Do you want to meet a unique gathering of entrepreneurs and investors from around the globe? On November 7th, top international speakers and participants will come together in Oslo for the Norwegian International Entrepreneur Conference 2024 (NIEC 2024). Here, you’ll have the opportunity to network, gain insights from industry leaders, and become part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and innovators.
NIEC 2024: Inspiring Entrepreneurs Towards Sustainable Value Creation
NIEC 2024 is just around the corner, and this year’s theme, “Towards Mastery,” focuses on entrepreneurs driving change through value-based leadership, sustainable solutions, and innovation. Since its inception in 2011, NIEC has been a significant platform promoting entrepreneurship that seeks not just profit but also sustainable value creation.
A Vision for the Future with Founder Kristian Aartun
Kristian Aartun, the founder of NIEC, shares how the conference was born from a simple yet powerful vision:
“I was at a seminar at the Ministry of Education when Mr. Johan H. Andresen spoke. I was so inspired that I stood up and declared that I would organize an international entrepreneur conference the following year. I said A, so I had to say B, and here we are, 12 years later,” says Aartun.
Why You Should Attend NIEC 2024 on November 7th
For over a decade, this conference has brought together entrepreneurs from all over the world to share insights, experiences, and inspiration. This year’s event promises to be no exception, featuring an exciting program that highlights the theme “Towards Mastery.”
By attending NIEC 2024, you’ll have the opportunity to:
Network with leading entrepreneurs and investors
Learn from top international speakers
Explore sustainable solutions and innovations
Be inspired to drive change through value-based leadership
Secure Your Spot at NIEC 2024 in Oslo
Don’t miss the chance to be part of the Norwegian International Entrepreneur Conference 2024 in Oslo on November 7th. Join us and be part of a movement that inspires entrepreneurs towards a future of sustainable value creation.
Outsourcing IT and application development has become a common practice for many companies seeking cost savings and access to global talent. However, this approach comes with several significant challenges:
Communication barriers
Quality control issues
Security and data privacy concerns
Cultural differences
Time zone complications
Hidden costs
Loss of in-house expertise
Intellectual property risks
Project management complexities
Dependency on external partners
What are the alternatives?
As an alternative, some organizations are exploring a hybrid model known as “homesourcing.” This approach aims to combine the benefits of outsourcing with the advantages of having in-house employees, recruited from the Balkans.
Key features of homesourcing include:
Communication:
The professionals we find are exceptionally proficient in English
Culture:
The Balkan region has an incredibly good work culture
Professionals from this area are not afraid to be honest
Ownership:
The developer becomes an integral part of the team
They take ownership of the product
They participate actively, just like an on-site developer
HR Support:
We work closely with the developers
We ensure they become part of the team
We provide ongoing follow-up
We make sure they do what’s necessary to integrate into the group
This approach aims to address many of the common pitfalls of traditional outsourcing, such as communication barriers, cultural differences, and quality control issues.
By bringing in specialized talent and integrating them more closely with the existing team, companies can potentially achieve better results while maintaining more direct control over their projects .Do you want to learn more about Homesourcing, please register here or send an email to sales@homesourcing.no
or use this form, and we will come back to you ASAP;
Are you ready to elevate your business to new heights? Look no further than the enchanting business landscape of Thailand for your expansion in Thailand.
Our Bangkok Entrepreneurs Facebook Group has hit a remarkable milestone with over 7500 members, while our Meetup community boasts an impressive 5200+ members.
This is not just a celebration; it’s an invitation to explore the myriad opportunities that await you in the heart of Southeast Asia.
Why Thailand?
1️⃣ Strategic Regional Location
Situated strategically in the heart of Southeast Asia, Thailand serves as the perfect gateway to the region. Access neighboring markets with ease and position your business strategically for unparalleled growth.
2️⃣ Stable Economy
Thailand’s robust and stable economy provides a fertile ground for businesses to thrive. The country has consistently demonstrated resilience, making it an ideal destination for long-term investments and sustainable growth.
Benefit from top-notch infrastructure and seamless connectivity that facilitates efficient business operations. Thailand’s modern infrastructure ensures that your business can operate smoothly and connect effortlessly with regional markets.
4️⃣ Cost-Effectiveness
Maximize your return on investment with the cost-effective business environment in Thailand. From affordable office spaces to reasonable living costs, Thailand offers a competitive edge for businesses looking to optimize their resources.
5️⃣ Cultural Diversity
Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of cultures. Thailand’s cultural diversity provides a unique backdrop for businesses to connect with a broad audience and create a global appeal for their products and services.
6️⃣ Abundant Workforce Availability
Tap into a vast pool of skilled and talented professionals. Thailand’s abundant workforce availability ensures that you have access to the right talent pool to fuel your business expansion plans.
7️⃣ Quality of Life
Experience an unparalleled quality of life in Thailand. The country’s unique blend of modern amenities and natural beauty creates an exceptional living environment for expatriates and entrepreneurs alike.
