Tag Archive for: innovation

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

Unfolding Data Stories with Cogni.zone

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Transforming Data for Better Insights

Cognizone, a semantic technology consulting firm based in Brussels, has spent the last decade transforming complex data into clear, interconnected systems and graphs. Their work allows organizations to maximise the data potential through their better understanding, connecting, and utilisation. As a data-startup innovating with Greek tax authorities they are leveraging semantic technology to streamline public sector processes.

At Stone Soup, we had the pleasure of catching up with Dimitrios Perperidis and the Greek team from Cognizone (CZ) to hear about their latest achievements since joining Stone Soup in 2023.

Data-Startup Innovating with Greek Tax Authorities

Cognizone marked its entry into Greece through a groundbreaking collaboration with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR, or AADE). This project harnesses linked open data and semantic web technologies to create a state-of-the-art application ecosystem designed to support IAPR’s legislative and regulatory processes. The system revolutionizes navigation and understanding of Greece’s intricate fiscal and taxation legal framework, setting a new benchmark for clarity and efficiency in legal and regulatory management.

The team innovating with Greek Tax Authorities

Improving Workforce Mobility with the ESCO Classification

The company works with high-profile clients like the DG-Employment, ETF, European Parliament, EC Publications Office and the governments of Luxembourg and Switzerland. Another one of their important projects is the ESCO classification for the European Union’s DG Employment. This classification standardizes job roles and skills across EU member states, aiming to support greater job mobility across the continent. It’s an essential and innovative tool for harmonizing labour markets, making it easier for workers to move and for employers to find the talent they need.

A Startup That Cannot Fail

Dimitrios explained to us, “If we mess up the data, an entire mission critical platform or EU website could go down.” This highlights the level of responsibility and precision Cognizone delivers—ensuring that the data they manage is not just correct but flawlessly integrated into the larger ecosystem.

In fact, what Cognizone does is unique—not just in Greece but across Europe. There’s no other company in the EU quite like them, especially in the legislative sector where the stakes are so high.

Find out more about what they do here.

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

Creating your own private office the way you want it to be!

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What happens when four friends decide to share a private office in a coworking space? To start with, they let their creativity flow when it comes to naming their group. Jojo, Kourou, OBA, and Vagos are the Cobra Kai team! Thanks to the flexibility a coworking space provides, these four friends who work remotely decided to get a private office at Stone Soup and focus on their projects together. When all you need is workspace and everything else is serviced, professionals can decide to join a coworking community instead of staying at home or returning to their fixed office.

The team in their private office

Bringing diversity in a private office

Remote work and freelancing are two great ingredients in any recipe for flexibility and diversity. In this view, a shared private office is like a mini coworking space on its own! All you need is to gather your group of friends from school, university, or RPG games and get together in a workspace as Cobra Kai did! This way socialization is guaranteed as you can see a friendly face every time you focus on your projects. 

Although they decided to enter a private office because they are long-time friends and not due to their professions, they have formed a truly interdisciplinary group. Apart from bringing some retro martial vibes to Stone Soup, the Cobra Kai dojo works in very innovative fields. Kourou is a front-end developer and works in data visualization while Vagos is an EU official specializing in cybersecurity. Jojo is a linguist and editor and OBA is a mathematician and works as an R&D consultant in machine learning.

In their own words: “Self-employed and working remotely. Some coding, some editing, tons of online meetings.”

Shared private office at Stone Soup

Benefits of a sharing your own space

For them, getting a private office and sharing it “seemed like a good idea to avoid the everyday loneliness of home office”. This way it is much easier to catch up and stay in touch with your close friendly network. Moreover, having some cool company nearby is definitely helpful. This way you can share your personal and professional troubles with people you trust and listen to. Creativity and problem-solving get a boost as well since good brainstorming is just a couple of words away! And a tricky conversation piece does not have to do only with personal matters! For the Cobra Kai group, “illusions of deep political discussions“ is what brings them together as well!

Sharing a private office has been quite a positive experience for this group of friends so far, and they believe there are even better days to come. And if you are still wondering what is up with the name they gave to themselves, all we know is that “Yannis is a ninja. The rest of us have Netflix and just hate the Larussos!”

The Cobra Kai logo