Tell us more about your business idea!
Our idea stems from the educational experiences we made as students. Currently, there are critical issues in the higher education system. Studies show increasing skill gaps between employer expectations and graduate capabilities because the theoretical focus of higher education fails to provide students with relevant skills and knowledge. However, these issues can be alleviated by enriching coursework with practical aspects such as guest lectures, company projects, and events.
This is our mission. We develop an online platform that enables professors and companies to connect and collaborate to deliver practical experiences. Companies can become an integrated part of the coursework, providing insights into their industry and allowing students to apply their knowledge practically to real challenges.
What’s your vision with your idea?
Our vision is to bring academia and industry together in order to facilitate seamless collaboration and knowledge-sharing in higher education. By promoting access to practical, real-world experience for students in the classroom we aim to bridge the gap between universities and businesses.
Research clearly shows that enhanced collaborations can benefit all three parties, providing students with practical experience, businesses with access to talent and cutting-edge research, and universities with strong industry relationships and an innovative learning environment. The only thing missing is the right tool to facilitate such collaborations; we aspire to deliver it.
Last year you competed with your idea in our competition Impact Cup, and you won first prize in the Sustainable Environment category! How did that feel? What has happened since then?
For us, Impact Cup was an incredible experience! Winning first prize in the Sustainable Environment category at the Impact Cup was truly an honor and a great achievement. It was such an amazing feeling to see our idea recognized and appreciated for the first time in an official setting.
Since winning the competition, we have used the prize money to build a mock-up as well as an MVP of our idea. This has been a significant milestone for us, as it has enabled us to bring the vision to life and take the first steps toward realizing our goals of a well-designed platform. Moreover, the win has given us a lot of inspiration and a push to continue pursuing the idea.
Lastly, the people at the event gave great insights and we were able to build a network of strong supporters.
Do you have any advice for students considering competing in the Impact Cup this year?
We have three core aspects in mind that can help students. Be passionate about your idea: Your idea should be something that you are truly passionate about and deeply committed to. This will not only give you the motivation to work hard and overcome obstacles, but it will also make your pitch more compelling and convincing.
Focus on impact: Impact Cup is all about creating solutions that can positively impact society and the environment. So, make sure your idea is focused on solving a real-world problem and has a clear potential to create positive change.
Seek feedback: Don’t be afraid to share your idea with others and seek feedback. This can help you refine and improve your business model and also provides you with valuable insights into what judges might be looking for. In this regard, the feedback sessions with the Impact Cup team are a great opportunity to get the crucially needed feedback and optimize your pitch.
What are you up to right now, any news you want to share with us?
Right now we are releasing our first MVP, allowing professors to upload their courses and requirements, thus enabling companies to search for suitable courses. This will facilitate the first collaborations. Feel free to check out our launch teaser on our website!
Sneak peekIf you could dream, where are you with your idea in 5 years?
We would be honored if most of the European universities would use our service to boost their collaboration efforts with industry. Hereby, we would love to provide a well-designed platform that enables collaboration between academia and industry and enables knowledge-sharing between universities. All in all, we hope to provide a tool for a more comprehensive and connected higher education ecosystem.
Drivhuset is there to help you develop your ideas.
All guidance is free of charge and takes place under confidentiality.