Mushroom picking and breastfeeding among the ideas in the Startup Program
Thirteen excited idea carriers went out to Hälgegård, outside Umeå, on Thursday morning to begin their startup journeys. The Startup Program, which lasts for three months, is a crash course where the selected participants are going to explore the potential of their business ideas. Together with business developers from Uminova Innovation, the entrepreneurs will participate in several different workshops in order to help them move forward.
– We accept people who are driven and dedicated to working with their business concept. We have to see that they have growth potential, are sustainable and have an innovative approach, says Hillevi Lindelöf, business developer at Uminova Innovation and program manager for the Startup Program.
Albin Nyström and Axel Ljudén are two participants. The team, which right now calls their idea Plocka, wants people to be out in the forest more. Their idea is based on a mapping all available information to help people know where, when and how to pick mushrooms.
– After the program we hope that we have come so far that we know that we are building the right product, because that may not be what we have right now. We hope that the Startup Program can help us avoid building something that nobody wants, says Albin Nyström.
Alina Marminge and Maja Norberg read a course in breastfeeding, as a part of their dietetic education at Umeå University. It was during the course they started to discuss the fact that there is no feeding bottle that is reminiscent of the natural breastfeeding process available on the market today.
Booble, as the product is called, is an organic baby bottle in a new innovative design. It aims to promote breastfeeding, which today is a problem for many.
– Either you may become completely locked in having to breastfeed for a long time because the child doesn\’t want to take a baby bottle or that it simply doesn\’t work to breastfeed. Having a good baby bottle can relieve the mother during the first time and can enable her to hand over the feeding to someone else if she needs to, says Alina.
Alina and Maja reflect on how they think the product, which should mimic a breast, would be received.
– Maybe it would provoke some people if it looks like a breast, says Maja. At the same time, they believe it could be well received and become popular on an international market.
The first day of the program has been a real kick-start for the participants. They have been pitching their ideas and been introduced to the Lean Startup method. It is the methodology Uminova Innovation works with to achieve maximum learning and minimal waste.
Startup Program spring 2020
Erik Westergren, CORE: Circular optimization of renewable energy
Maja Norberg och Alina Marminge, Booble: An organic baby bottle designed to mimic the natural breast
Viktor Nyberg, Morgondagens Trafikskola: New technologies to decrease the cost and increase learning for driving academies
Jon Krebs och Ben Krebs, ZECCO: A solution that enables sustainable purchases
Lucas Nilsson, Artic Aeronautic: A climate solution for long-haul flights
Albin Nyström och Axel Ljudén, Plocka: A tool that facilitates for people to know where, when and how to pick mushrooms
Felicia Forsgren, Felix Forsgren och Klas Henriksson, SPLICK: Marketplace that democratizes ad purchases by micro-influencers
Aron Kristoffersson och Fabian Knopf, Morgondagens äldreomsorg: A platform to improve elderly care
David Barbero, Scientific Paper Writing: Online scientific reviewing service for academics and researchers
Qing Li och Emil Blomberg, GreenAction: A plattform that help people and businesses make sustainable choices
[plugbit title=”” link=”https://uminovainnovation.se/en/want-to/start/startup-program/” button=”Learn more”]The Startup Program is an intensive, knowledge-packed crash course on how to develop an innovative business idea into a successful company. Fall 2020 we\’ll do it all again, you can apply this summer![/plugbit]