I help institutions design innovation programmes that produce ventures.
Independent advisor to universities, funds and public agencies, and expert to DeepTech founders and research teams. More than twenty years from software engineering to programme direction, and an expert for the European Innovation Council.
Discuss a programme See the track record
Based in the Paris region. Working across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.
Services
For institutions that run innovation programmes
Programme design
Pre-accelerators, lab-to-market and venture-building tracks: curriculum, selection process, mentoring model, governance and staffing.
Programme review
An outside diagnostic of a running programme, with a short, prioritised list of what to change and in what order.
Expert delivery
Investment-readiness workshops and market validation for DeepTech cohorts, and guidance on product development toward commercialization. Evaluation, jury and coaching complete the offer.
For DeepTech startups and research teams
Market validation, commercialization strategy, investment readiness and coaching, from lab result to first customers. I am also open to advisory board seats, event partnerships and co-founder roles where the technology is strong and the market is clear.
Track record
Nine years of programmes seen from three seats: as designer and director, as evaluator, and as mentor. Client names are withheld for confidentiality.
Programmes designed and led
- Director of a flagship entrepreneurship programme for a national fund in the Gulf: curriculum, bootcamps, mentoring framework, selection, prototyping, governance and staffing.
- Innovation Programs Director for a university pre-accelerator and for lab-to-market and venture-building programmes in climate-tech (2025 to 2026).
- Lead coach on MSME digital transformation programmes: AI adoption, performance management, impact measurement (2025 to 2026).
- Creator of Lebanon's first agri-food innovation hub: accelerator, incubator and industry cluster, with more than 50 startups supported (2017 to 2019).
Expert evaluation and advisory
- European Innovation Council, Tech to Market programme: venture building expert, mentor and panel member (2023 to today).
- MassChallenge Switzerland and United States: expert evaluator (2021 to today). InnoRate, Horizon 2020: expert evaluator (2020 to 2023).
- InnORBIT, Horizon 2020: advisory board member for space innovation (2021 to today). EBN: business expert for startup support organisations.
- Jury member and startup coach for Tech Tour events on AI, quantum, defence and space (2026).
Mentoring and investment readiness
- Stanford Seed, World Business Angels Investment Forum, The Purpose Alliance, Mowgli Foundation, Tony Elumelu Foundation.
- EIC Women Leadership programme: mentor since 2021. Investment-readiness workshops and fundraising strategy up to Series A.
Selected DeepTech projects, EIC Tech to Market
| Digital Infrastructure | DNA Data Archiving Platform |
|---|---|
| Advanced Computing | Liquid-Based Cybernetic Computing Platform |
| HPC and Artificial Intelligence | User-Space Hypervisor for HPC and AI Workloads |
| AI Hardware | Optical Neural Network Processor |
Frameworks
Concepts and frameworks I develop to help organisations build programmes and ventures, each explained in an article.
The Four Ds to Build Your StartupOctober 2026About
I am a Business Innovation Strategist with more than twenty years of experience. I started in software development, then moved through ICT project management and economic development programmes before focusing on innovation strategy and venture building. Along the way I have managed multi-million-dollar portfolios and many projects at once.
I have advised startups, universities, funds and public institutions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, as expert, mentor and programme director. Having seen innovation programmes from the delivery side, the funder's side and the founder's side, I focus on what makes them produce companies and not only events, with a particular commitment to DeepTech and sustainable business practices.
I hold an MSc in Computer and Telecom Engineering and an Executive MBA from ESCP Europe.
Contact
To discuss a programme, an advisory seat or a collaboration, write to me or reach out on LinkedIn.