Fit for Start

Fit for Start
Legal Status State-sponsored accelerator program
Established 2015
Location 5 Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, 4362 Esch-sur-Alzette
Programme Director Laurence Hulin
Languages French, German, English and Luxembourgish
URL www.luxinnovation.lu

Fit for Start (stylised as Fit 4 Start) is an accelerator program for early stage Start-Up’s operating in the fields of Information and communications technology and Health Technologies. The program was developed in Luxembourg and is running twice a year, under the supervision of Luxinnovation.[1] Fit for Start offers its participants a 16-week program of coaching by Lean startup experts, free access to the co-working space of an incubator as well as a grant of up to €150.000.

Initiative & Launch

The program is an initiative from the Luxembourg Ministry of Economy and managed by Luxinnovation. Other contributors to the program are Technoport Schlassgoart and Nyuko. It has been launched in 2015 with a pilot edition composed of 3 Start-Ups:[2] Houser, Sport50 and Bitbank. After a successful first edition, the program was scaled up, allowing 5 Start-Up's to participate as of the second edition.[3] In 2018, the program was further developed for its 6th edition by offering 10 participation spots in total for promising start-ups. Starting from the 7th edition, 5 additional spots will be available to start-ups active within HealthTech.

Participation requirements

There are currently 3 major requirements that have to be respected in order to participate in Fit for Start. Firstly, the potential applicant has to be active in the field of Information and communications technology or Health Technologies. Secondly, the project should be led by at least two people (of whom one being involved full-time). Furthermore, in case the applicant already created the company, it shall not be incorporated more than 12 months ago before the start of the program (but no incorporation is required at the application stage).

Selection Process

After the call was closed, a first application review will be conducted by a dedicated selection committee in order to identify the candidates that will pitch their project in front of an audience including a jury. At the end of the pitching session, the jury will select the 10 final participants to the program.

During the program

During the program, the Start-Ups will attend coaching sessions following the Lean Startup process. The main objective of the program is to help early-stage startups network with clients, validate that there is indeed a need for their services and finally to help outline a minimum viable product. Coaches and the jury members will provide this help, following the Start-Up's progress and work accomplished.[4] They also share their contacts and introduce the participants to the business ecosystem. The program takes place inside the Technoport building in Belval (Esch-sur-Alzette), a co-working environment where entrepreneurs gather.

Incubated start-ups

Edition 2015:[5]

Spring Edition, 2016:[6]

Autumn Edition, 2016:[7]

Spring Edition, 2017:[8]

Autumn Edition, 2017:[9]

Spring Edition, 2018:[10]

The call for the Autumn edition 2018 opened on the 9th of July and accepts applications until the 27th of August (at noon). The applications have to be submitted online via Luxinnovation's registration platform.

References

  1. ↑ "Launch your ICT start-up in Luxembourg" (PDF). Luxinnovation. Luxinnovation. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "A Case of the Chicken and the Egg" (PDF). En.luxinnivation.lu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  3. ↑ Delano Newspaper, May 2016
  4. ↑ "Luxinnovation, Agence Nationale pour la Recherche et l'innovation / Luxembourg / Fit4Start : lancement d'un nouveau programme d'aide étatique pour start-up ICT / Archives / Actualités /". Luxinnovation.lu (in French). 2015-10-27. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  5. ↑ "Helping Start-Ups get shipshade" (PDF). En.luxinnivation.lu. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  6. ↑ "Une pépinière de talents". PaperJam. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  7. ↑ "100% success rate for first open Fit 4 Start edition". LuxInnovation. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  8. ↑ "READ ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF THE FORMER FIT 4 START PARTICIPANTS". Luxinnovation. Luxinnovation. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "READ ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF THE FORMER FIT 4 START PARTICIPANTS". Luxinnovation. Luxinnovation. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "FIT4START RESULTS: THREE GRADUATES AND TEN NEW HOPEFULS READY FOR THE CHALLENGE!". Luxinnovation. Luxinnovation. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
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