Kaunas Startups Will Receive Help from International Mentors and Participate in Open, Free Events

One of the most successful municipal business promotion initiatives in Lithuania ‒ “Kaunas startups” ‒ this year will be split in two parts: networking and acceleration, which are entrusted to professional service providers. At the beginning of September, it has already become clear that the accelerator will be powered by the management consulting company “Civitta”, “Startup Division” and “Startup Wise Guys” – organizations that are leading in IT communication technologies (ICT), deep tech, blockchain and fintech startup ecosystem development in the region of Lithuania and the Central and Eastern Europe. Networking events and community building activities will be organized by the start-up incubator “KTU Startup Space” and “Talent Garden Kaunas”.

Free events open to everyone

“Kaunas startups” networking program will include even twelve series of events, lasting from September to December. Most of the lecture-based events will focus on the steps that emerging young entrepreneurs must take – from creativity development, idea generation and its presentation to investors to team building, time management, and legal aspects of business activities. Participants will receive private consultations on issues related to the development of new business, regular training and unique practical training from real professionals – people from Lithuania and abroad working in the specific fields.

One part of the networking program is the hackathon: during this time Kaunas will open its big data, which will allow participants to create mobile applications, software or hardware throughout the weekend. The hackathon partner of the “Kaunas startups” is the world’s most popular travel planning toolkit company KAYAK which established a prize fond for the authors of the best ideas.

Events, providing knowledge for new business and gathering startup community, will include private mentoring sessions for selected teams, foreign lecturers who will speak about important startup issues at the festival SUPERNOVA 2018, and the great final event of all networking activities where developed ideas will be presented.

All events in the networking program are free of charge and open, you can register for them here.

“The active interest of those who are creating new business or just thinking about it proves that such initiatives are particularly relevant and necessary: at the start of the registration, during the first 24 hours, more than 100 participants completed the registration form,” says Tomas Proscevičius, Business Development Specialist at “KTU Startup Space”.

Networking event organizers promise to fit all those who want to participate – for that purpose lectures and discussions will be held at the “Santaka Valley”.

Two months with world-wide business acceleration professionals

According to Tadas Stankevičius, the Head of Business Division at “Kaunas IN”, acting as the director, when analyzing the start-up ecosystem in Kaunas, it was observed that new businesses need not only incubation but also further help to develop products / services and increase the volume of activities. Therefore, the accelerator of “Kaunas startups” was created, and during the intensive 2-month program the selected participants will receive help to grow from an idea to a service / product.

In October-November, over 40 international mentors and lecturers will work with the participants of the program: they are practitioners and startup founders who have created successful businesses and attracted millions of investments. Such people as M. Krivokapic, a B2B sales development professional, “Content Insights AD” senior sales vice president and sales mentor, M. Wallace Green, Strategic Projects Consultant, and Ch. Alonso, Ideas Delivery Expert, the CEO at the “Startup Wise Guys”, “Bitė” Technical Manager in the Baltic states and a board member at more than 10 startups.

Focus on the ideas of the priority sectors of Kaunas

This year, during the selection of the participants for the “Kaunas startups” accelerator, a sharper focus will be provided to the ideas, developed at the priority sectors of Kaunas – medical technology, aviation, information communication technologies (ICT) and automotive components.

Applicants may be natural and legal persons offering a product / service for the B2B market, from Kaunas or from other cities or even from other countries. They just need to register, and the selected candidates will be informed about participation in the second selection phase. Applications may be submitted until 24^th September.

Find out more about the program “Kaunas startup” 2018 here.

Information by Kaunas IN Business Division