UPDATE: After yesterday’s brainstorming we decided to put out a idea sourcing page. Use the widget on the right to submit ideas or go to specific page located at feedback.aaltoes.com to submit your ideas!
It’s exciting times here on Betonimiehenkuja. Aaltoes just got the keys to its new 1000 square meter space last Tuesday and we’ve been working hard to get things running. Our objective is to put together a plan for the new Aalto Ventures Park by the end of the year.
Imagine a space where startups can work together and benefit from shared services, close proximity to the Design Factory and Otaniemi campus, an incoming flow of students, professors, international visitors, alumni and experienced entrepreneurs, and a positive and encouraging environment.
The plan is not to build an incubator – there are plenty of those in Finland already. We aim to support startups in their early exploratory stages – while they’re learning about the market, pitching for funding, developing their product, finding first customers and looking for team members. We’re still working on what Aalto Ventures Park will
be in practice, but we have a space, an energetic team and a vision of making something big that serves the needs of Aalto University’s entrepreneurial community.
We’re kicking off with a bang; our inaugural event will have some of the world’s best speakers on entrepreneurship – Ken Morse and Bill Aulet.
The founder and former Managing Director of MIT Entrepreneurship Center Ken Morse and acting Managing Director Bill Aulet are holding an interactive lecture for us next Sunday night the 11th of October at 17.00. The session is themed around what is hot and what is not in entrepreneurship – what entrepreneurship is, what traits successful entrepreneurs share and how to go about becoming an entrepreneur and building a startup.
It’s been great to show people the Ventures Park space, see their reactions and listen to their first thoughts on how to use the space to build a new venture accelerator. Join us Sunday night for the MIT Entrepreneurship Session, followed by refreshments and a brainstorming on what the new Aalto Ventures Park could be. We want your feedback!
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Check out video from the space http://vid.ly/aekt
Posts regarding Aalto Ventures Park development can be found under Aalto Ventures Park category. We’re also using #aaltovp tag in Twitter to keep up with the development!
This is absolutely great!
We have been looking for a similar concept,
but could not find a place big enough.
I’m glad that now we don’t need to
search anymore, but we can come and hang out here.
Let me know if ideas/help is needed in the design phase.
BTW, I really like the name also.
Reg.
Sani Leino
Project Manager / Founder
Helsinki Metropolitan Entrepreneurship Academy
sani.leino@hmea.fi
tel. +358504058516
http://www.hmea.fi
HMEA on Facebook:
http://tinyurl.com/HMEA-on-Facebook
Sounds exciting….GOOD LUCK !!
I think while the plan is not to build up an incubator, there would and should be some similarities in functions. Think about an incubator as a “dormitory” room and Aalto Venture Park a “common” room. By practice, everyone can work and rest at both place. But the “common room” has more space capacity, more people and more public activities, while the “dormitory” provides more privacy for confidential development.
Basically it should be more of a common space for entrepreneurial people to gather and work together. Most likely early stage startup teams that work through virtual office and want a place where they can entrust their postal and meet occasionally, or startups that already have their own office space to work daily, but want a place to greet clients.
In general, every startup is encouraged to have their own office space somewhere at some point. But it is always welcomed to place a virtual HQ at AVP.
Of course, those would be the added value besides other functions for the space: to encourage, educate and nuture entrepreneurship by organizing events, providing relevant connections, product exposures.. etc. Even so, putting in some functions similar to incubators would help attracting more people.
Working virtually is a culture that Aalto Venture Park should promote, especially to early stage startups. It simply makes the most sense.
Since entrepreneurship is becoming more and more popular, ultimately there will be more demand for the functions I mentioned above. So it’s not about competing with incubators, but rather promote incubators’ environment beforehand to potential startups.
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Thanks for your feedback. We’re really excited about Aaltovp and we need the community to crowd source ideas. So that’s we we now have created a UserVoice page to get those great ideas. I also included the widget for the blog. Post is updated for more information.
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