192 ideas were submitted to the Start Me Up business idea competition before the deadline at the end of March. The Start Me Up competition, organised by Business Joensuu, seeks out brain-busting ideas that can lead to new North Karelian success stories.
The two-month competition generated 50 more ideas than a year before. In last year's competition, ideas were reduced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's competition there can be seen a clearly more positive atmosphere.
- The number of ideas clearly shows that the Covid pandemic has not discouraged people's innovation and faith in the future, says business coach Janne Pakarinen.
The ideas that participated in the competition were highly qualified and carefully thought out. The ideas submitted for the competition are being assessed by a jury which includes experts from the start-up and corporate finance world.
The jury includes POP Bank Group CEO Pekka Lemettinen, Finnish business angel network FiBAN's Managing Director Amel Gaily, Training & Development Manager Johanna Ahtiainen and Deal Flow Manager Antti Viitanen, as well as Principal Lecturer of Entrepreneurship at Karelia University of Applied Sciences Heikki Immonen, special expert in innovation at the University of Eastern Finland Irina Lavikainen and Riveria's lecturer Sanna Lappalainen. The council chairman is Janita Ylitalo, Director of New Business and Internationalisation Services at Business Joensuu.
The jury will start its work immediately and will reach its conclusions on April 30. Business Joensuu will contact the winners no later than week 18.
The Start Me Up business idea competition winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 19. The first prize is an award of 60 000 euros, business development services and premises for one year at Joensuu Science Park provided by Business Joensuu.
The Start Me Up competition is being held this year for the 20th time and is one of Finland's most prominent business idea competitions in terms of a number of participants.
Further information:
Business Coach Janne Pakarinen
tel. +358 50 575 8859
janne.pakarinen@businessjoensuu.fi