what is etohum?
A market place that aims to bring entrepreneurs well versed in the new economy, who want to establish their own internet company with companies, investors and professionals.
The 40 qualified ventures selected from amongst the participants will be presented to investors and the Etohum Fund. The selected entrepreneurs will be able to attend the Etohum Entrepreneurship Camps, will receive coaching and guidance while preparing their business plans and will have opportunities to present their business plans to corporate investors and companies. The selected entrepreneurs will also receive office space and software support, internet access and counseling along with many other services.
Those who have not yet established their own companies, who are about to start their own companies and those who already have started their own internet company / enterprise and are in need of capital, management, marketing and other supports may apply to etohum.
This process will take place during February 2011 and December 2011 aiming to provide information about starting a new business to those who wish to be one of the new economy entrepreneurs and to provide the proper entrepreneurship environment in which business plans might be evaluated by companies, people and investors with a potential to make an investment.
what etohum is not?
- Not a contest
- Not a platform to share your idea
- Not a place to win prize money
Many contests are held about entrepreneurship; however etohum is not a contest. Etohum will be active in informing and leading candidates who have the proper knowledge and idea about internet while also seeking to introduce them to the right business networks and to guide them during the start up of their internet based companies.
We are not interested in your idea. It is much more important for us to see if you have entrepreneurship qualities and if you can carry out the project or not. Hence we absolutely do not want to learn your internet idea during the application. It is more essential that you have ideas/knowledge about the new economy and that you have a desire for entrepreneurship.
We do not promise any monetary award. We do not think that you will need immense financial needs when starting up your internet venture. We think that it is much more critical that you meet with the right business network that might give you capital and supply investment during the later stages. We think that the right resources for an internet venture are: human power, creativity, energy and continuity. Proper guidance, education, business network and internet community will help you in starting up the company you dream of or in making it successful.
how did etohum?
Etohum project started during the summer of 2008. It is a model developed to ensure that the E-fikrim contest held in April 2008 will be more beneficial for all involved parties. Starting from September 2008 until January 2009 panels, forums and other meetings were held at universities, companies and other settings to raise awareness regarding internet entrepreneurship. In 2009 the 15 Etohum entrepreneurs were announced, entrepreneurship camp was held in February together with entrepreneurs and business with companies was continued afterwards. In 2010 the selected entrepreneurs started meeting with investors and some of them received angel investments. Together with Etohum fund and Nokia – Etohum fund, investments were made to some of the entrepreneurs in 2011.
Etohum is composed of 3 main stages.
- Entrepreneur selection and investment stage: Selection of Etohum 40 and Etohum 15 and investment stage with Etohum fund and other partners, providing office space to the entrepreneurs.
- Meetings: coffee meetings, camps, entrepreneurship summit, girişimcilerucuyor.com etc.
- Documentation: blog, social media, etohumtv
Entrepreneur selection and investment stage: Applications for Etohum entrepreneurship can be made throughout the year. The application period is finished in every December. Training is given to the selected entrepreneurs without any presentations to investors / Etohum fund. The selected entrepreneurs make a 5 minute presentation to investors / Etohum fund. Decisions to discuss the projects of some entrepreneurs in more detail may be given as a result of these presentations in order to make investments. The selected 15 Etohum entrepreneurs are announced at the end of each January.
The selected 40 ventures and their entrepreneurs are invited to the Etohum Camp in February. Following a brief training period regarding many different topics ranging from business plans, project management, and presentation methods; coaching and guidance continue during the preparation of the business plans and / or internet pages of the company that they wish to establish.
Successful company founders and professionals of different related topics will be invited to share their experiences, thus enabling practical applications besides theoretical knowledge. During this time frame the candidates attending this camp will have the chance to get together and set up social relationships with company owners, professionals and trainers at breakfasts, dinners etc.
The business plans that will be prepared in one year together with entrepreneurs will be presented to the Etohum Fund, Etohum Investors Club, investors and companies that attend Etohum project. Individual / corporate investors that attend the camp held in February will be able to communicate with entrepreneurs and provide coaching. During this process meetings will continue, developments of the teams and entrepreneurs will be monitored. Based on the needs of the projects within the Etohum 40 that receive or are likely to receive investments, a starting office space is provided at Etohum Garage.
Meetings: Biweekly etohum café meetings are held throughout the year. These meetings take place on Thursdays. They are held at the European and Anatolian sides of Istanbul. Expert investors and professionals are invited to these meetings. They share their experiences. Etohum Camps are organized on each Saturday of every month at Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul. Etohum Investment Summit is held on the Saturday of the last week of January. Etohum Camp that will last for 4 – 5 days starts with the participation of entrepreneurs that were selected in February. The objective of all these meetings is to ensure that the social network and investors get together and communicate.
Documentation: All meetings, activities, summits and camps are shared via social media, etohum blog and other web sites. In addition, many meetings are broadcast live via etohum tv and are archived so that they may be watched in the future as well. Videos, presentations, photographs are shared with everyone on the internet.
etohum steps
1. Candidates with knowledge and ideas about the new economy fill out the etohum application form.
2. Questions intended to help understand the thoughts of the candidates regarding the new economy are asked to the entrepreneurs during their application process.
3. Applications can be made either individually or as groups.
4. From these application forms 40 ventures are selected via one-on-one meetings, email, video conference, telephone etc.
5. Etohum 40 ventures receive training about pitching and the expectations of the investors.
6. Etohum 40 ventures make their 5 minute presentations to the Etohum Fund & Selection team.
7. Etohum 15 ventures are announced at the end of January during the Etohum Investment Summit.
8. The selected candidate entrepreneurs attend the Etohum Investment Camp in February and meet investors during this period.
9. Of the Etohum 40 ventures, those that receive or are likely to receive investment can make use of Etohum garage.
10. After the Etohum ventures are announced during January financiers and investors can invest or support the projects they want.
why etohum?
1. Setting up of a market place where investors can get together with entrepreneurs.
2. Supplying new economy entrepreneurs with coaching and the required information
3. Formation of a creative, energetic, educated and skilful human resource pool within the internet market.
4. Creation of a business culture that is supportive of new internet ventures