MEET OUR 13 EARLY STAGE STARTUPS OF THE ROCKSTART LAUNCHTRACK POWERED BY TEKWILL

In March this year, almost two months ago, our program manager Karin van Soest kicked off the first Rockstart Launchtrack powered by Tekwill, in Moldova. Together we took on the challenge of educating first time entrepreneurs in this budding startup ecosystem, helping them to learn how to structure and navigate the validation process and develop their early stage startup. Most of the startups which entered the program had only an idea or basic prototype and very little or no knowledge of lean or agile methodologies, therefore it is inspiring to see just how far they have been able to come by following this very structured two-month program.

The program itself is broken into 4 phases, each an essential step in the validation process. “Problem Validation” helped the teams step back from their solution, focussing solely on clarifying their customer segment and the problem these people face. In many cases, the teams realise at this stage that they do not have a clear problem. Once the problem is clarified, the startups go in search of “Problem Solution fit,” offering their customer segment various solutions through either online or offline experiments.

Next the startups get a taste of what it will be like to run an internationally scalable startup and allowing them to work on their vision. But not for long as this phase is called “Think Big, Start Small” for a reason. The startups need to focus their energy on the smallest possible solution that will bring their customers value. In this way they can build a product together with these customers often called “early adopters” and make a product or service that people will pay for because they love and value it; the basic ingredients for a successful business.

Each phase of the program ends on a milestone, specifically set to help the startups focus on achieving another step in their development. By reaching the final milestone called “investment ready,” which is based on Rockstart investment criteria, the startups are given the opportunity to get direct access to the top selections of the Rockstart Accelerator most relevant to their market and industry. The accelerator will then give them the support and investment they need to prepare their startup for international scale.

OUR 13 EARLY STAGE STARTUPS

All 13 of our startups which were selected to join the program were able to highlight one or more customer segments with a clear problem, pain or need, allowing them to pass through to the next phase. Amazingly 10 of the 13 startups have also already found evidence of problem solution fit and are charging ahead with refining their value proposition through “build-measure-learn” cycles. We are therefore very proud to present the 13 startups of the Rockstart Launchtrack in Moldova powered by Tekwill:

#Stepcharge – A charging solution for hikers and mobile heavy users, allowing devices to be charged simply by walking.

#BruxRelief – A non-invasive biofeedback therapy device for bruxism (unconscious teeth grinding), helping dentists and their patients to detect, treat and put an end to the disorder.

#Shelfalytics – Using smart shelves, Shelfalytics helps retailers and distributors get real-time data from the store shelves;

#AnaBot – Your digital well-being coach that will help you track your daily emotions and offer self-help tips to maximize your professional and personal potential.

#CanarySwitch – Canary Switch helps you to release functionalities to limited user segments. It integrates fully with any software and gives post-deployment control over your features.

#Anonym Zoo – An anonymous social platform that allows young teens to express themselves in subjects they would not reveal on conventional social media platforms, promoting constructive feedback, understanding and emotional support in a positive community.

#TIMEIN – An application which allows users to share information about their free time on a daily calendar and receive suggestions from friends.

#MEGA – Connect with potential employees or interns by assessing suitable skill sets, motivation and cultural fit through gamification projects and direct engagement with HR or project managers;

#Sparjah – An indie game which creates a story around the psychology of choices, as we believe there is a strong connection between our choices and consciousness. The game is a journey through Somna’s life and weaves a tapestry of beautiful art as you pass between day and night helping Somna discover her past.

#Social Media Calendar – A collaborative tool for social media managers and advertising agencies that allows live previews of posts which make it easier to communicate between clients and social media managers.

#LegalScore – An intelligence platform allowing businesses to easily source contracts reviewed for transparency and risk through AI analysis.

#Lockstache – A smart lock solution to help Airbnb hosts easily and securely share access to their property from anywhere.

#Rift Time – An affordable and reliable online service to help architects create virtual reality walkthroughs from their own CAD files.

Photo credits to Daria Nepriakhina

Rockstart Launchtrack powered by Tekwill is organized with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) within “Moldova ICT Excellence Center Project”

Source: www.rockstart.com