Content

The seminar is held as a face-to-face seminar and/or in Zoom (detailed information is available in ILIAS). In the seminar you will work on a project in teams of max. 5 persons. Team applications are welcome, but not a prerequisite for participation. The seminars are held in English.

In the Startup Experience course, you will develop entrepreneurial skills that will enable you to develop a new business. In an entrepreneurial project, you will have three main objectives:

1. identify and develop an opportunity. Who is your target customer and what problem or task does he or she have? How attractive and how large is this market?

2. How will you add value to it? How can you leverage specific resources, including technology, to develop a solution?

3. How can you design and set up a viable organization? What business model do you propose to create, deliver and capture value?

After teams have formed, they begin by analyzing the personal values and competencies of the team members. This will create a foundation for their joint project.

The focus of the seminar is on technology-based venturing. In this context we will use the TAS approach (Technology Application Selection) developed at EnTechnon. By default, we assume KIT patents (but you can also "bring" other new technologies). We analyze the technology and use creativity techniques to find possible applications. Among other approaches, we will systematically explore applications around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Prototyping, business model development and pitching are part of the seminar.

Learning Objectives

You will be able to explore deep technology venturing opportunities and develop new products and services. The pedagogical approach is that of action learning. Working in a team, you will experience typical challenges and processes involved in starting a new business and develop the appropriate entrepreneurial skills.

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Characterize the core process of Deep Tech Venturing,
• Describe their personal core values and competencies and how they relate to the entrepreneurial opportunity nexus,
• use a technology characterization canvas to extract the core attributes of a technology,
• Apply creativity techniques to develop ideas for potential applications,
• Use utility analysis approaches to select a promising technology application,
• Develop a value proposition based on techniques such as the Value Proposition Canvas or the Jobs-to-Be-Done method,
• Apply technology assessment approaches to implement responsible innovation processes,
• Apply advanced business modeling methods to develop a sound business concept,
• Develop and deliver a concise presentation ("pitch") to communicate your project.

Additional Information:

Alternative Examination Credit. The grade is made up of the presentation and the written paper. A "project diary" about the course of the seminar may be part of the examination performance (depends on the tutor and will be announced at the beginning of the course).

For successful completion of the course, we expect you to submit a business plan with the following characteristics:

• Length: 9000 words,
• Solid and clear structure,
• Expression and spelling are correct
• Complete and correct references, citations, etc.
• Visual elements are appropriately chosen
• Documentation and traceability of data collection, analysis and interpretation,
• Content is developed according to course specifications.

We also expect you to deliver a team pitch.

• Duration: to be communicated (typically 7 minutes)
• Content: introduction/purpose; problem; solution; business model; prototype; competition; management team; current status and next steps,
• Layout and form: appropriate choice,
• Appearance: appropriate amount of visual elements,
• Data: well researched and visually organized.
• Storyline: is sound; clear and compelling.

Scheduled dates (likely hybrid version: some dates in attendance, others possibly digital):

Thursday, 10/21/2021, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, 04.11.2021, 9:00 - 17:00

Thursday, 25.11.2021, 9:00 - 17:00

Thursday, 09.12.2021, 9:00 - 17:00

Thursday, 13.01.2022, 9:00 - 17:00

Thursday, 03.02.2022, 9:00 - 14:00

The seminar will be conducted in Zoom and/or face-to-face (Detailed information will be available in ILIAS). In the seminar you will work on a project in teams of max. 5 persons. Team applications are welcome but not a prerequisite for participation. The seminars will be held in English.