Silicon Valley, New York or Munich: where can we take you?
Why we're expanding the Brighter Program
For five years, KTH Innovation has run the Brighter Program, a four-month internationalization program culminating in a week in Silicon Valley. In its sixth year, the program expands to launch two new destinations, aiming to bring KTH Startups to the leading innovation hubs in the world.
Silicon Valley is often mentioned as the premier innovation hub in the world. It is the birthplace of tech giants like Google, HP, LinkedIn, AirBnb and many, many more. The region can also boast being the home of prestigious universities such as Stanford and Berkeley and research centers like NASA, Ames, and Stanford Research Institute, and has an enormous amount of incubators, accelerators, technology centers, and VC firms. However, while Silicon Valley has a lot to offer for almost any type of startup, it’s arguably best suited for software based ones.
- We’ve developed a world-class network in Silicon Valley over the years. To give our startups the opportunity to sit down one-on-one and discuss business models, technology development and trends with some of the world’s leading innovators is incredible, says Nicole Forsberg, Program Manager of the Brighter Program. As a part of the development of the program we are now excited to tailor it even more towards the area of technology the participants operate in, enabling even more in-depth sessions.
Launching two new destinations
In the fall of 2018, after four months of intense preparation, the participants in the Brighter Program will split up and travel to three destinations, each one targeted towards their specific field of technology. Complementing Silicon Valley’s focus on software based projects; New York will provide opportunities for those within the media and finance sectors, while Munich is perfectly suited for smart industry related projects.
- New York City is a famous and powerful financial center, says Donnie S.C. Lygonis, Business Coach at KTH Innovation. There are also several power houses in the media industry headquartered in the city, like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Startups within media, fintech and related areas can benefit a lot from launching their global journey in NYC.
Munich is a strong center for high tech industry, automotive, aerospace, energy and manufacturing companies. Almost 100 of the largest companies in Germany are headquartered in Munich, with notable examples such as BMW, Siemens and Allianz Insurance.
Nicole Forsberg says:
- We chose Munich because of the city’s strong focus on smart industry, the large presence of global industrial headquarters, and the strong research community tied to Munich. We hope to see fruitful partnerships between KTH research and the ecosystem that Munich hosts.
Are you ready to start your global journey? Apply to the Brighter Program today!