Kaur Lohk, Bruno Lill, Stanislav Ivanov, Hanno Haamer, Andra Altoa, Peeter Klanberg, Aiver Pere, Kati Nikopensius, Tarvo Tamm, Tarvo Õng and special thanks to the moderator of the evening – Eero Tohver!

More pictures taken: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150521531858144.372221.282955438143&type=3

1. OÜ Melsum is specialized in the solution of business activity, supply chain and marketing issues. A sideline is conducting business and logistics training. Our aim is to be a strategy partner for our clients in finding visionary solutions.

2. Soft Landing OÜ is a consulting company providing business services for foreign entrepreneurs planning to start business here in Estonia. We work closely with leading partners across Estonia in order to offer our clients “One Stop Shop” service model. Some of the services we provide – establishment of companies, legal advice, marketing research, human resources, finding partners and customers. For more information see www.softlanding.ee

3. Urmet Jänes is a technology entrepreneur and systems developer. Urmet has been a software developer since 1990 and still has the technical skills. He has been growing businesses since early 2000′s, working simultaneously with business, technology and management strategy. Extensive experience in making things happen as a subcontractor/consultant with various big organisations in telecoms and banking.

Again, You are very welcome and please feel free to use all the advantages Connect Estonia membership offers You!

with best regards,

Tarvo Õng

The main focus of the series of seminar is to help entrepreneurs to envolve external competence into  their companies. In 2012,  three thematic seminars will be held in Tallinn where at each of the half-day seminars we will be focusing on the core of the company- the team.

1) Seminar: Founders’ Challenges

March
Venue: to be decided

The seminar is designed to mix the seasoned and young CEOs and other entrepreneurs as well as other players in the entrepreneurial scene.  The afternoon seminar will cover several critical issues in the first phase of company developments:  finding the right product-market fit, launching the products in the market, team-building, and funding issues (scope can be reviewed and narrowed down).

There will be two keynote speeches by CEOs who have founded their company and two panels discussions devoted to the issues.

This event will bring together around 50+ people, primarily growth and start-up entrepreneurs, but also investors, industry executives and services providers.

2) Hiring CEOs and management team members

Date  Tentative:  March 27-29, 2012

Venue: tba

We’ll focus on recruiting top CEOs and management teams.

Recruiting internationally.

If and at which stage of the company should the initial CEO step down? Adaption of the new CEO to the existing company environment, in case the CEO has just recently joined.
Managing and preventing conflicts.

3) Building a top advisory and board of directors

Date tentative: April  17-19, 2012
Venue: tba

The third part of the series will focus on combining the different comptences for the development of the company in its diverse stages. CEO, management team, mentor, advisory board, chairman of the advisory board- which are their functional roles and who and when the company needs?

-          Recruiting an advisory board, different roles

-          Managing  , best practise

-          Legal aspects of the work and righst/duties of the advisory board.

Who should attend?

Star-tups, growth companies, scientists, investors, service providers, students interested in entrepreneurship from Estonia and abroad.

* Working language at all the seminars is English.

Main things that I learned were:

1. If You patent something, big “fishes” will not notice You.  They will try to buy or crash You after You have harassed them. Sometimes they are not friendly but no worries. For every big power there is a opposing force…

2. Patenting can be really tricky. You need a really good and crazy patent Attorney to succeed without spending too much of Your valuable resources.

3. Changes in US patent law will make our life easier.

4. What also got my attention, was an interesting approach that sometimes it is not very wise to get the patent as quickly as possible. Vice versa! I suggest You ask more information about that from Mart Enn Koppel personally.

We also took some pictures that can be seen at our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150504935078144.370390.282955438143&type=3

With best regards,

Tarvo Õng

Teisest küljest on eri riikide patendiseadused läbi tegemas suuri muutusi. Septembris 2011 muudeti ulatuslikult USA patendiseadust ning need muudatused mõjutavad nii USA ka mitte USA ettevõtete patentimise alaseid valikuid nii USAs kui ka ülemaailmselt.

1. jaanuaril 2012 jõustus muudetud Eesti kasuliku mudeli seadus, millega muuhulgas muudeti ära leiutustaseme määratlus. Näib, et leiutustaseme nõue muutus senisega võrreldes leebemaks, mis avab võimaluse kaitsta leiutisi, mis seni kaitstavad ei olnud.

Lisaks on muutuseid ka seoses Euroopa patentidega ning PCT süsteemis.

