Heads up everyone! We have only a week remaining until Startup Bootcamp deadline! To skirt the issue here is what they offer the TOP 20 teams:

• DKK 25.000 per team member (12 500 LTL, 3 600+ EUR / head)
• Free 3 months Startupbootcamp program
• Free top-notch mentoring from 50+ mentors
• Free space at incubator
• Use fan base to crowd-source support & sales
• Present to 100+ investors on Investor Day

All-in-all in the deal sounds good. To further it, StartupBootcamp has recently became region partner for TechStars. Rainmaking – people behind the event have been to Lithuania earlier in the year, and they’ve said they really liked what we had to offer. So nothing to do but offer. As a result of earlier visit Rainmaking staged a single half-year prize at World Lithuanian economic forum that has just concluded.

In private talks Rainmaking further stresses their empathy towards our startups, so we believe Lithuanian teams have a very real chance to make it to top 20. Apply here.

If you need any help while applying please go ahead and contact us.

Recently we’ve seen several highlighted events, that all involve foreign investment looking to make / or even making establishments in Lithuania.

In addition to previously announced IBM’s intent to set up a joint-research center, another company – Western Union – a global player in the financial services and communications industry – announced its decision to set up their forth worldwide transactions service center. That, together with earlier established and expanding Barclay’s service center will definitely toughen Lithuania’s infrastructure to service large companies and meet high-end needs.

To further add to the rising perspective, Frost&Sullivan recently announced exploring possibilities to come to Lithuania following a brief, but very productive visit by a team of their representatives. The message comes amid recently performed expansion of Frost&Sullivan into Poland – Lithuania’s big neighbor to the southwest – which is a further indication of Lithuania’s attractiveness to contribute to any company aiming to get a foothold in the region or to expand its global infrastructure.

Closer to the business deals performed: Fermentas (profile on present VCs – Summit partners) – a biotech company often named when outlining innovative companies in Lithuania – has announced it is entering a process of being acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a world leading innovations company, for a preliminary amount of $260 million. It is both exciting to see a Lithuanian company to grow up to such a deal, as well as to speculate what next company will be forwarded by the beneficiaries of this deal.

Lastly, swoodoo.com – a Lithuanian plane tickets online purchasing portal – has announced it is being acquired by leading U.S. flight search engine – Kayak. The official news report does not indicate the value of the deal, but the news (quoted) says the “both the management and the investors are very happy with the financial terms”.

All these messages combined offer us a reassuring feeling about a healthy investment environment and market potential to deliver fast growing, innovation grounded companies. We expect to meet some these companies in the event on the 22^nd of June in London, as well as take a look at those to make the highlights next, or even to find your next best deal.

Today, Rainmaking has agreed to hold an additional award at World Lithuanian Economic Forum startup contest.

So one company planning an expansion in either Denmark or UK can now apply to win this booster and cut on their OPEX for the first half of year, as well as use the vast network Rainmaking can offer them, not to mention enjoy direct access to the RainAngels themselves.

Should the winner use this option anytime between right after the WLEF event and late this year, the project is likely to find itself located adjacent to this year’s Startup Bootcmap winners. Who will enjoy a similar treat, but twice as short – 3 months of office.

So whether you are just an idea that needs all the help it can get, or you are market hardened company that needs only a new location – there is now one more reason to apply to WLEF.

The simple and acclaimed Startup Digest that sprung out of Silicon Valley, got featured on TechCrunch, and grew to 15 000 subscribers has reached Lithuania!

So, what is The Startup Digest?

Basically, it’s a weekly digest of the best startup events happening in Lithuania, emailed to you every Monday. It’s the fastest and easiest way to know what’s happening in the tech/web/startup community. Check it here: http://www.thestartupdigest.com .

How can I subscribe?

If you want to receive the digest, sign up at thestartupdigest.com or send “yes” to indre.milukaite@opencoffeeclub.lt .

I organise/know lots of events, can they be featured in The Startup Digest?

YES! Email the links or additional info to indre.milukaite@opencoffeeclub.lt .

Spread the word – please share on Facebook/Twitter or forward to anyone who’d be interested! This is really a community thing…

2010 m. gegužės 27-28 d. Vilniuje Lietuvos parodų centre Litexpo vyks renginys „Versli Lietuva“.

„Versli Lietuva“ – tai dviejų dienų programa, kurioje ekonomistų, mokesčių, ES paramos ekspertų, investuotojų, psichologų, patyrusių verslininkų pranešimai, individualios konsultacijos, įkvepiančios sėkmės istorijos, naudingi kontaktai, bankų pasiūlymai verslą pradedantiesiems.

