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Ignitas’ managing partner Steinar Svalesen has been appointed chariman of the jury for Oslo Startup Weekend January 28. -30. 2011. The Oslo Startup Weekend is a 54 hour event focusing on building web- or mobile applications with corresponding business models. The hands-on event may provide the basis for final products and commercial pilots ready for launch. Participants typically have backgrounds from areas such as programming, graphic design, and marketing.  Coupled with business experience from the event coaches the event focuses on unlocking and identifying true business potential.

Startup Weekends are specifically designed for entrepreneurs looking for feedback on an idea, are interested in finding a co-founder, would like to learn a new skill, or would like to test the entrepreneurial waters by joining a team.

Startup Weekends are risk-free environments where everyone is expected to roll up their sleeves and dive into the exhilarating world of startups.

Check out the blog for more information.

This fall Ignitas Advisor Tor Grønsund is joining the University of Oslo as Assistant Professor in entrepreneurship. Tor will be responsible for teaching and developing an interdisciplinary course in entrepreneurship that is practically as well as theoretically focused, and based on hands-on “startup methodology” the course invites students to take on real-life projects.

Tor has been an early advocate of the Customer Development and Lean Startup methodologies, and his coursework on using lean approaches to business model development was recently assigned reading at Stanford University. Its premise is that startups are not smaller versions of large companies. Instead, startups need their own tools. The methodology leverages the web in creation of rapid prototypes for testing market assumptions, and use customer feedback to develop them much faster than compared to traditional management practices. With the emergence of open source platforms and web technologies such as cloud services, search marketing and social media collaboration, launching a venture today is cheaper. What used to cost millions, now costs thousands, Tor says. For more information about lean product- and customer development methodology, contact Tor Grønsund at tor[at]ignitas[dot]com.

Terje Berg has joined the Ignitas as Senior Advisor. Terje has for more than 20 years focused on the areas of Internet, innovation, futurology and new technologies, especially energy, textiles and electronics. He is one of Norway’s foremost nanotechnology experts with deep knowledge of how this development will change our media consumption patterns as well as our daily lives. Terje is an highly sought-after speaker  and enjoys a broad international network in his areas of expertise. Prior to joining Ignitas, Berg held key positions in Innovation Studios, Cientifica and Kairos future. He is a founding Member of the NanoBusiness Alliance (USA 2000 – ), Nanotechnology Expert at APTE (Switzerland 2002 – ) and Senior Associate Fellow at the Foresight Institute (1995 – ) in Palo Alto, USA. Currently Terje is also involved in an international project in synthetic and system biology with IBM.  At Ignitas, Terje will strengthen our innovation and strategic advisory team and work with both our established customers as well as taking part in developing our portfolio companies.

Terje Berg er ansatt som Senior Rådgiver i Ignitas. Terje har i mer enn 20 år jobbet innenfor områdene Internett, innovasjon, fremtidsforskning og nye teknologier (spesielt innen energi, tekstil og elektronikk). Han er også en av Norges fremste eksperter på nanoteknologi og hvordan denne utviklingen vil endre vår fremtidige mediehverdag. Terje er en høyt verdsatt foredragsholder med meget godt utbygd globalt nettverk og har tidligere hatt sentrale posisjoner i Innovation Studios, Cientifica og Kairos Future. Han er Founding Member av NanoBusiness Alliance (USA 2000 – ), Nanotechnology Expert i APTE (Sveits 2002 – ) og Senior Associate Fellow ved Foresight Institute (1995 – ), Palo Alto, USA. Terje er for tiden også involvert i en prosjekt innen system- og syntetisk biologi i IBM. Hos Ignitas vil Terje styrke vår kompetanse på strategi og innovasjon og jobbe både mot våre etablerte kunder så vel som å være en sentral støttespiller i utviklingen av våre porteføljeselskaper.

With more than 70 entrepreneurs, investors, artists, clients and friends, we enjoyed full house at Ignitas summer party, June 19th. The theme of the evening being entrepreneurship and ideation, we were pleased to see presentations from two novel e-commerce concepts, innovation in mobile browsing and venture finance perspectives in the wake of economic downturn.

Part I, short introduction by Ignitas CEO Torkel Johannessen, followed by Ignitas portfolio companies; Infinite Loop and DirtyDuckling (in Norwegian).

Video production by startup.video.web@gmail.com

Tor Grønsund has joined our team as Advisor. Tor graduated with a M.Sc. degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Oslo in 2007, in addition to studies at Boston University – School of Management. Since graduating and during his studies, Tor has worked on projects for FAST and Schibsted among others, mainly focusing on business modeling, strategic analysis and the understanding of information technology and its application to business. Tor holds a Bachelor Degree in Information Sciences from the University of Bergen, including studies at the Department of Informatics at the Universita degli studi di Genova. Tor will be an important addition to the Ignitas team, and will mainly focus on areas such as technology commercialization, strategic business and product development.

Tor Grønsund er ansatt som Rådgiver i Ignitas. Tor fullførte i 2007 sin M.Sc. i Innovation and Entrepreneurship ved Universitetet i Oslo, i tillegg til studier fra Boston University – School of Management og Gründerskolen. Han har bachelor grad i Informasjonsvitenskap ved Universitetet i Bergen, og studier fra Informatikk ved Universita degli studi di Genova. Under, og etter utdannelsen sin har Tor jobbet for blant annet FAST og Schibsted. Tor vil jobbe med våre kunder innenfor teknologi og media med hovedfokus på kommersialisering, teknologi og produktstrategi.