Euroopa patendivolinik ning USA Massachusettsi osariigi advokaat Mart Enn Koppel käsitleb seminaril kaasaegsetele ettevõtjatele sobivaid strateegiaid ja taktikaid patendikaitse taotlemisel ja patendikaitsest tulenevate võimaluste kasutamisel. Käsitletakse väljakutseid leiutisele patendikaitse taotlemisel riikides, mille patendiseadused ja nende kohaldamise praktika on sageli üsna erinevad. Käsitletakse patendikoostöölepingut (PCT) taotlusi, Euroopa, USA ja arenevate riikide patendisüsteeme ning nende erinevusi ning kuidas need erinevused mõjutavad valikuid taotluste koostamisel ja esitamisel.

Keskendutakse Eesti ettevõtjate seisukohalt olulisematele valdkondadele, sh IKT, biotehnoloogia ja materjaliteadused.

Kuulama on oodatud nende valdkondade ettevõtjad, aga ka poliitikakujundajad ja avaliku sektori esindajad, kelle võimuses on toetadaettevõtjaid nende püüdlustes välisturge vallutada.

Seminari kava

• USA patendiseaduse 09/2011 muudatused ja nende mõju meie otsustele
• Eesti kasuliku mudeli seaduse 01.01.2012 muudatuse ja nende mõju meie otsustele
• Arengud Euroopa Patendiameti praktikas
• Arengud Patendikoostöölepingu (PCT) praktikas
• Globaalsena sündinud Eesti ettevõtte patendistrateegiad

Patendistrateegiate näited eri tehnikavaldkondade (IKT, biotehnoloogia, materjaliteadus) startupidele

When: January 26, 2011, 9.00-11.30
Where: Tallinna Linnavalitsuse Roosikrantsi residents (Roosikrantsi 4b, Tallinn)

In contemporary times, newborn companies are aiming foreign markets, skipping the more traditional way of first checking out the idea on the home market. How is this trend influencing patenting decisions and what kind of challenges does it bring along for both companies and their patent advisors?

European patent attorney and Massachusetts attorney at law Mart Enn Koppel discusses contemporary approaches to patenting strategies and tactics. Patent Cooperation System as well as European patent convention and US patent system with references to patent law and practice of growing economies are discussed in terms of their differences and how these differences must be addressed from the very beginning. The seminar will be focused on the areas of most interest to the Estonian startups, including ICT, biotechnology and material sciences.

The seminar is for startups, their advisors and investors, but also for policy makers and government officials, in whose capacity is to help Estonian startups to conquer foreign markets.

Event is free of charge for everybody!  Book the date and time and register HERE or tarvo.ong@connectestonia.net until 24th of January 2012.

Connect Estonia brought to light  its plans for year 2012. There is a lot coming and everybody will find something interesting. Keep Yourself informed!

Jouko was astonishing, honest and a little irritating in positive means.  :)  By the way, it was his first speech to Estonian audience in three Years!

Thank You Jouko for Your honesty, great speach and sharing Your experience and thoughts. I bet many people will turn to You for detailed information and help, for their own exits.

One quote from Jouko: “If You can not see the competition in Your clients eyes – then there does not exist any competition!”

So instead of looking to the right and to the left in the fear of competition, look straight forward to Your clients eyes and do what You’re best in!

We also took some photos You can access from HERE.

Looking forward to meet You again soon,

Tarvo Õng

Springboard Programme and beyond:  Activity Plan 2012

Subtopic From Fundraising to Exit

featuring speaker Jouko Vierumäki, current Numara Software, ex- Fromdistance,

When: January 11, 2012, 16.00-18.30
Where: Kaval-Antsu tavern (Paldiski mnt1/Toompuiestee 23, Tallinn)

Connect Estonia will start our new season on January 11 introducing our activity plan for 2012– changes in the springboard programme, our focus on raising investor-readiness of start-ups and creating  international matchmaking opportunities. We expect a good networking opportunity  with our old and new members

In order to bring entrepreneurial flavor to our event we have picked up an interesting case study on building start-up from fundraising to exit. Some of you have noticed that Fromdistance has been acquired by US  software company Numara Software in 2011. Jouko will speak about his expectations in the beginning of the process, working together with investor and strategic exit to US company. It has been interesting case of aligning strategic views on business building  between  entrepreneur and investor, leading eventually to the successful exit.

Event is free of charge for members, other 15 EUR (invoice will be sent by e-mail).  Book the date and time and register at our website or tarvo.ong@connectestonia.net until 10th of January 2012.

Mother, father and seven beautiful children. Six daughters and a son. We all got unforgettable emotions and next year will do it again!  :)

You can see some pictures here!