entrepreneurship

University of Tartu business idea development programme “From Science to Business!”

The University of Tartu invites researchers to join the research-intensive business development programme “From Science to Business!”, helping researchers and research teams turn the results of their work into practical applications or business solutions. Registration is open until 14 September. The kick-off of the programme takes place on 24 September at 16:00 at the Delta academic building in Tartu.

Why join the programme?

You will get

  • practical knowledge about starting a business and pitching your business idea;
  • support and practical advice from business mentors and the network of specialists at universities;
  • to analyse intellectual property and conflict of interest to learn to develop your business idea with lower risks;
  • the opportunity to take part in community events and business festivals and expand your network;
  • the opportunity to apply for accelerator programmes after completing the programme and participate in meetings with investors.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is intended for researchers and research teams from the University of Tartu and other universities who have a product or service based on intellectual capital and/or infrastructure and an interest in the world of entrepreneurship.

The programme aims to

  1. identify the business potential of the participants' research;
  1. introduce the researchers and research teams to opportunities for developing research-intensive products or services and taking them to the market;
  1. provide support in finding alternative commercialisation opportunities (e.g. creating a spin-off, licensing the research result).

Selected teams will get the opportunity to join follow-up programmes in which mentors from various fields help to keep the pace of business development and support progress in team building.

Take your research-intensive idea to the next level – “From Science to Business!” shows you the way to the world of business!

How to join?

Complete the registration form. Registration is open until 14 September! Join Here!

Contact person:
Triinu Lööve
Pre-Incubation Lead
University of Tartu Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
[email protected]

  • 24 September - Kick-off event “From Science to Business! Opportunities and expectations” and introduction to the programme at the Delta centre
  • 1 October - Identifying target groups and creating personas - Gerda Mihhailova
  • 8 October - Product and service design - Linda Lancere
  • 15 October - Business model - Karl Viiol
  • 22 October - Commercial law and founders agreements - Brigitta Jõgi
  • 29 October - Intellectual property- Relika Alliksaar-Williams
  • 5 November - Analysis of the business idea and the roadmap based on the KTH Innovation Readiness Level model, funds - Triinu Lööve & Siimeon E. Pilli
  • 12 November - Elevator pitch ABC - Harald Lepisk
  • 19 November - Networking event
  • 26 November - 1st elevator pitch practice
  • 3 December - 2nd elevator pitch practice
  • 5 December - Demo day, teams’ presentations

Get to know the programmes mentors here: Science-to-business program mentors | Tartu Ülikool

The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the schedule.

Time left to apply

Do I have to establish a company when I join the programme?

No, there is no obligation to establish a company.

Are students also welcome to the programme?

Yes, if they have a research-intensive idea or represent a research team.

Can all team members participate in the programme?

Yes, all members of the research team can take part in the seminars.

Is the programme meant for researchers in any particular field of research?

The programme is interdisciplinary, there are no restrictions.

What happens if I cannot join the programme now or do not complete it?

The programme starts again in spring 2026, giving you another opportunity to join.

What is expected of participants in the programme?

Participants must participate in at least 60% of the seminars and the demo day, and must also be prepared to complete practical tasks related to their project.

Can I take part in the meetings online?

Physical presence is recommended for seminars, but if it is strictly necessary, there is an option to join online.

Do I need to have a business idea already to join the programme?

Yes, participants need to have a research-intensive idea they wish to commercialise. The programme aims to help determine the most suitable ways to proceed with the idea.

Spin-offs are active partners for the university

A spin-off company of the University of Tartu is a company which, in agreement with the university, wishes to highlight its connection with the university for business development and whose founders and / or shareholders are the university administration company and / or its UT employees / students and uses the university's intellectual capital and / or infrastructure. Knowledge, information, intellectual property, experience, etc. are considered intellectual capital.

Any company meeting the criteria can become a spin-off. This gives the company an opportunity to use the university's brand and increase the credibility of its products and services by referring to scientific research.

We want an active partnership from our spin-offs, which, in addition to shared knowledge, also includes activities that support the university's core activities - teaching and research. In order for the cooperation to run smoothly, we provide each spin-off company with an account manager who helps to coordinate the wishes of the company and the university.

Mentors of the programme

List of mentors

Programme participants

Check out the teams

UT spin-off companies

List of spin-offs