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Guest Blog by Mikael Andersson founder & CEO at Fund Friends: "Startup learnings from inside the sauna..."
Startup learnings from inside the sauna.
After spending the night hiding from the security guards at Aalto Venture Garage I would like to welcome you to a very interesting place for startups right now: Startup Sauna at Aalto Venture Garage in Helsinki.
New Guest Blog by Mikael Andersson, co-founder & CEO at Fund Friends http://fundfriends.se
I had a hectic start of the week with customer meetings on monday and tuesday and then the finals in Venture Cup on tuesday evening. Fund Friends was nominated as one of ten best business plans but we didn't win any of the three prizes. But as they say; "it's the planning not the plan that's important" However we had a great time and got to talk with lots of interesting possible customers and actually sold a few Fund Friend Galaxy as well.
I didn't hesitate when the alarm bell rang at 04.30 on wednesday morning (!?) for my flight to Helsinki and a new week of Startup Sauna. The program has been going since last week. So what is Startup Sauna, and why should anyone care? What could you learn about entrepreneurship from the country of thousand lakes? A lot as it seems. This is surely one of Europe's most interesting places for anyone interested in startups right now. This is Startup Saunas own words about the program (aaltovg.com):
"During the Startup Sauna, the selected teams will work intensively to develop their business idea, technology and market entry to be ready for business. The teams graduating will be prepared for initial investments and pilot customers. Startups will be going through blood, sweat and tears to become the next success story from the Baltic Rim. Pitching and pivoting are the core activities – you will learn how to sell to customers, team members, partners and investors…. or else you will fail!"
Startup Sauna takes place at Aalto Venture Garage that is located in the Aalto University campus in an old machine hall. Really cool place. Decorated with an old caravan, shipping containers and a travers crane in the ceiling Aalto Venture Garage has a nice vibe of creativity. Aalto Venture Garage has a really strong network of serial entrepreneurs, VC's and business angels that bring real world lessons to all the participants. It's a very strong community of mainly IT-entrepreneurs with lots of experience from the US markets.
So what are the days like here? In a few words: Pitching, Pivoting, Networking (and Sauna).
More posts to come soon!
About the author:
Mikael Andersson is co-founder and CEO of Fund Friends. Fund Friends provides easy, fast, and unbiased information whenever you're investing in mutual funds. Fund Friends makes apps and services for mobile devices that give users overview and control over their mutual funds. The startup is based at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm with a team combining competence in finance and game technology.
Their first product, Fund Friend Galaxy, helps users to take control and get overview of the mutual funds in the Swedish pension system. Fund Friend Galaxy is available on Apple App Store now.
More info:
Twonicorn pitching about toys that create social change.
Interior at Aalto Venture Garage
