Fosun's Protechting 4.0 Reached a Record of 400 Applications from 53 Countries

India - English

Program dedicated to stimulating international entrepreneurship has selected the 12 finalist startups, after a week of bootcamp entirely dedicated to innovation and interaction among partners.

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Fosun

Nov 22, 2019, 05:11 ET

LISBON, Portugal, Nov. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Protechting, Fosun and Fidelidade's innovation program, in partnership with Luz Learning Health Hospital and the German private bank Hauck & Aufhäuser, have selected the 12 finalist startups, which will be part of the acceleration phase of the program which aims to support the development of international projects that contribute to improving the protection of people in strategic areas, such as Healthtech, Insurtech, Fintech, but with the added concern for sustainable development issues.

The program's fourth edition, dedicated to the acceleration and attraction of startups, reinforced the growth achieved in previous editions. Protechting 4.0, increasingly more international, reached a record of 400 applications from 53 countries and five continents, a growth of around 40% compared to the previous edition.

19 of the 400 candidates were selected to participate in the Protechting bootcamp, which took place from the 18^th to the 21^st of November. The objective was to identify the most appropriate business models for the phase, through a deep interaction between startups and partners, which exposed the startups to innovation workshops, events focused on this thematic and management and motivation lectures.

In addition to strengthening the global scope of the project, through the continued partnership with the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre and the presence in new locations originating from Portuguese-speaking African Countries and Peru, this edition innovated by adding sustainability as a business criterion for selecting the candidate, thus requiring a commitment to work, in the future, on projects that have a more sustainable impact on society.

These achievements are the result of a combination of factors such as the growing awareness gained by the Protechting program and the international scouting effort of startups during the application phase with partners and at entrepreneurship events in Europe, South America, Africa and China.

Based on Fidelidade and Fosun's shared vision, which defines entrepreneurship as a key source of innovation in building future societies, the Protechting program, developed with Beta-i's support, aims to foster a culture of embracing and developing innovation, facilitating access to resources important for the evolution and realization of business ideas.

Protechting 4.0's three best final projects will be awarded a roadshow in China, with access to some of the world's largest investors, and may also benefit from an equity stake, or integrate their business into Fosun, Fidelidade, Luz Saúde and Hauck & Aufhäuser. The winner, with the best business project, will also be awarded a monetary prize of 10,000 €.

More on: www.protechting.com

About Fosun

Fosun International Limited is a technology-driven consumer group that has been listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00656.HK) since 2007. Founded in 1992, Fosun operates three business lines, in Health, Happiness and Wealth, creating world-class products and services for families around the world. In 2018, Fosun recorded revenues of RMB 109.4 billion (c.US$ 16.5 billion) with total assets worth RMB 681.51 billion (c.US$ 99.13 billion) as of 30 June 2019.

About Fidelidade

Fidelidade is the leading insurer in Portugal, both in life and non-life, with a market share around 30.7%. The company is present in the various insurance business segments and benefits from the largest network in Portugal, with a presence in several countries and regions, namely Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Spain, France and Macao.

About Luz Saúde

Luz Saúde was established in 2000 and is one of the largest health care groups in terms of income operating in the Portuguese market. As of 30 June 2019, the group provides its services through 20 units (including twelve private hospitals, a hospital of the national health service operated under the Public-Private Partnership program, nine private ambulatory clinics and two senior residences), located in the North, Central and Central-South regions of Portugal.

About Hauck & Aufhäuser

Hauck & Aufhäuser can look back with pride at a history spanning 223 years. The bank was created through the merger of two highly traditional private banks: Georg Hauck & Sohn Bankiers, founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1796, and Bankhaus H. Aufhäuser, on the market in Munich since 1870. The two banks merged in 1998. The Management Board of the bank comprises the Chairman, Michael Bentlage, and the Management Board members, Dr. Holger Sepp and Robert Sprogies. Hauck & Aufhäuser considers itself to be both a highly traditional and, at the same time, a highly modern private bank.

From its corporate locations in Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Cologne, the bank focuses on delivering holistic advisory and management services to its private and corporate clients, managing the assets of institutional investors, providing comprehensive fund services for financial and real assets in Germany and Luxembourg, and successful cooperation with independent asset managers. In addition, we offer research, sales and trading activities specializing in small and mid-cap enterprises in German-speaking countries as well as tailored services for IPOs and capital increases. The main focus of our business activities is on providing holistic and personal advice as the basis for developing tailored solutions.

SOURCE Fosun