Aalto University’s Pre-incubator Program Helps Eight Teams

Eight teams took part in the 13-week creative industry pre-incubator program during the autumn semester. Business advisors and creative industry experts coached the teams in developing and protecting their business ideas, expanding their networks and pitching their projects to different audiences.

The Aalto Digital Creatives pre-incubator aims to serve the creative industries with a wide scope which is represented in the variety of business ideas accepted into the program. On the second round of the pre-incubator, among the ideas were a product placement software, a biodegradable bubble wrap, a co-creative design tool, a platform for sustainable film production, an application for pet owners, a platform for sharing XR content, an interactive modular hub for enhancing wellbeing and a fashion label which protects cultural heritage.

One of the participants Jane Vita, the founder of the Service Sandbox, outlined that the three most valuable things for her in the program were the support from the coaches, the tactical and strategic lectures on what to consider in your business and the opportunity to meet others who share the experiences of the journey towards entrepreneurship.

“Becoming an entrepreneur is a solo decision, but you do have support and many opportunities to make it happen. Joining a community is a great step!” Says Jane Vita when she is asked what her greetings are to those who might be thinking of applying to the Aalto Digital Creatives program.

To build networks and spread awareness about the pre-incubator, the Aalto Digital Creatives program produces a seminar series together with the Creative Technologies research community and actively collaborates with other events across campus. One of the event collaborations is the Media Lab Demo Day. This year’s Winter Demo Day gave the pre-incubator teams a valuable opportunity to pitch their business ideas on stage.