MetaHeritage launches a Call for Investment Ideas to identify promising projects and solutions that could be further developed, evaluated and presented in the framework at the Metaheritage Investors Round Table. The initiative aims to connect innovative ideas in cultural heritage, tourism, creative industries and digital technologies with investment readiness support, strategic partners and potential investors.

The date and final format of the Investors Round Table will be announced at a later stage.

The MetaHeritage Investors Round Table is conceived as a curated process to identify, assess and support high-potential projects working at the intersection of cultural heritage, digital innovation, immersive technologies and sustainable tourism. Rather than being a generic networking event, the Investors Round Table will be based on a structured pipeline of selected ideas and projects. These proposals will be reviewed, pre-selected and supported before being invited to engage with investors and innovation stakeholders.

Through this initiative, MetaHeritage seeks to:

• Identify innovative and investment-relevant ideas in digital cultural heritage and tourism.
• Support promising projects in becoming more investment-ready.
• Facilitate early-stage dialogue between project promoters, investors and innovation actors.
• Strengthen the visibility of emerging solutions in the cultural, creative and tourism sectors.
• Promote scalable, sustainable and interregional approaches to cultural heritage innovation.

We are looking for ideas, projects or solutions that use digital innovation to enhance, preserve, promote, interpret or commercialise cultural heritage and tourism experiences.

Proposals may address, among others:

• Digitalisation of cultural heritage, including tangible, intangible, natural and industrial heritage.
• Immersive cultural experiences using 3D, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, digital twins, metaverse or virtual worlds.
• Artificial Intelligence applications for heritage preservation, interpretation, visitor experience, creative production or business development.
• Innovative cultural tourism products, services or experiences.
• Interregional cultural routes connecting heritage assets, destinations or communities across different European regions.
• Digital platforms, tools or applications that improve accessibility, visibility, storytelling, education or audience engagement.
• New business models for cultural heritage, tourism, creative industries or immersive experiences.
• Scalable solutions that could attract investment, public-private support or European funding.

Priority may be given to ideas connected to one or more of the following areas:

• Innovation in the wine sector.
• Historic house heritage assets and historic hotels.
• Wellness, cycling and hiking.
• Metaverse and immersive technologies applied to heritage and tourism.
• European cultural and innovative tourism experiences.
• Industrial and cultural heritage transformed into investment-ready experiences.
• Artificial Intelligence for heritage preservation, visitor experience or creative production.
• Interregional cultural routes and sustainable tourism ecosystems.
• Digital tools that connect cultural heritage, local communities and new audiences.

This call is open to applicants based in EU Member States and Associated Countries.

We welcome ideas from organisations and stakeholders working at the intersection of cultural heritage, tourism, digital innovation and creative industries, including:

• SMEs and start-ups.
• Cultural and creative organisations.
• Tourism organisations and operators.
• Heritage institutions.
• Museums, archives, historic houses and cultural sites.
• Technology providers.
• Universities and research centres.
• Public authorities.
• Public-private partnerships.
• Cross-sector consortia.
• Innovation promoters and project developers in the fields of cultural heritage, digitalisation, tourism or creative industries.

Applicants may submit ideas individually or as part of a consortium.

Submitted ideas should demonstrate, or have the potential to develop, a clear European or interregional dimension. This may include cooperation between regions, the connection of cultural routes, collaboration between heritage and technology actors, or scalability across European territories.

Step 1: Submission of investment ideas

Use this online form to submit your investment idea. The form will ask for key information about the applicant, the proposed idea, the technology involved, the expected impact, the current stage of development and the type of support needed.

Please note that you must upload a pitch deck to complete your submission.

Step 2: Preliminary review

Submitted ideas will be reviewed by the MetaHeritage team and, where appropriate, by relevant experts. The review may consider aspects such as:

• Innovation potential
• Heritage and tourism relevance
• Technological maturity
• Market potential
• Scalability
• Investment readiness
• Expected cultural, social, educational and economic impact
• Alignment with European priorities in digitalisation, sustainability and regional development

Step 3: Pre-selection of promising ideas

A shortlist of promising ideas may be identified for further discussion, additional information or participation in future support activities.

Step 4: Investment readiness support

Selected ideas may be invited to participate in mentoring, business model review, pitch preparation or other investment readiness activities.

Step 5: Investors Round Table

A curated selection of projects may be invited to participate in the future MetaHeritage Investors Round Table, where they may have the opportunity to engage with investors, innovation actors and strategic stakeholders.

The Investors Round Table is currently under development. The final date, format and participation conditions will be confirmed later.

Please read the Data Protection Notice before submitting your application.