Arctic15 Tickets Now Available, First Speakers Announced
Arctic15 early bird tickets are now available at Arctic15.com! While the event is still some time away, we wanted to come out with our first batch of speakers to the event as well as more information on the concept itself.
StartupReykjavik Taking Applications For Iceland's First Accelerator
After the financial collapse, Iceland finds itself at a perfect time to embrace entrepreneurship. The country has the education and tech talent needed to support new industries, but being an economy of 300,000 people in the middle of the Atlantic leaves entrepreneurs without much hands-on support. To help kickstart a new era is Iceland's first accelerator, which is taking applications right now and is starting this summer.
StartupReykjavik is built in the Y Combinator / Techstars model where entrepreneurs are mentored for 10 weeks and then pitch to investors at a Demoday. Accepted companies are also given 2 000 000 ISK (€12 000) for a 6% stake, a place to work, and free services. The deadline to apply is May 7th, and the program starts the 1st of June.
LeWeb: Today We're Launching...
I'm writing this from LeWeb, actually from the back of a mobile sauna the Travelling Salesman Crew brought in. It's about the only place I could find a seat outside of the main hall to work a little. If you are in LeWeb, do pay the sauna a visit! Loïc and Geraldine have been able to pull together one big event once again in Paris with some 3300 people from all around the world.
It must be part of the evolution of LeWeb and technology conferences in general (us included with Arctic15), but most of the content in the first day of Le Web this year seemed to be full of product launches.
Richard White At Arctic15
Here's more of our keynote talks at Arctic15 earlier this autumn. Richard White gave one of the fastest, action filled talks I've ever heard. He talked through the story of his past startups, but also how came to found Uservoice.com. A nice coincidence was that Richard White and Steve Huffman both knew each other previously and thus he made quite a few references to Steve Huffman's Reddit along the way as well. More keynote videos and all the startup pitches coming up in the next few weeks.
Patric Blixt At Arctic15 (Video)
More Arctic15 keynotes coming up! This one's from Patric Blixt from Rebtel. Blixt is the Chief Marketing Officer at the VoIP operator that is surprisingly little hyped about, considering they're doing tens of millions of revenue only a few years after their founding. We had the honor to have Blixt share his thoughts on marketing and promoting startups in the early part of their growth phase. He talked a lot about the virality loops, which are a key component of Rebtel's success.
Mancx, Graduateland Win At Arctic15
Close to 400 startup enthusiasts from all over the region came together in Helsinki to witness 15 stellar pitches from companies on stage at Arctic15 yesterday. The day was all about winning and despite the hard choice of the jury to pick one winner - all the companies already won, by getting tons of coverage and visibility on stage for their products and services. In addition to this, Amazon Web Services decided to give a substantial amount of credit to all the 15 finalists (we'll contact you directly regarding the details on this).
Alexander Stubb To Patron Arctic15
pa·tron - One that supports, protects, or champions someone or something, such as an institution, event, or cause; a sponsor or benefactor.
We're extremely proud to announce that Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade of Finland, Mr. Alexander Stubb, will act as the patron of Arctic15. This is very exciting as our efforts seem to resonate well in the top end of the Finnish politics. Even though Arctic15 has no political affiliations and we strive to keep it that way, having Alexander Stubb, one of the most international and active stars of the Finnish political scene supporting our event is simply put - fantastic!
Just as a reminder to everyone coming to Arctic15, we're fully sold out so come early - registrations will open 8.00. We've had no last minute changes, so everything is in order for a blow out event!
Arctic15 Will Be Sold Out By The End Of The Week!
Apologies to our regular readers for covering our Arctic15 event quite excessively recently, but the closer to it we get - the better we think it'll be! In addition to this, we wanted to let everyone know that we're sure that the event will be sold out by the end of this week. We've got only 40+ tickets left. Just during last week, we registered more than 100 tickets in a few days.
Arctic15 Exclusive: Derek Sivers - Uncommon Sense (3/8)
In the run up to our Arctic15 conference, we've announced an exclusive video series with Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby. The story why all this is relevant can be read from the introduction to the first video. In the video series he will share his advice and experiences in building CD Baby into one of the largest online music stores before selling it onwards. In the third video of the series, Sivers talks about the fact that nobody knows the future. Sivers believes that if more people actually stated this, more intelligent conversation would follow.
Arctic15 Programme Released
The programme to Arctic15 is now out. It can be seen below and also on the event website. Basically the event kicks off at 9 and continues most likely until 6pm with possible delays to the schedule. In addition to the day programme - we'll have an awesome after party where we'll announce the winner of the Arctic15 competition. This of course means that it will be a full day of startup awesomeness! Do check out the conference programme below and purchase your tickets if you already haven't done so. The earlier you purchase them, the bigger chance you'll have that we'll have the time to print your badge in a proper way and make sure you have lunch! Actually we'll have lunch for everyone, but we'd really appreciate you buying the tickets as early as possible.
