“From lab research to entrepreneurship: a pivoting journey”

A presentation by Marios Neophytou.

Postdoctoral Fellow in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Solar Center.

When: Friday 16 June 13:30

Where: University of Cyprus, New Campus, KOD03 - Social Activities Centre, Room 101

 

Scientists generate great ideas in the lab. They test their assumptions, make a lab scale prototype and they are ready to take advantage of their discoveries by forming a company and start selling. At least, this is what we think! Outside of our “sterile” lab environment there is whole new world who most of the times doesn’t share the same excitement about our inventions. And if the inventors fall in love with their idea and fail to identify their future customers’ real pain, then they are doomed to fail.

In this presentation, I will share our constantly learning journey and how LeveL5 was forced to pivot and evolve from a Formula 1 aerodynamic assisting system to a CCTV camera dust removing apparatus.

 

Marios Neophytou received a Bsc in Chemistry from Patras University and a PhD degree on printed organic electronics from Cyprus University of Technology. Currently he is working on emerging photovoltaic technologies at the KAUST Solar Center in Saudi Arabia.

Together with colleagues he founded a startup called LeveL5. Their technology can generate an airflow without any moving mechanical parts for various applications.

LeveL5 won multible awards in Saudi Arabia (High Impact award), Cyprus (Chrysalis-LEAP) and placed among the top-10 European startups in Estonia (Climate-KIC).