Tag: start-up

Innovation Management Game: start-up of the year

Just like last year, we’ll publish a (small) list containing the most promising start-ups of the year. Obviously, we’ll share our opinion from the perspective of Open Innovation by answering the following questions:

  • Does the start-up contribute to the field of Open Innovation?
  • Does the start-up contribute to the field of Innovation Management?
  • Does the start-up contribute to the European knowledge economy?
  • Is the product/idea innovative?
  • Does it meet customer needs?

1st: Innovation Management Game

This year, the number 1 position goes to the Innovation Management Game. The Innovation Management Game is a business strategy simulation game for universities, higher education, business schools and corporate/executive trainings. The game centralizes topics like Open Innovation, Co-Creation, Innovation Management and Business Model Innovation.

Does the start-up contribute to the field of Open Innovation?5/5
Does the start-up contribute to the field of Innovation Management?5/5
Does the start-up contribute to the European knowledge economy?5/5
Is the product/idea innovative?4/5
Does it meet customer needs?5/5
Overall:4.8/5

2nd: Owlin

The second position goes to Owlin; a start-up in the financial sector that scans and analyzes social data and creates insights in financial opportunities before organisations and press offices would be able to recognize it themselves. Owlin is part of the Rockstart’s Acceleration Programme and received earlier this week €200.000 euro on venture capital.

Does the start-up contribute to the field of Open Innovation?4/5
Does the start-up contribute to the field of Innovation Management?4/5
Does the start-up contribute to the European knowledge economy?5/5
Is the product/idea innovative?5/5
Does it meet customer needs?5/5
Overall4.6/5

 3rd: Fosbury

Just a few months online, however already getting wide attention, Fosbury. A start-up, developed by two of the former founders of Yunoo, that enables organization to quickly segment and advertise coupons and vouchers to smartphones. We’re expecting this type of organisation to set back the traditional paper advertising markets before the end of 2013.

Does the start-up contribute to the field of Open Innovation?4/5
Does the start-up contribute to the field of Innovation Management?3/5
Does the start-up contribute to the European knowledge economy?5/5
Is the product/idea innovative?4/5
Does it meet customer needs?5/5
Overall:4.2/5

 

Google expands Start-up University

Started in early 2009, Google Ventures has seen an increasing number of successful investments over recent years. As part of the program Google Ventures launched a Start-up Lab program to create an innovation lab; a place where entrepreneurs can develop their products, collaborate and tap into google employees. Moreover, to develop in-depth knowledge, Google Ventures created the Start-up University, a place where entrepreneurs “can bring questions, curiosity and unsolved problems to the table.”

This University program has been a huge success, according to Bill Maris, Google Ventures’ managing partner: “This is a program that people are vigorously signing up for,” Maris said. “We have a waiting list of teachers, and these are all people who have started companies before, and who have been there. We can’t feed this stuff to our portfolio companies fast enough,” so he said to the Wall Street Journal. Therefore, Google Ventures is expanding: from 1100 m2 to 2250 m2 in the near future. The total amount of capital has grown from 100 million dollar annually in 2009 to 200 million dollar annualy in 2012.

Some of the most successful results of Google Ventures are the exits of HomeAway vacation rental services and gaming company Ngmoco who exited for 400 million dollar each last year. Another company, Silver Spring Networks, developing smart grids, went public last year.

Read the full article here.

Stanford Technology Ventures Program: already 50K subscribers

Next January, new (free) courses on Technology Entrepreneurship will be offered at Stanford University. The programs consist of separate video colleges of about 8-12 minutes each, counting up to almost 2 hours a week on course material. And above all, this is – amazingly – completely for free. We would like to recommend the following two courses:

Technology Entrepreneurship

Do you want to know how to get entrepreneurial spirit into your – small or large – organization? Do you want know how to accelerate entrepreneurship and create new markets? According to their program website, these are exactly the questions that you will get answers for. The course will teach you about taking risks, managing ideas and turn these into opportunities. The courses are provided by professor Chuck Eesly. In this video he will introduce himself and the course:

Subscribe direcly for this course here.

The Lean Launchpad

Do you rather want to know how turn ideas into small companies or start-ups, when you are aware when there is no big money available? Do you prefer not to care about business plans, revenue models and organization structures? Then you’re wright, because this class will teach you nothing about that. It will teach you about turning those small ideas in the interesting business models for start-ups. It will make you ready for real practice. Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur, will tell you more about it:

Subscribe immediately here.

Are you in?

Please let us know below if you are following the course and what you’re expectations are. Have fun.