We have handed out an approximate 60,000 euros for ideas’ prototyping


Final Spring2018
From the stage of Estonian biggest start-up event Latitude59 we have handed out financing for Spring round: four teams will receive a total of 58,300 euros from Prototron to help them implement their ideas. The largest financing tranche, for the amount of 30,000 euros, will go to the Triumf.Health platform which supports therapeutic processes for chronically ill children through play.
‘It was clear from the very beginning that the competition was going to be extremely tough in this round. All of the ideas were well-considered, the teams were motivated, and the applications were justified. The multitude of healthcare-related ideas stood out in comparison to others, and several of them ended up amongst the top ten,’ said Jana Pavlenkova, CEO of Prototron.

The Timey team will be supported by 5,500 euros, and they are developing a smart ‘best before’ indicator for products so that customers are always able to choose the freshest products in the shop. According to Pavlenkova, this solution will, hopefully, soon be seen in the commercial sector. The team picked up quite a few other prizes at Latitude59.
The sewing industry will be suitably advanced by the Beampat team, which will help to consign sewing-related paper cut-outs to history, as cutting-out will now be projected onto the fabric with the help of a small laser projector. Prototron will support the team with 15,000 euros.
‘In the case of the latter two teams, there is clearly a strong link between engineering and smart solutions, for which there is a huge demand in the market,’ noted Pavlenkova.

The figure of 7,800 euros, however, went to the team which has developed a gripper for wheelchair users. Entitled ‘I can grab’, this is a gripper which can be used to pick up objects from the table or floor and which helps to increase the independence of people with limited mobility. As Pavlenkova pointed out, ‘The team stated when introducing their idea that more independence is the greatest dream of anyone with mobility disorders and this invention will help them to achieve that dream’.
A total of 230 ideas were submitted to Prototron’s spring round, with applicants from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Belarus, Iran, Spain, Poland, and Georgia, as well as India, Tunisia, and Egypt, all of which were in addition to Estonia itself.
Prototron Fund was established with the cooperation of Swedbank, the Tallinn University of Technology, and the Science Park Tehnopol in Tallinn, designed for the financial support of an initial prototype for smart and innovative ideas.
This year, Prototron celebrates its sixth year in business with 130,000 euros of support payments being paid out in total. In addition to financial support, the sharing out of experience and the network of contacts by the Prototron mentors provides added value. For example, financing is accompanied by six months of start-up incubation at the Science Park Tehnopol, free legal assistance from Hedman Partners, and an opportunity to use the Mektory labs and the premises of the Tallinn University of Technology.