Lao entrepreneurs to gather for startup contest
Lao entrepreneurs to gather for startup contest
This weekend budding entrepreneurs will have up to 54 hours to present their business ideas, develop a team and enter a business plan competition as part of Startup Weekend activities taking place in Vientiane.
The event is back again this year giving entrepreneurs and business hopefuls a chance to pitch their ideas to experienced coaches at the Toh-Lao Co-working Space in Mixay village, Chanthabouly district.
A press conference at the Lao Journalists' Association last Friday highlighted the significance of the activities in helping to produce new entrepreneurs.
Event organiser, Managing Director and co-founder of TOH LAO Co-Working Space, Ms Souphaphone Souannavong, said Startup Weekend activities this year were an open opportunity for people interested in how to be an entrepreneur and making a business case for their project, with over 50 participants expected to show up on the first day passionate about creating a business of their own.
Some will pitch their innovative start-up ideas. Six teams will be organically formed around the top six ideas, chosen in a popular vote.
On the second day there will be a frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing and market validation.
The weekend will culminate with presentations to local entrepreneurial leaders who will give critical feedback.
The six groups will work on their projects with the support of coaches from various industries.
On the final day all the teams will come together to pitch their final projects to expert judges.
“The advantage of Startup Weekend is having the business idea tested and being in touch with real entrepreneurs to share experiences and lessons as well as create a channel for making their own business,” Ms Souphaphone said.
This is the second such event after the inaugural programme was introduced last year. People interested in taking part in the Startup Weekend with a project can phone 020 77660082, 202 28288899 or go to the Facebook page: Startup weekend Vientiane or website: vientiane.startupwekend.org to register.
Startup Weekend is a global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding start-ups and launching successful ventures. It is the largest community of passionate entrepreneurs with over 1,800 past events in 120 countries around the world in 2014.
The non-profit organisation is headquartered in Seattle, Washington in the United States but Startup Weekend organisers and facilitators can be found in over 200 cities around the world. From Mongolia to South Africa to London to Brazil, people around the globe are coming together for weekend-long workshops to pitch ideas, form teams and start companies.
