Tag: teaduse kommertsialiseerimine

Toomas Türk/ Chief Specialist in Innovation at Tallinn City Enterprise Department

The City of Tallinn is a good place for testing prototypes. There are enough people, businesses, locations with different orientations here as well as other resources needed to test and develop services/products and create new startups and businesses. First of all test the market and then bring your product to the world.

Certainly, every Prototron applicant has very cool thoughts on how to make the Estonian capital better by testing new business models while always having a global dimension in mind.

Use the existing data

For example, one good way to test you solution is to think about improving the services currently provided by the City of Tallinn. Choose your favorite area of activity or suitable keyword from the list of services on the Tallinn website www.tallinn.ee – familiarise yourself with today’s situation and create your own solution-idea prototype. Don’t forget to have a look at Open Data databases, where you’ll find real data that can help you create new business opportunities or solve everyday challenges.

Test the market with supporting of the startup ecosystem

Tallinn has a very supportive and constantly evolving business ecosystem. For example, Tallinn has cooperation agreements with most Estonian universities. If you are a student, find out from your teaching staff, supervisor or dean, which projects are currently in progress and how you can contribute.

If you are creating a prototype or company and are looking for help in the form of a mentor, with creative economy product or service please contact the Tallinn Creative Incubator or with technology-based products Startup Incubator. There is a clear indication of their value proposition, what they want from you for it and how you can apply for it. Of course, you can always take part in various hackathons and business competitions that take place periodically in Tallinn.

Bring product to the world with new contacts

The most successful leaders of the Tallinn business community are clusters. A cluster is a combination of companies and organizations whose members cooperate and compete simultaneously. Cluster leaders are people with very good contacts who can guide you fast to the right contact or company in Estonia and abroad. If your successful product or service is for export, then after testing or marketing it in Tallinn, it is possible for the next reference to find contacts from twinned towns of Tallinn.

There are several major events and conferences in Tallinn where the city plays the role of organizer or supporter:

• Tallinn Innovation Forum MELT,
• The biggest robotics event Robotex,
• Conference of the Tallinn Music Week ,
• Dark Nights Film Festival PÖFF,
• Biggest startup conference Latitude59,
• Artificial Intelligent conference North Star AI jpt.

, etc.

With great pleasure, we are partnering with the Prototron Fund, which has great potential for testing and implementing ideas for the development of the City of Tallinn. Tallinn is a city where bold ideas and thinking far and wide are always welcome!

In the second round of Prototron in 2018 the Expert Committee decided to give out funds worth of 62 500 euros. In addition teams were able to gather additional funds on the Fundwise platform.

In total almost 300 ideas were submitted out of which 5 reached a successful funding.

• Pillirookõrs, which is making straws out of reed is already a brand well-known for a conscious consumer. In addition to a straw they’re now developing a material based on reed to develop alternative single-use plates or cups based on reed. They were supported with 20 000 EUR.
• Vetik is working on a marine algae based natural and healthy red colorant to substitute current unhealthy ones used in the cosmetics industry. They were supported also with 20 000 EUR.
• Decomer Technology received 7500 EUR from Prototron, in order to develop a novel water-soluble packaging material suitable for food and other industries.
• Captain Corrosion is developing handheld corrosion management device and providing corrosion-related consultations. Funding received: 7500 EUR.
• Questcity is developing an VR-augmented professional platform for designing and completing interactive quest-excursions. Funding received: 7500 EUR.

The winners will be awarded with a six-month free incubation space at Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol and legal assistance from Hedman Partners and an opportunity to use the Mektory labs and the premises of the Tallinn University of Technology. Veebimajutus awarded winners with 6 months of free web hosting and e-mail services together with know-how on website development.
For the first time the the winners were consulted by the team of Fundwise – how, when and for what can crowdfunding be used. In addition they had a chance to experience it first hand and collect additional funds.

Prototron fund is put together by Swedbank Estonia, TalTech, Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol and tallinn city. Next round of Prototron opens in January. You can submit your ideas via our web until 15th of March 2019.

As usual, competition was extremely strong. In fact – some of You are already too advanced for Prototron.

Prototron Autumn 2018 TOP40 is:

99math
AIRBOARD
Alpha AR
Animize
AUG-TEX
Bercman Technologies
Bikeep
BLACwind
Bookmap
Cake Print
Captain Corrosion
CarCamped
Carnet
DC Planner
Electric drums
FCQ Trans
Fonopod
Gerbarcher
GReat
Hinga ja Liigu
Inception Labs
Konviscan
Krattworks
Masaki Ihara
MindSweeper
Miniatur Estland
PLASTTEED
Questcity
Ruumab
SecureBadger
SHORTWALK
SmartTrigg
smetrics.io
Sonant Technologies
Strafos
SupplyFind
Univerals photovoltaic-to-grid interface
WalkInsu
Vetik
VROB (Virtual Reality Outside Broadcasting)

Congratulations, we´ll see You soon!
The next important day is November 20th – full day of mentors’ sessions will be held and in the evening The Pitch will take place.
It´s a unique event where teams persuade investors to turn to them! Teams will compete for their ticket to the Prototron autumn 2018 TOP10 and an opportunity to be featured on the Fundwise platform and exercise real-life fundraising! For sure, you will hear plenty of great ideas.

Join us at Tehnopol Venus Auditorium on 20 November 2018 at 19:30.’

Winners will be announced at Mektory, December 6th.

This round we have even more support services for our winning teams. What we have to offer besides up to 35 000€ equity free funding for prototyping, incubation at Startup incubator, R&D mentoring from TalTECH and legal aid form Hedman, training for pitching and media-communication and priceless investor contacts.

All Prototron winners get 6 months web hosting and e-mail service for free from Veebimajutus.ee, plus all their know-how, how to make a really good web page. Winners get mentoring and special price from Fundwise team, how, when and for what to use a joint funding.

Swedbank Estonia, Tallinn University of Technology TalTech, Tallinn Science park Tehnopol and Tallinn city put out 62 500€ in total! Extra funding up to 10 00€ can be provided by Elering for energy BigData projects and Utilitas for projects in environmental technology. Estonian healthtech cluster Connected Health has decided to give a special prize for health connected ideas. The prize includes a 1-year full membership of the cluster to grow your business and develop your idea.

Apply now prototron.ee, deadline is October 15th.

TalTech Mektory Technology transfer department IP specialist Kersti Peekma.

1. If You are working with new device, material, method (example software solutions) , You should consider applying for patent or utility model; before applying consult with patent attorneys;
2. You should not publish any detailed information about Your inventions, not even in social media – it will ruin the novelty of the idea;
3. Find out is there already existing identical or similar solutions – make a search from patent database espacenet
4. Should You protect your trade mark? Ask advice from trade mark attorney.
5. What is Your trade name and domain? Think about it in early stage.