José-María Súnico, MScE
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Technology & Strategy Advisor
Specialised in business coaching for tech-intensive start-ups / SMEs that need guidance to refine their strategy, business plan, financial model & fundraising strategy
Extensive experience coaching start-ups, spin-offs & beneficiaries of European Projects (e.g. Horizon Europe, Eureka, EIC, Cleansky, EMFF, BlueInvest, TETRA, EUDIS, Cassini)
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Services I provide, and instances I collaborate with
European Projects Proposals Writing Workshops
-Public funding such as European Projects can be difficult to understand and it is easy to apply to programmes that are not a right fit or raise 'red-flags'.
-I share my honest opinion as EC evaluator, coach & mentor to help participants becoming aware of the robustness of their proposals and their chances to succeed.
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I have trained dozens of SMEs at prestigious RDI hubs e.g. Techhub at Google Campus, Enel Innovation Hub (Spain); Venturelab - EPFL (Switzerland); A2Be, HiCenter (Israel).
Company / Project / Proposal Diagnosis
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Some times, you need an external expert to challenge your business plan, your company or technology.
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There are times, when you need an independent view to analyse aspects of business not working as supposed.
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There are other times, when you need a honest feedback on a proposal you sent to a VC or to a public funding programme to find how to improve it.
I have extensive experience helping SMEs analyse their company, business ideas, and investment proposals sent to public & private instances (over 300 business ideas & proposals analysed to-date!).
Business Innovation Coaching
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-SMEs often need external expert support to acquire new techniques that help them face their next challenges:
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We start with strategy, setting key goals & methods to ensure alignment.
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Then, we introduce techniques to ensure product-market fit and produce a portfolio roadmap strategy.
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Next, we learn techniques to analyse business models and use them to find potential improvements.
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Then, we produce a feasibility study and, if positive, a solid business plan.
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Finally, we build a financial model synced with the devised strategy and business model and evaluate different fundraising scenarios.
EC Expert, Coach, Mentor
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I collaborate with different public and private instances as an external expert:
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Business coach at EIC (Accelerator, Transition, and Pathfinder)
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Business coach at EUDIS (EU Defence Innovation Scheme).
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Business mentor at CSIC (e.g., via TRL Boost, InnovaMad programmes).
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Pro-bono mentoring collaborations:
Testimonials
"I had the pleasure of working with José María Sunico within the EIC Women Leadership Program, during the preparation of my EIC Transition project.
From the very beginning, José María demonstrated exceptional understanding of my professional context and the challenges I was facing. He tailored the entire coaching program to my specific needs, providing constructive feedback and practical guidance directly linked to my ongoing project.
I particularly valued his deep engagement and insightful explanations of key business aspects such as strategic management, values, market positioning, and effective pitching. His approach was both inspiring and highly structured, helping me to refine my strategic thinking and strengthen my professional direction.
The sessions were excellently prepared and delivered, exceeding my expectations in every respect. Working with José María has been an outstanding experience that had a significant positive impact on my professional development."
Ms Barbara Pietka, PhD.
Profesor uczelni wyższej, University of Warsaw
