Tag Archive for: Residents

From Bristol to Athens: iCOMAT’s Journey in Aerospace and Automotive Technology

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Whether you’re an avid F1 enthusiast or a casual observer, chances are you’ve been mesmerized by the speed and precision of these incredible machines. But have you ever wondered about who is behind such engineering brilliance? We spoke with Giorgos Stamatopoulos, a structural analyst at iCOMAT since 2022, to explore the story of one of Athens’ top funded startup’s and its groundbreaking work in aerospace and automotive technology.

The Spark That Ignited Innovation

It all began in 2017 when Evangelos Zympeloudis, then a postgraduate student in Bristol, envisioned a transformative future for composite manufacturing. Collaborating with his supervisor, he patented a technology that manipulates carbon fibers with precision, steering them without creating defects. This invention laid the foundation for iCOMAT, a company confident to redefine the possibilities of composite materials.

Starting modestly with a small UK team and just one employee in Greece, iCOMAT’s workforce has steadily grown. Giorgos himself was the second team member in Greece, and now the local team is rapidly expanding to keep pace with the company’s growth.

icomat employee working with new state-of-the art technology.

Collaborating with Titans

As Giorgos explains, iCOMAT serves a diverse clientele, ranging from aerospace giants to luxury automotive brands. Their expertise has contributed to components for rockets, satellites, and high-performance cars, including the elusive world of Formula 1. While Giorgos remains tight-lipped about specifics, he hints at exclusive visits to the headquarters of a certain top-tier F1 team. For those outside the field, the impact of iCOMAT’s work boils down to three game-changing benefits: enhanced performance, cost efficiency, and sustainability.

Image with examples of which industries iCOMAT work with: Aerospace, automotive and space.

A Startup Backed by Visionary Investors

Innovation attracts attention, and iCOMAT is no exception. With a staggering €20.13 million in funding, the company ranks 7th among Greece’s top-funded startups according to the Venture Financing Report 2024-2025, Startups in Greece 2024–2025. Velocity Partners, one of their earliest investors, has supported them every step of the way, helping them transform their vision into reality.

The big news? iCOMAT will take its expertise to the next level by producing its designs in-house as they’ve opened their first factory in Gloucester. When asked why the UK was chosen over Greece, Giorgos explained that the complexity of their cutting-edge technology demands specialized knowledge that is currently more accessible in the UK.

A Home at Stone Soup

In Athens, iCOMAT enjoys the collaborative environment of a private office at Stone Soup. Beyond the facilities, they value the dedicated support from Olga and Giorgos, who are always ready to tackle challenges and celebrate milestones. Stone Soup’s community events are a highlight for Giorgos, who fondly recalls the monthly Meet and Drink. An event that aims to bring members together to share ideas and successes.

As the company continues to push boundaries in composite technology, their journey from a university lab in Bristol to global recognition is nothing short of inspiring. With innovation at its core and a team of passionate professionals steering the wheel, iCOMAT is the startup shaping the future of aerospace and automotive technology and engineering—one fiber at a time!

iCOMAT team working at Stone Soup

Work Opportunities Today; the LoopCV Perspective

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From Frustration to Innovative Prospects

It all began four years ago, when one of the LoopCV co-founders struggled in an unfulfilling job. However, as he realized, in order to find the best work opportunities out there, he had to spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort in job applications. In other words, he experienced, firsthand, the need for a more efficient approach to job-seeking. Drawing on his programming expertise, he developed a rudimentary version of LoopCV, setting in motion a journey fueled by innovation and a deep desire for change.

community news; Loopcv platform; new job-seeking platform; find a job; work opportunities for coworkers
Check out the LoopCV community

A User-Centric Design

In a sea of job search platforms, LoopCV stands out by placing the needs of the job-seeker front and center, opening up the chances for a successful job match. Unlike traditional job boards, which often prioritize revenue generation from businesses, LoopCV takes a different approach. The platform is designed to make job-seeking smoother for the applicant, by offering a comprehensive solution that automates the entire search process – from job discovery to application submission, thus providing the user with a greater variety of professional prospects and opportunities.

Testimonials: More Job Options Available

Over the years, the growing LoopCV team has received numerous testimonials from users who have found job openings through their platform. Their stories serve as a testament to the impact they’ve made in transforming the job search experience. As they explain, they are thrilled with the feedback they have received, “from heartfelt emails expressing gratitude to word-of-mouth recommendations, our users’ success stories fuel our passion to continue innovating and improving providing them with career opportunities that are both qualitatively and quantitatively rewarding”.