„Versli Lietuva“ – tai galimybė užmegzti kontaktus su potencialiais partneriais ir investuotojais, sužinoti, ką siūlo ES struktūrinės paramos instrumentai, valstybė ir kitos verslumą skatinančios iniciatyvos.

Kviečiame visus susidomėjusius aktyviai dalyvauti renginyje.

Daugiau informacijos galite rasti interneto puslapiuose www.verslovartai.lt ir www.esparama.lt.

Šį savaitgalį Vilniuje vyks  StartupJam Baltics renginys.

Veiksmas vyks gegužės 28-30 Vilniuje, šiuolaikinio meno centre (ŠMC).

StartupJam Baltics tai:

3 dienos/60 valandų nesustabdomas veiksmas kuriame dalyvaus 300-500 startup/web/ict/tech entuziastais iš viso Baltijos regiono (Lietuva, Latvija, Estija, Suomija, Lenkija). Atviras renginys turintis savyje geriausias startupų renginių koncepcijas.

BarCamp - atvira (ne)konferencija kiekvienas dalyvis gali pasidalinti savo žiniomis ir patirtimi. Reiksmas vyks 2-juose salėse. Sesijos trukmė 20 min.

OpenSpace – vieta kur dalyviai galės kalbėtis, ilsėtis, kodinti, stovyklauti (grilius…) ir t.t. Būkit kreativus, tai laisva erdvė Jums.

Awards – taip, bus apdovanojimai! Apdovanosim geriausią metų Startup’ą, geriausią verslo idėją, versliausią jaunuolį… Tad pasiruoškit!

Daugiau informacijos: http://startupjam.eu

Lithuania’s GDP year 2009 collapsed by 22.4%: Is there a market for start-ups?

There is always space for a new venture. With most of active capital looking outside of Lithuania and minister of finance claiming that local consumption will not lead out of financial crises, innovation and foreign trade is more important than ever.

Power, outsourcing, and exports

Meanwhile, Lithuania’s economy must brace for the shutdown of the Ignalina Nuclear Power plant – the source for cheap power. Power consumption optimisation, efficiency tune-ups and alternative power supplies (at company level) open themselves for ready entrepreneurs if they can supply anything cheaper than power from burning diesel at Lithuania’s power plant at Elektrėnai.

As global financial restrain paces out, more and more companies will release the strategic low-level R&D funds. Companies aiming to catch up with their more prudent competitors, or those seeking to gain an upper hand on their way out of the crisis, will invest in improving level of services / goods or introducing new production to the market. With an excess of educated specialists (I), attractive labor cost (II), a good record of reliability (III), and EU-compliancy (IV) – Lithuanian entrepreneurs have all the chances to present themselves for innovative development to the market.

Lithuanian entrepreneurs must truly grasp the craftsmanship of exports: with France’s and Germany’s GDP, making a u-turn (+0.1% vs. prior decline) 2009 Q3 there opens markets ready to consume services and goods from the rest of EU. Established goods and supply chains will not be enough to compete with the vast market, therefore Lithuanian entrepreneurs must truly bridge the gap of novelty – or choose to experience a slow climb-up to pre-crisis level.

Continue reading →

Svarbu greitis, žinios ir sugebėjimai. Šiandien ir rytoj mes konkuruojame su visu pasauliu, kuris yra ne ką mažiau išmanus. OCC pristato 2 vietas, kur varžosi veiklūs žmonės iš viso pasaulio,  ir kiekvienas besidomintis verslu internete tiesiog neturi jų praleisti.

Seedcamp Week – interneto kompanijų konkursas, kurį vainikuoja ypatinga darbo su mentoriais savaitė, bei investicijos laimėjimas. Norėtumėte savaitę paklausyti ir padiskutuoti su skype, facebook, MySQL, Google ir kitų kompanijų vadovais? Jums liko vos 3 savaitės paraiškoms užpildyti. Galite sulaužyti tik 2 taisykles.

QPrize – verslo planų konkursas inovatyvioms technologijoms. Nors rengiamas pirmą kartą ir informacijos nedaug. 250tūkst. USD prizas ir pasaulinės varžybos tikrai vertos dėmesio. Klausimai/atsakymai. Pasidomėkite, reikia spėti iki rugpjūčio 21 d.

Keletas video iš Seedcamp Week 2008: