This document provides an overview of the DIGISTART project which aims to create pathways for first-time entrepreneurs. It discusses six main initiatives: 1) a common open application for idea-stage startups, 2) a talent forum, 3) an MOOC, 4) research, 5) a student support center, and 6) workshops/training. It also outlines key focus areas and success metrics for partners in London, Malmo, and Lisbon and describes plans for some of the main initiatives going forward.

1. Aneesh Zutshi, UNIDEMI
Antonio Grilo, UNIDEMI
Coordinator

2. Project Overview
Creating pathways for first time Entrepreneurs
 Bringing First Time Entrepreneurs closer to the Startup Ecosystem
 Build Entrepreneurial Community at University level
 Create a pool of resources for first time Entrepreneurs
 Facilitate Pre-Acceleration
 Internationalization
 Support young Startups

3. Digistart 6 main initiatives
1. Common Open Application for Idea Stage Startups
2. Talent Forum
3. MOOC
4. Research
5. Student Support Centre
6. Organization of Workshops, Seminars, Contests, and
Training

4. Key Focus of Partners
London
Malmo
Lisbon
Lisbon
 Targeting Early Stage Startups in Lisbon
 Working closely with UNIDEMI to establish a model
for University-Ecosystem Collaboration
 Establishing Pre-Accelerator Beta Start
 Targeting more mature Startups in Sweden
 Training Sessions
 Investor Matching
 Online Platform
 Common Open Application for Pre-Accelerators
 Talent Forum for Founder Dating, Talent Matching
 Bringing Entrepreneurship to the University
 Launching Startup Entrepreneurship Courses
 Support centre, events
 Research Activities related to Startup Ecosystem

5. Key success metrics
Number of … Persons affected
Cources 5 2080
Training sessions 8 422
Confereneces 2 400
Workshops 3
Meet Ups 30 950
Internationalisatio activities 5 245
Business development 70 155
Networking activities 132 1315
Start Ups 138
Master thesis completed 5
Scientific papers published 3

6. Main Initiatives: Open Application
 Open Application Platform
 Improvements in F6S Platform
 Back-end and Design
 Idea Repository
 Match-making
 Idea Submission Workflow
 Strategies to incentivise mentors and attract investors
 Proposal VS Real-World
 Incentivising Mentors
 Attracting Investors

7. Main Initiatives: Talent Forum
 Need and Availability of Human Resources for Startups
 Current Outlook on Startups in European Employment Sector and Economy
 The Main HR Problems Startups Face in Europe
 Current Available Options to Improve HR in Startups in Europe
 How DIGISTART Can Help: Key Solutions
 Processes for ensuring greater reliability of human resources
 Importance of HR in recruitment in Startups
 Identifying processes that ensure reliability with DIGISTART

8. Main Initiatives: MOOC
 Repository
 About digital entrepreneurship
 Ideas
 Products
 Team
 Business model
 Pricing and marketing
 Location
 Accelerations
 Funding
 Establishing a company
 Digital Business Ecosystems Course
 DIGISTART Videos
 Videos of Failing Forward Provided by Life Project

9. Main Initiatives: Research
 Whitepaper on Agent Based Modeling Tool to simulate Online Businesses
 Report on factors that define success or failure of Startups
 Data Management Plan
 Research works
 Relationship between Investors and Accelerators
 Mapping of startup ecosystems based on Type of Startups
 The Evolving Nature and Business Models of Accelerator Programmes in Europe
 Trends in Startup Strategy by Corporates
 Steps for developing a startup
 Conference/Journal Papers:
 “Simulation and Forecasting of Pricing Models for an online procurement platform using
Agent Based Simulation Model”, Journal of Simulation, pp. 1–14, 2017.
 "What is a Digital Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Players and Processes", International
Conclave On Innovations in Engineering & Management (ICIEM-2016).
 “Interconnectivity between Ecosystem Builders and Investor Groups in European Startup
Ecosystems”, 7th International Conference on Systematic Innovation (ICSI 2016).

10. Main Initiatives: Student Support Centre
Event Date
Startup Inspiration Training Session at FCT, Lisbon 7 Oct 2015
How to internationalise your startup – Workshop at Malmo 25 May 2015
Accelerate your business by DIGISTART - Training session at Malmo 16 June 2015
FCT Entrepreneurship Course, at FCT, Lisbon Feb 2016
DIGITAL NOVA, University pre-accelerator, at FCT, Lisbon May to July 2016
i3 Masterclass, Porto 25 Oct 2016
FCT Entrepreneurship Course, at FCT, Lisbon Jan-Feb 2017
 Website
 An office inside Industrial Engineering department (FCT/UNL)

11. Main Initiatives: Organization of Workshops, and …
Event Type Event Date
Major Workshop
Lisbon Investment Summit + IE Venture 4-5 June 2015
Bringing Entrepreneurship Culture to Universities 22 Oct, 2015
FCT Entrepreneurship Course Feb 2016
Conference
AW Seminar: Meet Europe’s hottest startup hub, Malmo 18 Aug 2016
We Start Lisbon international conference (with MyWay), Lisbon 21 Oct 2016
Training Session
How to Interationalise, Clusterland , Sweden 25 May 2015
Accelerate your Business, Clusterland, Sweden, 16 June 2015
2 Panel discussion - STARTUP OLÉ Salamanca (Welcome) 9 Sep 2015, 8 Sep 2016
ICT 15, Lisbon, (My-Way) 20 Oct 2015
Startup Inspiration Talks 7 Oct 2015
i3 Masterclass, Porto 26 Oct 2016
Betai comes to Nova Nov 2016
Contests European wide contests Year 1, Year 2
Acceleration Program DIGITAL NOVA, University pre-accelerator, at FCT May to July 2016

12. Main Initiatives:
Future Planning
 SEUN Startup Europe University Network
 Startup Europe comes to Africa