Finnish accelerator program Startup Sauna is coming back to CEE to look for the hottest startups attend their 5-week accelerator program designed specifically for top-notch tech teams. The Sauna will be holding one-day coaching events in Russia, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belorus and Ukraine. Applications for CEE events are open and the best 15 will be chosen for each city.
Twice a year, the Sauna team and their coaches tour 20 cities holding free, one-day coaching events for local startups. Based on local applications, startups are selected to pitch in front of serial entrepreneurs and investors with the best teams selected for 1on1 sessions. The purpose of local events is to find and screen the best CEE startups for the accelerator program based in Helsinki. The program is free and Startup Sauna takes no equity.
CEE has been represented by 5-10 teams in every batch since it was founded in 2010, Appfollow, ClevApi, IQrypt, PromoRepublic and Uploadcare among others being the latest additions to the alumni from the fall ’15 program. Appfollow will also join Startup Sauna’s Silicon Valley trip, where the best teams get to know the ecosystem there, meet potential clients, and visit the most prominent VC’s on Sand Hill Road.
Startups will go through an intensive, full-time 5-week program during which they will get coaching from dozens of serial entrepreneurs, investors and industry experts. Teams will attend our Founder’s Talk -series as well as receive 1on1 coaching regarding their business model, pitching, legal matters, or basically anything an early-stage startup would need – CEO Panu Paljakka elaborates.
Next week Startup Sauna is looking for the best startups in Romania by holding a free, one-day coaching event for local startups in Bucharest on February 22nd in collaboration with TechHub Bucharest. Startups apply for the event via local application and the best 15 will be chosen for the event.
Here is the full list of CEE cities with local events organised by Startup Sauna with direct links to local application pages:
All startups accepted to Sauna will have free access to the leading startup conference Slush starting November 30th in Helsinki, Finland.