Slidefy To Share Conference Presentations
Slidefy is a new Finnish service that targets a niche need with their offering. In essence, it's a slide sharing solution, but targeted at conference organisers and the like. Slidefy will work in such a way that conference organisers collect attendees' e-mails before the event and send them a link to the material the speaker has provided in advance. Then, during the presentation, users can focus on the actual presentation and not jot down points the speaker makes.
Arctic15 Less Than A Month Away
Arctic15, the one day conference that will see 21 international speakers on stage in Helsinki, Finland talking entrepreneurship and startups, is less than a month away. Now's a very good time to buy those tickets and confirm your attendance (you're also helping us by letting know of your arrival well in advance!).
Felix Peterson Of Amen Coming To Arctic15
We're extremely thrilled to announce that Felix Petersen is coming to Arctic15! Felix founded a successful location based startup, one of the first that got global traction in 2006 and grew it until 2008 when it got sold to Nokia. After that, he spent a few years at Nokia Nokia working at various positions until heading back into the wild to work on his next startup - Amen.
Amen is a startup in stealth mode and not a lot of it is known. However, it is reported that Ashton Kutcher together with Madonna's manager (and Index Ventures) have invested around $2 million into this Berlin based venture.
Arctic15 Summer Special Sale Ends August 19th (Or As Long As Tickets Available)
Arctic15 is getting close and we're getting very excited. For a couple of reasons actually. First of all, this will be the biggest event we've pulled together in a long time. In addition to that, we're going to have very high quality startups in the final, not to mention the speakers we have. We're going to announce the last speaker this week, but trust us - it's going to be hot. So for these, and a ton of other reasons - if you're thinking of coming, please book your ticket today. The summer special sale will end August 19th (or as long as tickets are available).
Quick Update On Arctic15
Last night the deadline for Arctic15 startup competition closed. This morning, as I checked the final amount of companies who applied to the competition - my jaw dropped. All in all, 90 companies from the region applied to the competition. While we haven't yet had time to analyze the data on a more detailed level, each country is pretty equally represented in the applications. We'll now dive into analyzing these applications with our secret jury and choose 30 or so companies to compete for a chance to pitch on stage at Arctic15.
Startups: One More Day To Apply To Arctic15!
Startups, you've got one more day to apply to Arctic15 the startup competition. Deadline for the applications close tomorrow evening at midnight. Fore more information on the competition and rules - head over to the Arctic15 website, where you'll also find the link to submit the application.
Startups: Deadline For Arctic15 Pitching Competition Is Near
It's mid-July already, which means there are only 2 weeks left to apply for the Arctic15 Pitching Competition! We know many of you already applied but on an off-chance that some willing candidates missed this, here is a reminder. If your start-up is based in or has founders from Nordics, Baltics or Russia (includes Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), if you are less than 24 months old by September 22nd and if you have a working product or service to showcase to the audience - this is your chance to compete for monetary prizes and publicity. You can apply by simply filling out this application form. Remember: July 31st is the deadline!
Startups: Arctic15 Competition Is Now Open For Companies Over 12 Months
Great news for start-ups: we've extended the age of companies eligible for applying to the Arctic15 pitching competition. From now on start-ups need to be less than 24 months old by the day of the conference (September 22nd). The decision for the extension was due to the many requests we got from companies that are around 18 months old but who started developing their product only in the past 12 months. While we want to pick the best of the youngest start-ups, we realize it sometimes takes more than 12 months for companies to develop and launch their product. Therefore, companies that are less than 2 years old are still very much start-ups and should be allowed to apply for the pitching competition. Now they can.
Startups: Sign-up To Meet VCs After Arctic15
We're working hard to build all kinds of value into our conference we're organising in the autumn, Arctic15. One of these include a partnership with Helsinki based VC Zone. VC Zone Helsinki works together with venture capitalists and investors to find startups to invest in. We want to help in this naturally with our media reach.
Startups: New, Simpler Requirements For Arctic15 Competition
We admit it - we were a little too strict with our rules for Arctic15, the startup competition when we first came out with it. We've talked to quite a few of you and realised that it may be better to just simplify them and try to get as many interesting startups to the event as possible. Remember, if you're chosen to be part of the 15 finalists - entrance and the possibility to pitch at the event will be completely free. So in this post, we'll publish the three simple points your company must meet to be eligible for the startup competition.
Student Tickets For Arctic15
Students ahoy! We've announced instructions and pricing for tickets for full-time students. You can see these instructions from the Arctic15 website as well.
Tickets for full-time students are priced at 79€, including all VATs, fees and what have you. We wanted to get the price down as much as possible and we think 79€ for the show is an excellent bargain.
Nordic And Baltic Startups: Launch At Arctic15!
Is your company still in development mode, but looking to launch a product or a service later this year to the public, or in open beta? How would you like to attract hundreds of influential users to your service while speaking in front of a huge crowd of investors and other opinion leaders? Without sounding too much like a telemarketer, all this is possible if you wish to apply to the Arctic15 competition. All you need to do is fill out this form.
