Entrepreneurial Tartu youth present business ideas prepared during semester

On 27 May 2016, fifteen teams compete in the University of Tartu business and project idea competition Kaleidoskoop to find the business ideas with the greatest potential and implement them with the help of development advisors. Ideas competing in the finals range from catering and computer games to new materials.

The 15 finalists were selected from among 28 teams who represented the University of Tartu, Tartu Vocational Education Centre, Tartu College of Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu Art School and Hugo Treffner Gymnasium.

Head of UT Idea Lab Maret Ahonen said that the business ideas presented by young people are more thought-out and have bigger social value every year: “The potential of entrepreneurial students in universities and general education schools is huge—they notice the needs of society, development options and the possibility to see innovation from a completely different angle than people who have been on the labour market for years.”

Ahonen added that these active and entrepreneurial students and pupils of general education schools, who have developed their business and project ideas throughout the season of the Idea Lab, will in the future be great partners to an enterprise or be entrepreneurs themselves who dare to experiment and bring new ideas to the market which make people’s everyday lives more convenient and routine tasks easier.

According to the jury of the preliminary rounds, all business and project ideas submitted to the semi-finals this year had something innovative which gives the product or service added value and a competitive edge compared to other similar products. In the finals, the teams are expected to have a more detailed vision of how the business idea will be financially sustainable.

Ideas in the finals include developing and using gelatine leather, new parking management software, producing vitamins, a budget app for money management, designing post cards and magnets, ergonomic products for musicians and many others. Have a look at all the ideas at http://www.ideelabor.ut.ee/news/kaleidoskoop-finalists-are-in-time-to-turn-your-idea-into-a-real-money-making-business.

The main prize of Kaleidoskoop is participation in SLUSH, the biggest start-up company conference in the Nordic taking place in Helsinki. The best team gets a development advisor to develop their idea. There are several special prizes.

Kaleidoskoop started collecting ideas in February at the opening event of the Idea Lab, “Idea Storm”, which started the pre-incubation programme. Kaleidoskoop is funded by the European Social Fund.

Additional information:
Maret Ahonen
Head of UT Idea Lab
522 5910
maret.ahonen@ut.ee