Applications are now open until 22 March for the second batch of the University of Helsinki’s SÄRÖ/FRACTURE pre-incubator programme. The programme will kick off on 31 March and have its final showcase on 30 May.
"After a great first batch last year, I'm really excited to get to see what the next group of teams this time will be like," said an enthusiastic Mari Karjalainen. As the SÄRÖ/FRACTURE project lead, Karjalainen has spent the time since the last programme going through the feedback and lessons learned from the first edition of SÄRÖ/FRACTURE to refine its offering.
Over the course of two months, she explains, participants will acquire the necessary tools and knowledge to begin their journeys in entrepreneurship with the help of visiting expert speakers during the revised and improved series of bi-weekly sessions in which participants will have access to both informative, lesson-based teaching and hands-on, practical learning through workshops. As a new feature for its 2nd batch, the programme will be introducing a pool of handpicked on-call advisors from various relevant fields who will be available to give participants an extra bit of assistance when they need it.
Yet in addition to needing experienced guidance in an array of practical matters, aspiring entrepreneurs require support to help them face the often daunting path to entrepreneurship, which SÄRÖ/FRACTURE provides both in the form of knowledgeable professionals for the participants to lean on, but also in the form of a community of peers which participants can count on throughout the programme and beyond.
The hope is that by the end of SÄRÖ/FRACTURE, participants will feel emboldened, and ready to take whatever next step they feel is appropriate.
“SÄRÖ/FRACTURE provided us with the tools to take our idea further, and we’re now ready to take the next step in our entrepreneurial journey," said Chiara Facciotto, a participant in the first SÄRÖ/FRACTURE programme.
Another participant, Noha Abdelmonem, agreed saying: “By completing SÄRÖ/FRACTURE, my idea became more crystallised, and now I have an actual plan with concrete steps on how I can develop it into a real project.”
Those interested in finding out more about the programme are invited to attend SÄRÖ/FRACTURE's open "Get to know the programme" session on 1 March at the Helsinki Incubators space on Vuorikatu 3 at 16:00. The event will have a keynote on social entrepreneurship as well as testimonials from SÄRÖ/FRACTURE alumni and the opportunity to ask questions about the programme. To attend, please register here.
With an expected 15-20 team cohort, SÄRÖ/FRACTURE is specifically designed for teams and individuals who want to learn about social entrepreneurship and discover how a socially impactful idea can be transformed into a tangible solution to a real-world problem.
"An idea is all you need," Karjalainen said, illustrating the low barrier of entry to the programme. "Even if it's still in its early stages, or all you have is a problem you're frustrated with and want to work on developing a solution for, we want you!"
Organised by the University's Helsinki Incubators in collaboration with Helsinki Think Company, and powered by the City of Helsinki, SÄRÖ/FRACTURE is a part of the city centre campus’ services for promoting and facilitating research-based entrepreneurship among University staff, students, alumni, and any interested Helsinki residents. As with all of the Helsinki Incubators programmes, SÄRÖ/FRACTURE will be free of charge and conducted in English.
If you are interested in taking part, apply here by 22 March! More information about SÄRÖ/FRACTURE can be found here, along with a more detailed schedule here.