For small and medium companies
It is a business accelerator for ambitious entrepreneurs seeking new business directions, forging partnerships and strengthening their innovation development competencies.
During the program you will:
- you will create innovative projects in cooperation with other companies participating in the program
- you will develop a user-centric approach and product development involving the customer
- you will look for new business solutions
- you will experiment with the market and innovations
4
modules
up to 14
companies
∞
new cooperation directions
0
Euros
Whom are we looking for to participate?
Small and medium companies registered in Lithuania with an ambition to innovate and grow
Companies that have been operating in the market for more than 2 years
Companies whose turnover exceeds 200 000 EUR
2024 program topics and lecturers
Co-creating innovation
September 4th
Purpose of the session
To explore the horizons of open innovation and the co-creation potential. To map the innovation ambition and set the focus of future projects.
Speakers:
Jussi Hermunen. What boosts innovation: competition or co-creation.
Guest speaker (TBC). How we launched a co-created service.
Session program:
Workshop I. Teams align their goals and understanding of the focus using Context Canvas structure.
Workshop II. Stakeholder business interest mapping.
Home task. To align business interests in joint problem solving and make sure that the selected topic has
balanced business interest
User-driven innovation
September 18th
Purpose of the session
To introduce the core principles of user-driven innovation.
Speakers
Jana Kukk. Is talking to the customer worth it?
Guest speaker (TBC). Applying customer
Session program
Workshop I. Profiling: who are we creating the value for? Uncovering the business opportunity on the market. Possible tools: persona matrix (combined with competitor analysis, if applicable).
Workshop II. Research design. Participants plan explorative or validative research to identity opportunities and make informed decisions in development process.
Home task. Planning and conducting an explorative customer research to discover or validate the value proposition with the largest business potential.
Conceptualisation
October 2nd
Purpose of the session
To facilitate solution design.
Speakers
Arvydas Pleta. Business as unusual: limitations or opportunities?
Session program
Workshop I. Analogies-based ideation. Possible tool: Lotus Blossom ideation canvas.
Workshop II. Defining possible positive impact. Possible tool: Impact measurement canvas.
Home task. Mapping the analogies and translating them into relevant context. Finalising the general concept.
Highly recommended to reach out to the facilitators after the module to get feedback on the homework.
Launch prep
October 16th
Purpose of the session
To prepare MVP for launch. To help teams to prepare pitches.
Speakers
Liene Kupca. How to prep for take-off?
Guest speaker (TBD). Testing business models in practic.
Session program
Workshop I. Validation roadmap design. Low-fidelity experiments. Possible tool: Validation Canvas..
Workshop II. Pitch structure prep.
Home task. To execute 2-3 experiments based on the Validation plan, to analyse the results and make the adjustments to the business model accordingly. To prepare the pitch for the final presentation round.
Program tools to support your company’s growth
Knowledge and practice
Lectures, seminars and practical understanding
- Opportunity to learn and be inspired by other participants through co-creation
- Opportunity to hear and learn from both Baltic and international lecturers. The lecturers will include experts with experience in fast-growing companies, as well as mentoring
- Balancing theory with case studies from start-ups and successful high-growth companies
Experience
Individual mentoring and support of experienced experts
- The programme's lead mentor will help participants succeed and grow by following progress and adapting an individual approach
- Participants have access to individually selected mentors based on needs and business specifics
Business contacts
- Training sessions with all participants of the programme, which will promote the exchange of practical experience of companies and the opportunity to learn from like-minded people
- Digital community platform for like-minded people to share news, seek advice, communicate and discuss news
Mentors of the program
Arvydas Pleta - Innovation partner at Katalista Ventures (Lithuania)
With a solid track record of over 10 years, Arvydas excels in leading innovation-driven programs, holding roles such as SEB's Head of Innovation and Partner at Katalista Ventures. His expertise in fostering accelerators, hackathons, and bootcamps, along with strategy facilitation for diverse companies, aligns with his dedication to social business principles. Arvydas has mentored over 200 startups and SMEs across various sectors and adeptly led SEB's growth program in Lithuania at the beginning of 2024. He has collaborated with notable entities like Oracle, the European Innovation Academy, UNICEF, Telia, Tele2, Dojus Agro, Elektrum, EIKA, and Žalgiris. Furthermore, he imparts insights on social entrepreneurship and innovation through his podcast, 'Innovators in Action.'
Jana Kukk - Co-founder at Rethink, Senior Lecturer at TalTech (Estonia)
Jana specializes in building up and scaling innovation capabilities, as well as in hands-on problem solving concerning internal and customer-facing processes. In a career spanning more than 15 years, Jana has developed a track record as a consultant, in-house innovation lead, start-up mentor and international innovation trainer. Jana has worked with global organizations such as Telia, Daimler, G4S, Volvo Trucks, Santander Totta, Komerčni Banka and others. She holds a PhD in Service Design an is continuing her research in the field at TalTech University. Jana’s also the co-author of the book “Managing Complexity and Creating Innovation Through Design”. She has facilitated more than 100 trainings and programs.
Jussi Hermunen - Managing Director, Digitalist Finland (Finland)
Since 1997, Jussi has been working with emerging business models and digital phenomena. His career has spanned multiple agencies (such as Fjord & Idean), focusing on multinational clients (such as Ericsson & Adidas) and demanding deliveries. A service designer by background, his focus for the past five years has been on business innovation & modern business modelling. This has typically meant collaboration with business functions and processes, and tying different possible ecosystems into the mix if needed. In the context of SEB’s program, he brings in a wider view of the European business landscape.
Liene Kupča - service design strategist, consultant (Latvia)
Liene is a consultant and advisor with a wealth of experience across public and private sectors in Latvia and the Baltic region. As an author of «Futures Design» course and lecturer in the Service Design & Innovation Master's program—a collaboration between SSE Riga, the Latvian Academy of Art, University of Lapland, and the Estonian Academy of Arts—she brings a unique perspective to organizational change. She excels in steering transformative shifts, enhancing service quality, and fostering innovation with a human-centric approach. Her strategic insight is crucial for organizations that aim to smoothly transition through change and propel innovation.
In collaboration with
SEB's business growth program is organized by Katalista Ventures, the first start-up accelerator and fund in the Baltic States that started working with start-ups and organizations that create a positive impact. Since 2017, Katalista Ventures has been helping startups to have a positive impact on the environment, people and their financial situation. Katalista Ventures creates partnerships with companies, government institutions, non-governmental, public organizations, and foundations around the world with the goal of solving major global sustainability problems. Katalista Ventures accelerates and invests in early-stage sustainable startups, provides innovation and sustainability consulting, and helps organizations integrate positive impact into their business models.
Need advice on the program?
Contact our Innovation Manager Marius Ribokas by e-mail: marius.ribokas@seb.lt
