On 20 December 2023 the legislative acts on the European Single Access Point (ESAP) for information on financial services, capital markets sustainability and diversity were published in the Official Journal of the EU.
Eurocrowd notes in a blog post that the ESAP is “expected to provide the public with easy centralized access to non-commercial information about financial services firms and their products.”
As mentioned in a blog by Eurocrowd, the new law will “capture a very large number of financial services and products, including those regulated under MiFID, MiCAR, Venture Capital Funds, European Social Entrepreneurship Funds, Green Bonds.”
However, Crowdfunding as regulated “under ECSPR does – for now – not fall under the new law and regulated platforms will not have to comply yet.”
The regulations and accompanying directive “will enter into force in January 2024. The directive must be adopted by member states by 10 January 2026.”
More on the legislation can be found “within the actual regulation establishing the ESAP here, the regulation amending certain regulations for the functioning of the ESAP is available here, and the directive amending certain directives for the functioning of the ESAP is available here.”
On 22 November 2023, B Accelerator Tower in Bizkaia , Spain, held the regional final of the Startup World Cup, “marking a significant milestone as the world’s largest startup competition.”
This exclusive regional competition, the only one of its kind in the entire country, featured 10 startups carefully selected “as finalists by a committee comprising venture capital firms, business angels, and incubators.”
EUROCROWD have supported “the BAT B Accelerator Tower – where EUROCROWD has established its Spanish offices. Mauricio O’Brien, Regional Development Manager at EUROCROWD; Eriz Sainz Gurtubay, Director of BAT B Accelerator Tower; Cristóbal Alonso, CEO of Startup Wise Guys; Javier Santiago, coordinator at Seed Capital Bizkaia; Ander Muñoz, from BEAZ Bizkaia; Jon Lorenzo, Digital Natives Account Manager at Google, served as members of the judging panel for the pitch competition.”
Prior to this, a careful competition “amongst startups from any sector saw a high number of excellent applications during October and November 2023.”
The internal review selected “the most promising startups for the final event, which saw EpowerLabs awared the top spot.”
The company is a startup set-up in 2020 “with a mission to accelerate the transition in mobility and energy applications toward electrification and sustainability.”
EpowerLabs has been diligently “working since its inception to develop cutting-edge power electronics solutions, contributing to the technological competitiveness of its clients and positioning them as leaders in the present and the future. As the winner, EpowerLabs will advance to the global semifinal in Silicon Valley on 29 November 2023, with BAT providing a contribution to cover travel expenses.”
This victory not only “showcases EpowerLabs’ innovative approach but also underscores the success and advancements in the European startup ecosystem.”
The profound experience and dedication “behind the professional evaluation of the BAT Biscay Startup Challenge contributed significantly to its success.”
They extend congratulations to EpowerLabs and encourage “all stakeholders to celebrate this impactful event, recognizing its significance in the vibrant startup ecosystem.”