Tehnopol Startup Incubator starts to support future technology startups in Ida-Virumaa

In April, Tehnopol Startup Incubator will open an office in Narva. Its first steps will be to increase entrepreneurship in the community by providing a valuable training program.

According to Kadri Tammai, head of Tehnopol Startup Incubator, the expansion to Narva and Eastern Estonia is a strategic step, the decision of which was made even before the crisis. “We know that in many regions there are active people with exciting ideas who are not yet engaged in (startup) entrepreneurship because they lack systemic support. Looking at today’s economic situation, this enlargement step is more necessary than ever. It’s true that the business landscape will be significantly different for a while. However, this does not mean that there are fewer opportunities than before. These opportunities are simply in different business models, areas, and audiences. From a positive angle, people today now have more time than ever to make their startup idea a reality. We offer a high-quality program that will support it,” added Tammai.

According to Olga Kurdovskaja, the program manager of Tehnopol Startup Incubator Narva, one of the strengths of the growth program is the high survival rate of startup companies. “While usually less than 10% of startups survive, more than 60% of those that have gone through the Tehnopol Startup Incubator growth program remain viable,” Kurdovskaja said. She encouraged everyone to apply for the program, as good advice on how to further develop one’s idea is also provided to those who are not yet ready to join the program. The fact that the program can be completed in Russian, Estonian, and English is not insignificant.

The incubator will primarily advise startups that are developing green, health, smart city or business-to-business technologies. “We are looking for companies or teams that have a strong and innovative idea and a great amount of desire to implement it. With the support of the program, we will further develop the idea, help achieve the prototype, and validate the results,” said Kurdovskaja. She added that those startups selected for the incubation program will be supported by a dedicated key mentor who will work with other specialist mentors. The development of startups will be supported by a practical and comprehensive training series, and the community fosters connections through networks of contacts created at common events. “Of important value is gaining contacts with investors as well as making the necessary preparations for raising money. The value of the program is 10,000 euros per startup company,” added Kurdovskaja.

According to Kadri Tammai, the expansion to Narva will also provide an opportunity for the investor community to access startup companies in the region via Tehnopol and thus bring additional investments to Ida-Virumaa that would not otherwise be made to companies in the region.

Tehnopol Startup Incubator’s Narva office will be located in the premises of the Objekt creative incubator and will be open to all startups in the vicinity immediately after the national emergency has ended. “We have a lot of common ground with the Objekt creative incubator. Creative startups that grow with them often need technology support, and technology startups that grow with us cannot do without good design. Therefore, working in the same space is a big plus for both of us,” says Olga Kurdovskaja.

Tehnopol Startup Incubator creates a safe and vibrant growth environment for startups. The growth program offers participating companies meaningful and practical training and expert support from the best mentors in Estonia and Europe, with the aim of finding an initial investment or reaching export markets. The total value of the program is EUR 10 000 per startup. Tehnopol Startup Incubator is part of the comprehensive support service of Tehnopol, the largest science and business campus in the Baltics. The aim of the Tehnopol science and business campus is to contribute to the emergence and growth of world-class technology companies in Estonia and to support their expansion into foreign markets by offering solutions from commercial real estate to needs-based business development services.