FIN-EST start-up development programme

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The project contributes to the development and competitiveness of the programme area. The project helps creative and ambitious entrepreneurial people with bright business ideas in different fields (IT, gaming industry, biotech, medicine, energy, creative economy, social entrepreneruship, etc) to form their ideas into real and successful international business. Both in Estonia and Finland lots of people with good business ideas need inspiration, technical knowldge, mentoring from successful startups, role models, additional knowledge, new team members in order to grow their idea into successful business plan. There is lack of good startup to invest to in both sides and very often the problem appears in weak knowledge, support and mentoring, international or local partners, cases where little help can turn the idea into real business. The problem has appeard to all counterparts: incubators, business plans competitions, angel investors and venture capitalists-partners of this project. There are too little visible business cases and this in turn does not motivate young entrepreneurs to create start-ups. Investors from other regions are not looking at the region because of the limited offering (investment project pipeline) and the small size of both countries individually. The project is aimed at helping, matching and networking those entrepreneurial people who like to grow their business ideas into business with the help of mentors, bright role models from other countries, helps to find international and local partners, meet potential investors, get practical hands on knowledge of global trends, business modelling and other crucial parts through practical workshops and networking events for Estonian and Finnish startups. The aim is to encourage people to work with their business ideas in pre-seed phase so they can get to another level- ready for investment a real business activity that will creat more success stories to the area. The project contains the following work packages: WP1 Project management - coordinating project activities and financial arrangements; WP2 PR and dissemination activities- project website,PR, press releases, articles brochure of success stories, videos from events etc. WP 3- Mapping the start-up ecosystem: mapping Estonian and Finnish Start-Up system's main players (funds, angel investors, venture capitalistst, support measures, trainings, mentors startup support organisatsions, univesities, local government's business measures,universities, business plans and entrepreneurship organisastions, etc) and benchmarking with Finland and another country. WP4: From an idea to business plan- series of events (thematic workshops, global trend workshops to help to develop entrepreneurial solutions in a few days, matching with potential investors, summer camps, match making ideas to people, mentoring ), helpdesk for startups. All the described events will be organized jointly in EE and FIN.

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