Build a business in a weekend! EIT Alumni Startup Days

Over a hundred entrepreneurs gathered across five cities 6-8 November to take part in a Europe-wide competition organised by the EIT Alumni Community to find a winning startup idea. The teams were formed, ideas developed and pitched, and winners announced – all within just 54 hours.

Startup teams in Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Barcelona have won prizes for their innovative business ideas at the EIT Alumni Startup Days event weekend (6-8 November 2015):

• Amsterdam: Magic Bean, for their approach to making the food supply chain more efficient and sustainable by encouraging a self-growing community;
• Barcelona: Trrrapperware, for their reusable and eco-friendly takeaway containers;
• Berlin: Clean Street Food, for their Clean Street Food cart, designed to make street food safe to consume;
• Paris: Orgaz, for their innovative idea of turning waste food from supermarkets into sellable electricity;
• Stockholm: Nomad, for Pay-Per-Use Furniture, their affordable furniture packages for students.

Inspirational entrepreneurs

Motivation for change-making was the leading influencer as the entrepreneurs pitched their ideas . Use technology to empower people, to make a better world, said of the EIT Alumni students. 

The key to a successful business is finding a problem that needs solving, said Harun Poljo, CEO of a new startup company Banana Charge. Observe and you'll see problems everywhere. Harun also warned against failing to tap into networks. Sharing is caring, he explained. Share contacts and share knowledge. Don't hoard your ideas, but be prepared to work harder than anyone else to dominate the market. 

Developing ideas

Taking on the advice from the speakers, the teams launched into work on their business plans, using business plan outlines and sample business models to turn their ideas into solutions. Business mentors joined the teams to give them professional advice on how to turn a great idea into something profitable, and to provide words of encouragement.

If you believe in your idea you can make it work, said mentor Carla Brigitte Bormann. “Keep yourself motivated, set yourself milestones and believe in your idea no matter what others might say."

Taking on the advice from the speakers, the teams launched into work on their business plans, using business plan outlines and sample business models to turn their ideas into solutions. Business mentors joined the teams to give them professional advice on how to turn a great idea into something profitable, and to provide words of encouragement.

If you believe in your idea you can make it work, said mentor Carla Brigitte Bormann. Keep yourself motivated, set yourself milestones and believe in your idea no matter what others might say. Believe in your idea no matter what others might say .

The final pitches

The weekend culminated with the teams pitching their completed business plans to the jury teams in each city. The atmosphere was one of nervous excitement as 54 hours of work was put under intense scrutiny by the judges, whose experiences starting their own businesses gave them the unique ability to spot potential pitfalls in the startups.

The winners were announced in a closing ceremony on Sunday evening. The startup teams took to the stage, each allowed five minutes to sell their idea to the judges. Questions on market analysis, legislation restrictions and perceived scalability kept the contestants working hard to win the judges over even after the pitch was made. In the end, it was the startup teams with the best ideas, backed up with well-rounded research and knowledge of customer needs, who scooped the top prizes.

Check out the winning pitches: