Major changes to the Kiuas programs
Why does Kiuas exist?
To solve large societal problems through entrepreneurship (e.g. unemployment or climate change).
What is Kiuas’ aim for the future and how does Kiuas aspire to achieve this?
To create a sustainable world through sustainable entrepreneurship, that focuses on building both social & business value.
This fall has been a time of strategizing and changes to Kiuas. In the summer we decided to concentrate on planning and building, thus making the move of not organizing a Start program for the latter part of 2021. On this time, we've turned our programs inside out and analyzed piece by piece how we can help the startups joining our programs even more and how we scale our operations to help them in a bigger quantity.
Since our pilot this summer of the first international Kiuas Accelerator, we decided to proceed with the endeavor of a bigger global purpose and agency. Since our Purpose and Vision are on a global scale, the only right move was also to push our operations to a global stage. We know that this is a grand challenge and we won't be taking the whole world in one gulp, but rather balance our resources and move accordingly one bite at a time. In other words, our program will be open for all to apply, but the scaling of marketing will be gradual.
Moreover, we have also opened up the Accelerator program to the root. Why do we arrange this program? Who is it for? What value does it bring? What gap does it fill? Strategizing from the ground up, we've been working hard to come up with a brand new Accelerator program to be truly unique and worthy of every hour spent on it. This work is taking place as you read this. On the bigger picture, here's what we've agreed on so far:
- Kiuas Accelerator will be the only accelerator program Kiuas organizes
- More emphasis on tailoring the program to each individual team
- It will take place twice a year, in the spring and fall.
- The first spring program will be from March to May 2022 and the application period for it will start 22.11.21.
- Kiuas Accelerator will be broadened to include more teams from early stages.
- 1% equity will be taken from the participants (more on this below)
As we tell our startups in all the batches: "focus on one thing first". Kiuas Accelerator will now take the place as our only program to be optimized and modified with more resources and time and no more Kiuas Start will be organized for now. Ax will also be taking teams from earlier stages as before, to reach out to the teams which would've been applicants for the Start program. We strongly believe that focusing on one program with the goal of tailoring it to a more extensive degree for each individual startup is the way to go, rather than trying to give everything to everyone in the form of two very stiff and general programs.
Furthermore, Kiuas will launch a contact form / office hour model for any entity to book, in which we will give time to provide quick help, contacts and directions to those who need it.
Since our vision is big, 1% of equity will be taken from the new participant teams. This is a decision which has been taken with extreme care and backed up with a lot of consultancy and conversation. This share will be used to finance Kiuas for the future and it will open doors for more scalable operations and the ability to provide even more help and support to entrepreneurs. It will be a crucial part of making Kiuas more independent and able to grow towards its Vision and Purpose.
For the sake of transparency, we highlight the fact that Kiuas is a registered association, thus an NPO. Kiuas ry has no owners or shareholders of any kind and the entity above the employees is the Board consisting of volunteers. The equity acquired will not be used to build a holding fund, but rather to provide financing to Kiuas ry as tickets to liquidate at the same time the startups release funding rounds.
Updates on the Kiuas Accelerator program will be updated to kiuas.com/accelerator.
For more information on the matters, contact hello@kiuas.com
