Тодор Брешков, launch hub, Академия за иновации 2014

June 2014

LAUNCHub Seed Fund

▪ EUR 9MM

▪ EUR 3MM in 35 companies

▪ 6 countries - CEE

▪ > EUR 4MM Follow on Investments

▪ Acceleration and Mentoring Program

Who is an Entrepreneur

▪ People ready to change the status-quo

▪ Has unusual ideas for creating/building a:▪ New (or changing an old) business▪ Is willing to take risk

People who see PROBLEMS as OPPORTUNITIES

What Feels Like Being an Entrepreneur…

Emotional Trauma

Anxiety Guilt

Physical TraumaSocial Trauma

….. And there is More to That

▪ Financial Stress

▪ Identity Crisis

▪ Deep loses

▪ Do stuff You Hate

Entrepreneurship CAN be Trained

“One’s ability to generate innovative ideas is not merely a function of the mind, but also a function of behaviors.

If we can change our behaviors, we can improve our creative impact”

Clayton Christensen

Accelerators – The Model

▪ Incubator Space

▪Mentoring Program

▪Early Stage Financing

▪Other Entrepreneurs Around

Accelerators – Putting Together an Ecosystem For the Entrepreneur

▪ Creating vibrant ambient to boost entrepreneurship

▪ Learning by doing / failing

▪ Building trust between founders, mentors, advisors

▪ Establishing connections

What is it There For the Entrepreneurs in the Accelerators

▪ Access to Ideas

▪ Access to Mentors

▪ Access to Technologies

▪ Access to Potential Clients/Partners

▪ Access to Likeminded Founders/Employees

▪ Access to Investors

Accelerators Give Freedom to….

▪ Grow fast

▪ Fail fast

▪ Pivot to a new idea

…Everything done by learning…

DROPBOX – an Accelerated Success

▪ Participated in Y Combinator in 2007

▪ Now valued at over $5 billion

Accelerators