Advice on work related matters, job opportunities, interviews in the LoopCV instagram account
Follow LoopCV on instagram for insightful advice on the job-seeking A-B

A Space of Support and Possibilities

LoopCV indicated that their journey as entrepreneurs has been enriched by their membership in coworking spaces like Stone Soup. The vibrant community and collaborative environment have provided them with invaluable support, networking as well as work a wide range of opportunities. Surrounded by like-minded individuals who often face similar challenges, they have found camaraderie and interactions that propel their growth. In this regard, they support that “as the landscape of remote work and coworking spaces continues to evolve, we envision a future where technology and community intersect to redefine the way we work and collaborate”. 

Work Advice for Aspiring Innovators

To fellow entrepreneurs venturing into the job search industry, LoopCV offer this valuable piece of advice: embrace experimentation and failure. Innovation thrives on the willingness to try new things and learn from setbacks and more opportunities appear once we are open to different and even seemingly strange prospects.

Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Work

In conclusion, LoopCV is not just a platform – it’s a testament to the power of innovation and perseverance. As they specifically explained: “while we continue on our journey to empower job seekers worldwide, we remain committed to our mission of revolutionizing the job search experience, one success story at a time”. So why not open up your vocational horizons too, by joining the Loopcv universe and shape the future of work, together.

LoopCV rooftop meetings; stone soup private office holders; rooftop meetings
LoopCV meetings on Stone Soup rooftop

Meet Sergio, a freelance dev who fell in love with Athens!

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Sergio is a freelancer specialising in informatics who first visited Athens six years ago while travelling. He came back to the city as a digital nomad and spend some of his time co-working with us.

Life in Athens

Having a Spanish origin, he feels very much at home in Athens and enjoys the Mediterranean climate and relaxed lifestyle of the locals. He has already toured a few of the islands as well as mainland Greece. What excites him the most is how easy it is to get away from the city into the countryside and ‘zone out’ as he put is. 

‘I love nature. It makes me feel recharged and gives me fresh energy which I can then put into my freelance work. As a remote worker I am fortunate to get the chance to do that!.’

Working in informatics

After completing his studies in Media, Sergio moved to Germany in order to to pursue a career in informatics. He is currently working as a web developer for a German finance company. During the pandemic he had to work from home most of the time, but accommodating himself into co-working spaces changed his mindset for the better. 

‘I feel so much more concentrated when in an office due to the fact that I get to work without distractions. I especially like Stone Soup as a space because of the warm and welcoming feeling this place has. The atmosphere is quite the opposite from the stiff corporate environment I was used to be around and I really embrace that.’ 

Video games & more

Sergio’s hobby is prototyping video game ideas and developing graphics for them. He finds it way more exciting than anything else and he hopes to be able to make a living out of it in the future. 

‘Having a project of your own is really fun and rewarding at the same time. For me it has been great working in an office space because I manage to split my time effectively in between my job and my hobby as well!’ 

happy coworker; friends and colleagues; coworking community
Sergio’s GitHub profile link : https://github.com/colado

What makes a coworking community thrive is you

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The collaborative community formed in coworking spaces is characterized by fluidity, flexibility, mutual understanding, and trust among members of the space. The role of hosts or community managers of coworking spaces is crucial for the aesthetics and ambiance that each space represents and diffuses to its members and customers. Community management is a process of blurring the boundaries between activities that require communication, interaction, and reciprocity.

community event
Lounge area
meeting room
community lunch
community event
private office

A coworking community is a story of stories

If we seek for a definition on the concept of community, then a collaborative goal is definitely the central point. Each member’s and host’s experience is built around this common goal that can take various forms!

The concept of community in franchises and independent spaces differs a lot. Each concept is based on the forms of relationships among coworkers and between managers and coworkers. The parameters that reveal these relationships are values, such as trust and the ambiance created, such as coziness. Sharing your needs is a one-way street. Hence it is an experience that all members of a coworking space will collect at some point. The truth is that most coworking spaces are hybrid forms. As a result, there are many variations of community and collaboration narratives.

yoga on the roof
coworking area
community drinks

Finally, the narrative of the community constructed in each coworking space is not introverted and isolated from the larger public space. The spaces are urban meeting points in the city and they have an impact on their surroundings. Depending on the relationship they seek with the public sphere, they are accelerators of growth for startup entrepreneurship, intervention and activism for public policies, and social action and contact with the neighborhood around them.

rooftop drinks

A coworking community is like a novel, a story composed by each member’s storytellings. That is why a host should love listening to people and learning their stories.

Social impact begins from understanding someone’s needs after listening patiently and carefully. Taking advantage of impromptu happenings and serendipity moments is a great start! Unexpected experiences are what make a coworking community look like a group of friends, colleagues, or strangers at the same time. Whatever you pick, it’s your choice, as long as it helps you flourish!