For Astronomic Ideas

Ignite is a 10-week accelerator where first-time founders find their first customers and
launch their businesses

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Ignite creates founders faster than anyone else. Annually.
And right now, Finland needs founders more than ever.

360 New Founders   12 Summers of Entrepreneurship   175M ARR by Alumni

Ignite Summer Program

In our batch, you learn everything you need to launch your startup from zero. We facilitate everything around you, so you can focus 100% at building a better future for you and the world.

You get:

- 1.5k€ per person to launch your business over the summer
- Exclusive network that guides you around the common pitfalls of founding
‍- 10 Credits (ECTS)
- Accomodation for the needing

You need:

- Drive and motivation to solve a problem with a startup
- Ability to design, code or plan the first version of your product
- To move everything else away for 10 weeks.

To stay on track at all times, join our telegram channel.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Program

Is Ignite free?

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Yes, 100%.

Does Ignite take equity of companies?

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No, we don't.

Applying

Can I apply alone?

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Yes, you can, but you will need a team before the program. We can help you find one or fit you into an existing team. Keep in mind though, that the application is harder if applying alone.

I have a team, can I still apply alone?

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Yes, you can. However, the program can be rough alone, so we recommend having at least two people from your team in the program.

Do I need an idea?

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No, we don’t want you to be attached to only one or any idea. To apply, you need a problem that you truly want to solve.

Do I need previous experience?

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No, you don't. We make sure you learn all about founding in Ignite.

I already have a company, can I still apply?

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Yes, you can. However, you need to be in the starting phase since we help new founders accelerate their business. Take a moment to think what's your motivation to join Ignite and write that carefully to your application.

When will I know if I have been accepted?

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The latest in early March.

University

I’m not a student at Aalto University, can I still apply?

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Yes you can. You don’t even need to be a student to begin with.

What are the requirements for the 10 credits (ECTS)?

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Participating fully in the program counts as completing the course (no exams).

I’m not a student at Aalto University, can I still get the credits?

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Yes you can. Although, schools may have differences in accepting courses from Aalto University. We recommend you check that with your school.

Money

What financial support do you provide?

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We give you personal grants to get you through the summer. Remember, you can also apply for Kela’s benefit and student loan for the summer if you have enough credits from earlier in the year.

Will I get funding from Ignite?

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No. We firmly believe money is the last bottleneck for truly amazing ideas.

Can I have another summer job besides Ignite?

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No. We have so many motivated applicants that we don’t think it would be fair to not have everyone commit 100% to Ignite during the summer.

Still have questions? Check the telegram channel or email us at ignite@aaltoes.com.