Bill Gates started Microsoft in his garage, Apple also started in a garage while Youtube and many other of today’ s multi-million dollar companies known worldwide started as small projects. Perhaps you too have a big idea but lack the means to execute it or the confidence to go further. Garage48 is a startup development group connecting people with similar interests and different specialisations which aims to give budding entrepreneurs a helping hand in turning their bright ideas into real business. The first Garage48 event was held Tallinn, Estonia in 2010 and attracted 100 participants. Fifteen projects were launched with the most popular project being a website where you can search for a babysitter for the evening. Now babysitters from all over Estonia register on the website map so people looking for a babysitter can easily find one in their area. Four similar events were held in Estonia, Latvia and Finland over the past year followed by nine projects in Nigeria, six in Ghana and one in Kenya. Participants have been inspired to put their ideas to work, and have made new friends and potential business partners. Many of those who met at the events still work together as a team to build the ideas into successful startups. An inspirational and supportive environment is an important prerequisite for the birth of new ideas. Having a good business and social network is increasingly important to starting a successful new business. In many African countries the potential IT market is huge but the IT sector is only making its first tentative steps. Ragnar Sass is Garage48’ s champion in Africa and he has been visiting Nigeria and Ghana meeting up with talented developers. The weekend bootcamps which Garage 48 organizes help build the local startup community and provide those talented developers with connections with successful entrepreneurs in Europe and America. Ragnar says he has been asked why Garage48 goes to Africa, instead of India or other European countries.“ I believe that spread of the Internet has changed the ways of business all over the world and that the next successful startups can come from whatever continent or country. What’ s important is the team, its skills and motivation to get things done. Not every IT startup necessarily needs to be the next Google or Facebook, sometimes it is as valuable if the startup can solve problems of local people and be reasonably profitable.”
He says Garage48 works on the following principles: 1. You can turn an idea into a working service or prototype within a weekend. 2. New web and mobile projects can be started with a good team and really lean budget. 3. Teaching people to work under tough deadlines by focusing on core issues. 4. Getting to know new people from other industries, roles and countries. 5. Less talk, more action and fun!
Garage48 foundation was started by six entrepreneurs from Estonia and is supported and sponsored by Google and Nokia. The two sponsors are strongly encouraging Garage48 to expand in Africa and are interested in building supportive environments for business activities in African countries and thereby helping African to progress.
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