Jens Begemann, CEO & Founder Of Wooga, Coming To Arctic15
Just earlier this week we announced that Steve Huffman and Daniel Kaplan are coming to Arctic15. Today we have the pleasure to announce that the CEO and founder of one of the most exciting companies in Europe currently, Jens Begemann, is coming to Arctic15 as well. Jens Begemann is the founder and CEO of wooga, Europe's largest social games developer and the number four globally. Previously, he worked as the Chief Product Officer at Jamba (Jamster).
Small Update Regarding Arctic15
Back in January we promised to come out with more information regarding the Arctic15 conference in February. We're currently in the process of closing a few very interesting speakers and this is keeping us from releasing the website with the full information, programme, tickets and other items. Hopefully we'll be able to release the site next week. We'll keep you updated on this.
Le Web For Les Nordiques
As far as web conferences go, French LeWeb is the biggest happening in Europe so far. With an average ticket price hovering around 1700 EUR, it attracted 3000 participants this year. The guests ranged from Google, Facebook and Twittter executives to latest start-ups from around the world to investors to students and loads of press. Apart from hosting presentations and discussions with dot.com gurus, the conference is known for being a great place to network. How to justify this exquisite but costly experience for a Nordic or Baltic start-up? Depends on what you’re looking for. If it’s publicity you’re after but you’re not part of the Startup Competition, I’d recommend against going to Le Web. The size of the conference is so big that chances of being noticed are quite low. Not impossible but low.
Mindtrek Offering 20k€ In Prize Money (Again)
Mindtrek, being one of the most interesting internet oriented conferences in Finland, is again this year offering a lot of prize money for the winner of the Launchpad competition as well as for the runners up. Mindtrek is organised in Tampere, Finland between the 6th and 8th of October. The event has attracted more and more startups each year as it has began to profile itself as a good doer with huge sums of prize money. Last year Multitouch, a maker of modular touch screens, took home the prize money.
Mindtrek's Launchpad competition has attracted a lot of good talent this year as well. Furthermore, Mindtrek has extended the deadline for the applications until 3rd of September. According to Mindtrek's website; The MindTrek LaunchPad competition awards innovative new Finnish digital media products or demos – and the people behind it, who have the urge to make it big. If you feel like applying, do so here before September 3rd.
Geek Girl Meetup Gathers 100 Women To Talk About Tech
ArcticStartup is joining Geek Girl Meetup as a media partner. Geek Girl Meetup is a Swedish unconference for women, by women, who are interested in technology, web, social media and entrepreneurship. The event takes place October 24-25 in Stockholm and is being organized for the second time despite its short existence. What started as a one day event for 50 participants in March has now turned into two day event with 100 women attending. And there're still ladies on the waiting list!
Mindtrek's First Day - Full Of Variety
Check, check... mike working, reporting from the Mindtrek conference from Tampere where some 800 people are networking, discussing internet and digital media at large. The day has been action packed and there has been a lot of different content to consume. Furthermore, the audience saw some top notch speakers at Mindtrek this year, especially Chris Messina and Jyri Engeström, who were keynote speakers continuing on the post they wrote for ArcticStartup earlier.
The day began with a keynote by Chris Messina. He talked about identity as a platform. Judging on the amount of comments from people on the aisles in the conference, Chris hit top on with his presentation. Although there were some illogicalities, which he admits, it's always great to hear news from The Valley on the trends that are pumping there.
More Startup Buzz (And Money) At Mindtrek This Year
Mindtrek is the annual conference for social media, web 2.0 as well as digital media and business in general. In 2008 the conference gathered about 800 people from 32 countries with 150 foreigners attending the conference. ArcticStartup is extremely happy to be participating in this leading conference in its field. We will be helping out with the conference this year, so you'll be able to catch some visibility on our blog as well if you happen to participate. Mindtrek will be organised between September 30th and October 2nd this year.
Why do we like Mindtrek? Simple, the prizes are magnificent and without competition. This year, Mindtrek is hosting its launchpad competition to startups and innovative people with ideas. The main prize is 20 009 € including business sparring, internationalization, growth and financing services provided by Tekes, Finnvera, Technopolis Ventures, Finpro, Diges, Lexia, and Hermia. A lot of help and money to be won through a simple competition. It's not too pricey to participate either - entries are only 150€ per company. You can find more information on the competition on the Mindtrek website and to register, you should follow the instruction over here. The deadline for entries has been extended to August 31st.
Reminder: Elevator Pitch Contest for Nordic & Baltic Firms
This is a reminder for all interested startups in the Nordic and Baltic countries to apply for the upcoming elevator pitch contest, to learn from venture capitalists and other startups and win free world-class consulting.
The instructions on how to apply can be found in our original post, hurry up!
The contest is open to all technology startups in the region.
The pitch contest is organized on 26th May 2009 in Tallinn, Estonia in conjunction with the Second Annual Tallinn Conference of The International Technology Law Association.
See also the detailed conference agenda (PDF).
