What’s the goal of tech conferences for entrepreneurs? N-E-T-W-O-R-K-I-N-G! Some guys will tell you they just come to learn about what’s going on. But as a startup founder, can your really afford to “lose” time? And to make your attendance at a tech conference valuable, the key is preparation. For Dublin Web Summit, I was late to discover the guys I need to meet. To much going on currently and having to set priorities… that’s a pity, but that’s not the reason of this post! I’d like to explain you the networking tools proposed by DWS (yes, every good tech conference has a networking tool). Some conferences display the whole list of attendees (like LeWeb, Lift Conference, Next Berlin), but DWS took a different path. On the event website, you can download the list of exhibitors, speakers, VC, etc. But not the …
Startups on fire!
The first edition of Startup Weekend in Neuchâtel took place from Friday to Sunday at the new HE-Arc campus. Around 80 innovative guys participated to this event, 34 ideas were pitched and finally 11 teams presented their project to the public and a 7-people jury (which I had the honor to be part of). According to the organizers, Cyril & Alexis, it was an excellent edition… during which a world premiere for Startup Weekend happened: a fire alarm interrupted the 8th pitch and everyone was evacuated… Finally, the fireman discovered the source of the smoke: the preparation of the aperitif! But here are the 11 projects pitched! Berrybiz would like to develop a desktop (do web-based software, please!) application to help SME’s control their financials. It will help you manage your billing and display an intuitive dashboard. VisEar addresses the problem of …
Last days to register for CHF 100’000.-!
Yearly since 1987, the W.A. De Vigier foundation awards 5 innovative startup companies with CHF 100’000.00 (à fonds perdus). Which is really not bad for a startup! You can read more about the 2012 winners here. William A. de Vigier was a successful Swiss entrepreneur, who has transformed the building industry. He started the foundation with one simple idea in mind: give back and help young entrepreneurs to realize their dream. “Never spend seed money – spend income”. W.A. De Vigier Wise quote still relevant… that entrepreneurs have to keep in mind. Investors’ money is not a goal, it’s a mean… to help you try to seize a market opportunity. For last year edition, 202 startups registered, with a dominance of ICT companies (36%), followed by biotech&medtech (32%). Average age of applicants was 35 years, with a massive proportion of …
Boost your networking and be hosted for free with StartupStay
Are you often travelling to startup conferences and lacking the connection with local entrepreneurs? Then, StartupStay is there for you! StartupStay is an accommodation online service, where you can request to stay by a fellow entrepreneur. For free. When you’re preparing a travel to a startup conference (like Dublin Web Summit, which I have the honor to attend as an official blogger), you’re always wasting time to find an available and affordable room. If you’ve found one, cool. But you’re missing something. How can you easily connect with the local startup community? StartupStay is just that: you look for an entrepreneur who would be OK to host you for free. You can browse the entrepreneur’s profiles and find the ones who are the closer from your interests or your industry. What you provide for it is up to you. But …
Get discounted tickets for 2nd Swiss Mobicamp
Like so many British folks waking up this Monday, Martin Coul the founder and energy behind the Swiss Mobicamp (read my previous post) initiative is incredibly proud of the fantastic achievement London has reached over these past few weeks in delivering what is mostly recognized as the “best Olympic games and Paralympics ever”… Even though Switzerland is now his home (for our great pleasure!), Martin wanted to celebrate this London pride. He’ll offer 10 x discounted tickets to Swiss Mobicamp (taking place in Bern on 1st November). The Olympic inspired discounts will vary each day from between 14%-29% and will only be available in limited quantities and on a first come, first served basis. This Monday was the first discount, and you could have saved 21%… Not bad! Just follow @thecoulroom or via the newsfeed on mobicamp.ch to get informed and take advantage …
Creative Mornings – Swiss chapters
Until this year, not much relevant startup’ events have been happening in Geneva in my opinion (except the yearly amazing Lift Conference). Mazala, a young entrepreneur on her way to revolutionize the bank industry, and Nelio, a web designer and entrepreneur, whom Startup Weekend participants already know, started earlier this year the local chapter of «CreativeMornings». Launched by Tina Roth Eisenberg, a swiss designer gone NYC, more known as “swissmiss”, CreativeMornings aims to gather likeminded creative people around a free breakfast. She felt the need to organize a more accessible event as usual conferences and… the success of the concept is yet widely confirmed! Started in 4 cities one year ago, CreativeMornings is now monthly available in 34 cities around the globe (in Switzerland, in Zürich and Geneva). To better serve the CreativeMornings community. Tina and her team even run …
Lean Startup Meetup in Geneva
Lean Startup principles are more and more widely accepted in the startup scene. Eric Ries, the initiator of this movement, displays the philosophy behind it: “Lean Startup isn’t about being cheap [but is about] being less wasteful and still doing things that are big.” To name the 5 key principles: Entrepreneurs are Everywhere Entrepreneurship is Management Validated Learning Innovation Accounting Build – Measure – Learn In Switzerland, not many events have been organized on this topic until recently. The first event of this kind was organized earlier this year in Zürich (“The Lean Startup Factory”) and now, things are also moving in Geneva on the initiative of Vincenzo and Doris. The 4th edition of the Lean Meetup is taking place on 13th of September 2012 at 18:30 in Geneva. Aim of the meeting will be to learn more about these …
Recruit fresh hungry talents at Start-up Day!
Shortage of start-up talents in Switzerland (and everywhere, maybe except in big startup hubs) is widely known. Fortunately, as the startup spirit is growing in Switzerland, high schools have understood this and several initiatives have been launched to help startups recruit among young graduates. In Lausanne, the students association «Forum EPFL» (for my readers outside Switzerland: EPFL = «Swiss Federal Institute of Technology») is organizing for the 3rd time the «Start-up Day» on Friday 5th of October. Entrepreneurs have the possibility to book a booth for free (yeah, they know that money is scarce in startup world!), attend a pitch training and then pitch their project to a students audience, and even buy the «CV book» of all EPFL graduates of the year (ask the organizer, they should have a start-up friendly price!). Last year, around 40 companies had a …