Berytech - Opening up financial and business opportunities for entrepreneurs
What Is Berytech and What Does It Do
Founded in 2002, Berytech is a leading organization in the Entrepreneurial Eco-system in Lebanon offering the right and vibrant environment for innovative entrepreneurs to create and develop start-ups and SMEs, through incubation, business support, networking, mentoring, funding, access to markets and company hosting.
Member of the European Business Network (EBN) and having the EU|BIC certification (EU Business Innovation Centre), Berytech currently manages 3 Business Development and Innovation Centres, 3 Venture Capital funds and several support programmes, opening up financial and business opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
How Does Berytech Help Its Beneficiaries? / Benefits for Berytech Customers
‘Berytech has created a powerful impact in the Lebanese economy and championed best practice with a continuous growth strategy, offering the right and vibrant environment for innovative entrepreneurs to create and develop start-ups and SMEs’.
To do this, Berytech helps entrepreneurs and start-ups through incubation, business support, networking, mentoring, access to markets and company hosting. In addition, Berytech supports its client companies through a series of programmes and initiatives to help them in the complex journey of access to funding.
Which are the main sectors of the companies supported by Berytech?
Originally, the organisation focused its activities on the ICT sector, but ‘nowadays Berytech follows a wider approach which consists of supporting the integration of technology and innovation in entrepreneurship projects and companies in every single sector’.
The majority of the companies supported today by Berytech belongs to the following sectors:
- Agri-food.
- Clean technologies.
- Circular economy.
- Energy and water.
- Social entrepreneurship.
- Women entrepreneurs.
- Textile sector.
Personal Background and Discovery of the Incubator Ecosystem
Krystel Khalil is currently the Programmes Director at Berytech. She manages the projects lab unit, responsible for the design, development, fundraising, partnership development and management of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development programmes, on the local and international scale. She launched the Berytech department focused on green and social projects, as well as on those in the Euro-Mediterranean area. In addition, she manages the research initiatives and those focused on IP protection of innovations.
With more than 13 years’ experience in the field of communication, entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and innovation, Krystel has developed extensive experience in communication and outreach, business development, programme development and implementation, from which EU-funded regional projects, tackling various innovation areas including technology, social entrepreneurship, technology transfer, cleantech, green and sustainable energy and more.
Biggest Impact and Achievements of Berytech
Since its establishment in 2002, Berytech has succeeded in:
- Creating strategic connections and international partnerships and affiliations,
- Connecting different pools of experts in the ecosystem: business angels, mentors, cluster managers, technology transfer managers, innovators and researchers,
- Collaborating with the Ministry of Economy and Trade to set and implement a national strategy to support SMEs, and
- Partnering in creating organizations, programmes and accelerators to serve the Lebanese entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In addition, Berytech has been one of the founders of IM Capital, a newly established support programme in Lebanon that provides investment tools and support directly to companies (QESBs), or indirectly through Qualified Early-Stage Investors (QESIs) that include angel investors, venture capital funds, as well as incubators and accelerators.
Funded by USAID and operated by Berytech, IM Capital aims to improve access to finance, competitiveness and revenue growth for start-ups and developing companies.
Connection with InvestHorizon
‘Being a coach with InvestHorizon is totally aligned with Berytech priorities and values. It enables me to apply my experience and that of the entire Berytech team to keep on working to support entrepreneurs in this case from the access to finance point of view. This exciting activity is part of our collaboration with EBN, that is an open door for Berytech, bringing us a lot of opportunities to exchange knowledge and interact with partners and companies in projects such as InvestHorizon’.
