symbol of your entrepreneurial spirit!
Register Now

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