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Draft:START Global

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  • Comment: Primary sources and regurgitations of press releases etc. do not establish notability per WP:ORG. Also, coverage of individual events does not contribute towards the notability of the organisation that is the subject of this draft. DoubleGrazing (talk) 14:01, 4 November 2024 (UTC)
  • Comment: Wikipedia is not a means of promoting an organization. Please remove peacock language such as "Despite these challenges, the event continued to innovate, incorporating elements like helicopter rides in subsequent years." (which is completely unsourced), "START Summit reached another milestone", etc. Please ensure that the sources used here are secondary, independent, and reliable. Starthack, startupgrind, startupslatam, are not reliable, a "huzzle" kickstarter app is not a reliable source, and no application pages either please. Utopes (talk / cont) 22:44, 11 September 2024 (UTC)

START Global
Formation1996
HeadquartersSt.Gallen
Location
  • St.Gallen, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Maastricht, Paris, Helsinki, Lausanne, Vaduz, Barcelona, Lisbon, Quito, Lima, Bogotá, México City, São Paolo
Volunteers
500
Websitehttps://www.startglobal.org

START Global is a student-run non-profit organisation that aims to empower young entrepreneurs around the world by providing them with the necessary resources to get in touch with and understand entrepreneurial ecosystems.[1] The organisation is currently active in 16 locations throughout Europe and Latin America, employing 400 people.

History

[edit]

START Global, established in 1996 by Bettina Hein, Herman Arnold, and Jan Bomholt, originated at the University of St.Gallen with the inaugural START Summit in 1997[2], an entrepreneurial event that began with approximately 100 participants. From 1998 onward, the event grew, taking place in various venues throughout St. Gallen, such as the Pfalzkeller St.Gallen[3] and Säntis Mountain.

In 1999, START Global received an investment of CHF 1 million from UBS. However, by 2000, financial difficulties led to a depletion of funds and a subsequent strategic reassessment.

The organisation expanded its activities internationally in 2003 with events in Munich and Nuremberg, alongside the establishment of local hubs. After a period of reduced activity, START Summit was revitalised in 2012 and integrated a hackathon by 2014. By 2015, the event drew over 1,000 attendees at the University of St. Gallen, necessitating a move in 2016 to the larger Olma Halls in St. Gallen. That same year, START Hack was launched as a separate initiative on the university campus.[4] By 2019, START Summit and START Hack attracted around 2,000 participants and 350 hackers.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to the cancellation of the START Summit [5], which had anticipated 3,500 participants. START Hack was held online and drew increased global participation. In the same year, START Global introduced the START Fellowship, an accelerator program that initially included 19 founders from Colombia and Romania. In 2021, START Fellowship focused exclusively on Latin America, expanding to 11 countries and supporting 35 founders. That year, START Summit adapted to the pandemic with a hybrid format at the University of St. Gallen.

In 2022, both START Summit and START Hack were held in the Olma Halls under the combined branding of START Summit x Hack, marking their return after the pandemic with approximately 3,500 attendees.[6]

In March 2024, START Summit transitioned to the newly built Olma Hall 1, becoming the first event hosted at this venue.[7] Additionally, START Global expanded into Latin America with the creation of local hubs in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Projects

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START Global offers three different projects for different target groups. Covering all steps of the entrepreneurial journey from ideation to investments and relationship building.[8]

START Summit

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START Summit is a student-run innovation and tech conference held annually in St.Gallen[9], Switzerland. The event aims to connect aspiring founders with established leaders in the field. It facilitates interactions between founders and investors through various formats, including the START Summiteer pitching competition, targeted workshops, and partner-hosted side events by organisations such as Sequoia Capital and Cherry Ventures.[10]

In 2024 START Summit brought together 7000 attendees and 200 speakers, including people like Max Hodak and Bryan Johnson.[7]

Road to START Summit

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A substantial part of START Summit is the pitching competition START Summiteer. It lets 30 early-stage Startups the opportunity to present their venture in front of industry leaders, serial founders and VCs. Road to START Summit is a series of smaller pitching competitions held in every local hub leading up to this format.[11]

START Hack

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At START Hack, different groups of innovators and problem-solvers come together in the city of St. Gallen to showcase their skills and ideas. With the help of 9 Case Partners and 600 participants, START Hack aims to bring business and technology together.[12]

Participants collaborate over a 36-hour period to develop prototypes that address societal challenges presented by the case partners. These challenges often involve areas such as sustainable energy solutions and healthcare technologies, fostering an environment of idea exchange and interdisciplinary cooperation.[13]

