Startup Books #3: Startup Rising, the Entrepreneurial Revolution in the Middle-East, by Christophe Schroeder
So far, Startup Rising: The Entrepreneurial Revolution Remaking the Middle-East is one of the top startup books we have read, and that we recommend. In a dense, 200+ pages, author Christopher M Schroeder not only gives a kaleidoscopic view of an exciting region, he also shares his own journey, started with “a first mentorship experience […]
MOOC – Beyond Silicon Valley #3: Jumpstart, a case study for Intermediary Organisations
In the two last sessions of Michael Goldberg’s, we saw how governments, as well as donors and philanthropists played a role in Cleveland tech ecosystem. This week, we will study what Jumpstart is. Launched in 2004, this non for profit intermediary organisation helps startups by providing pre-seed funding, developing angel networks, and connections for follow-on […]
The best of ConDatos, the top Open Data event of Latin America
Last week, a most important serie of Open Data events took place in Mexico City. The biggest megacity of the whole American continent was chosen to hold the second edition regional conference for Open Data: ConDatos, after the success of the 2013 edition in Uruguay. The main exhibition was enhanced by many parallel conferences, meetings, […]
Start-Up Chile: effective support to the entrepreneur or actual struggle?
Start-Up Chile is a well-known program of the Chilean government to attract early entrepreneurs and support start-up creation in the country, consisting of a USD 40K grant, a visa to work in Chile, plus some extra practical help like mentoring, networking and free access to a coworking space. Beyond the money+visa hook, how does an […]
[FutureCom Brazil] Submarine cables: the long-term bet of Google in the emerging markets
After having invested in the pacific transcontinental cables, Google will keep on developing network infrastructures. This time, the Montain View giant will team up with Latin American companies and African operators to link the United States to Brazil, and unexpectedly, Angola, via submarine cables. (Submarine Cable World Map, as of 2007, Wikicommons) Four companies from […]
[FutureCom Brazil] The Free Wifi revolution, an opportunity for telcos to stay in the game
The population requires Free Wifi, everywhere and anywhere. And Paul Milkessen, COO at Aptilo, claims that this trend is going to get even stronger with the years. Companies such as Wigo in Peru are developing quite an interesting business model entirely based on giving free access to wifi in public places. Telcos cannot ignore for […]
MOOC – Beyond Silicon Valley #2: Role of philanthropy
Last week, we began to follow Coursera’s new MOOC « Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies » and wrapped-up the first lesson on the role of government. This week, we tackle another topic, with the Role of philanthropy and donors: why do they get involved, how different are they from invests and governments? US laws allow […]
MOOC – Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies by Professor Michael Goldberg
I just began this week a new MOOC on Coursera, named « Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies » by Professor Michael Goldberg from the Case Western Reserve University. The course starts with the case of Cleveland, and how the American city did reboot its economy by fostering an innovation ecosystem. Here are my notes on […]
A night at La Paillasse, Europe's largest biohacking and open science space
Coming to Paris, I attended La Paillasse inauguration night, organised as part of the Nuit Blanche, a yearly event mixing culture, arts and party, when many museums, labs and other creative places open their doors for a full night of demos, exhibitions and music. La Paillasse is Europe’s largest biohackerspace, although it has recently gone […]
INRIA Chile: a case study on how Chile attracts top R&D innovation centers
Chile and its tech ecosystem has been gaining quite some exposure, and if the most famous reason is its Startup Chile program (a visa + $40 000 starting-up package), a lot of other ways to foster a culture of entrepreneurship happen. In a more traditional fashion, but with results, the country has signed a series of […]