In 2024, START Hack introduced the "Hack App," a proprietary platform created to manage and host live hackathons. This platform is set to be available for licensing to other hackathons starting in mid-2025, providing a comprehensive tool for hackathon organisation.[14]

START Fellowship

[edit]

START Fellowship is a student-run incubator and accelerator program designed to support young entrepreneurs from Latin America and Africa. The program aims to provide equal opportunities for founders, enabling them to access resources and build companies in their regions or in Europe. Over an 8-month period, participants are connected with the European startup ecosystem and are given opportunities to advance their ventures. The program is divided into two main segments: the incubator and the accelerator.[15][16]

Incubator

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START Fellowship Incubator is designed to empower tech and business talents from Latin America and Africa on their entrepreneurial journey from a first idea to an MVP. During the program, they have the opportunity to develop an idea further and gain insights from experienced entrepreneurs. The program includes the Design Thinking series, a tech academy, founder stories, workshops, community activities and a demo day.[17][failed verification]

Accelerator

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Over a 4-month period in Switzerland, the accelerator introduces 30 founders to the European startup ecosystem and provides them with professional mentorship, coaching, funding opportunities and workshops to grow their startup.[18]

Global Reach and Local Hubs

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START Global operates through various local hubs around in Europe and Latin America, each functioning in regards to their respective ecosystems. These chapters to serve as local hubs for entrepreneurship, connecting founders, investors, and mentors while organising events, workshops, and other initiatives to drive Startup growth and community building. The network of hubs helps to expand START Global's impact, enabling it to reach and support entrepreneurs in diverse locations.

Local Hub Founding Year Members Website
START Munich 2003 80 https://www.startmunich.de/
START Nuremberg 2003 45 https://www.startnuremberg.com/
START Lausanne 2003 30 https://www.startlausanne.ch/
START Vaduz 2004 20 https://www.startvaduz.li/
START Berlin 2013 30 https://www.start-berlin.de/
START Stuttgart 2018 20 https://startstuttgart.org/
START Barcelona 2018 10 https://www.startbarcelona.org/
START Helsinki 2018 20 https://www.starthelsinki.com/
START Maastricht 2020 30 https://www.startmaastricht.nl/
START Lisbon 2021 25 https://www.startlisbon.pt/
START Hamburg 2023 20 https://start-hamburg.com/
START Paris 2024 10 N/A
START Quito 2024 10 N/A
START Lima 2024 8 N/A
START Bogotá 2024 5 N/A
START México City 2024 5 N/A
START São Paolo 2024 5 N/A

References

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  1. ^ AG, DV Bern. "START Global". Commercial register of canton St. Gallen. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  2. ^ Graf, Irina (2024-01-15). "START Summit injects innovation into Europe's startup conference scene". The MICE Blog. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  3. ^ Jäger, Mathias (2015-04-20). "START Summit 2015 - St. Gallen leuchtet - Gruenderfreunde.de". gruenderfreunde.de/ (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  4. ^ gruenderszene (2016-02-10). "Der START Summit 2016 in St. Gallen". Business Insider (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  5. ^ "START Summit - Investor meets Start-Up Event Success Story". www.b2match.com. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  6. ^ "START Summit". www.usi.ch. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  7. ^ a b Lege, Madita (2024-04-08). "Start Summit 2024: Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen in St. Gallen". Business Insider (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  8. ^ Stavrinos, Melina (2019-04-05). "Nach dem Studium Startup gründen | Bildungsmagazin - eduwo.ch" (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  9. ^ Newsroom (2024-03-25). "Is the calm before the storm over?". HSG - Uni SG. Retrieved 2024-08-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "Start Summit 2024 revamped with several highlights". Startup Ticker. 08.02.2024. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Pitching Contest für Stuttgarter Early Stage Startups – Road To START Summit am 2. März 2023 – Startup-Stuttgart.de" (in German). 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  12. ^ Newsroom (2024-06-10). "Die Universität St.Gallen am START Hack 2024". HSG Startseite - Universität St.Gallen (in German). Retrieved 2024-08-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ Strohm, Charlotte (2018-06-07). "START". HSG Stiftung. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  14. ^ "Start Hack". starthack.eu. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  15. ^ HSGStart (2024-06-18). START Fellowship – What is START. Retrieved 2024-08-30 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ "START Fellowship Accelerator". Startups Latam (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  17. ^ Yusuf, Aminu (2024-08-14). "Apply for START Fellowship Incubator 2024". HausaDrop.Com.Ng. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  18. ^ "START Fellowship | Perfil Startuplinks". startuplinks.world. Retrieved 2024-08-30.