Thailand: Your Ideal Hub for Asian Business Expansion
These key advantages collectively position Thailand as the ideal hub for your Asian business expansion. Whether you are a startup looking to make waves or an established business seeking new horizons, Thailand and Bangkok offer the perfect ecosystem for growth.
For more details and personalized assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! Contact us through our Facebook Group or drop us an email at info@bangkok-entrepreneurs.com. Our dedicated team at Bangkok Entrepreneurs, managed by Gründervekst AS, is here to guide you through every step of your expansion journey.
Don’t miss out on the chance to turn this milestone into a launchpad for your business success. Seize the opportunity and let Thailand be the stage for your next entrepreneurial adventure!
I am pleased to share a podcast featuring Anna Liebel, an expert, mentor, and moderator at Gründerklubben (35 700+ members), and a contributor at Gründervekst – the members’ portal.
– Witnessing so much (unnecessary) overwhelm among the fantastic, smart, and ambitious individuals around me is painful.
– A common mistake lies in the misguided relationship with people’s to-do lists. Therefore, I offer you a slight mindset shift and actionable steps to address that mistake and become better at prioritizing tasks.
In this episode, you will learn about:
1. What a to-do list is A to-do list is often our companion in daily life, a list of tasks we must complete to achieve our goals. But why do so many of us feel overwhelmed by this list?
2. Why it’s OK (and desirable!) to never finish your to-do list First and foremost, it’s crucial to understand that it’s entirely OK and, in fact, desirable to never completely finish your to-do list. The goal is not to eliminate all tasks but to manage them effectively and prioritize correctly.
3. Working on task prioritization Instead of viewing the to-do list as a checklist you must complete, you can shift your perspective to working with priorities for the day. Identify the most crucial tasks that need to be done during the day and focus on those.
4. Common mistake of conflicts between the calendar and priorities A common mistake is letting the calendar clash with priorities. Filling the calendar with too many meetings and commitments can lead to the real priorities being deprioritized. Find a balance between commitments and time for focused work.
5. How to stick to your priorities To stick to your priorities, you can use a combination of time blocking, saying no to unnecessary commitments, and regularly evaluating and adjusting your goals.
– Empower yourself with these insights and take control of your to-do list. Remember, it’s not about finishing everything, but about finishing what matters most.
CEO Anzhelika Osmanova and her team are now launching their app in the Norwegian market, but have plans for international expansion.
Lendwill, a revolutionary peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, has recently opened up community fundraising with the goal of making fair lending accessible to young people. By investing now, you can get early access to Lendwill and become part of a community-driven movement that seeks to help young people achieve their dreams.
Lenwill pre-registration campaign on Seedrs is open. Please click here to register.
P2P lending has long been a way to break down the barriers of traditional bank lending, and Lendwill take this to the next level. By collaborating with local communities and investors, Lendwill provide young people with a fair chance to achieve their financial goals. The platform offers borrowers the opportunity to apply for loans at lower rates than they would face at traditional banks, while investors get the chance to contribute to a good cause and earn returns on their investments.
Lendwill also has a unique approach to credit checking, taking into account more than just credit scores. By using advanced data modeling and social media analysis, Lendwill gives borrowers a chance to showcase their financial potential, even if they do not have an extensive credit history.
As an engaged journalist who is passionate about entrepreneurship, I strongly recommend Lendwill to young people who are looking to achieve their financial goals. By registering now, you will not only get early access to the platform, but you will also become part of a community-driven movement that seeks to help young people realize their dreams.
So what are you waiting for? Register now for Lendwill and become part of a movement for fair lending!
Plast Nordic has been working with the Nordic value chain of plastic- and textile waste since 2019, this because there is a technology developed by gr3n SA, that enables the chemical recycling of PET plastic and polyester, commonly used in beverage bottles, food packaging, and textiles. They are now planning their first chemical recycling plant.
The final product will be a polymer from recycled monomers (ie terephthalic acid, TPA and monoethylene glycol, MEG) with the same properties as that of petroleum, which currently dominates the global market.
With around 430,000 tons of PET waste every year in the Nordic region, Plast Nordic aims to both reduce CO2 emissions and provide a unique sustainable solution for waste management in the Nordic countries.
For more information, contact Rune Byremo, rune@plastnordic.com, book a meeting with Berg Moe here or sign up for New Venture Insights.
Many of us have seen the light in terms of how to use ChatGPT. I have done some research on how others use the tool, and I will also provide some examples of how I use it myself. I hope this can be an inspiration on how to use ChatGPT in your startup to have a more efficient day. There are also great opportunities here to create new business opportunities and disruptive solutions.
At the end of the article, there are some tips on how to get started, including registration and tips on other resources and tools that are available. What are your best tips?
Use in meetings
I am engaged as an advisor for a foundation based in Los Angeles that works with patents. In our last meeting, we used ChatGPT to create a list of Open AI platforms. We also asked a creative question about the use of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). We got suitable answers, which provided a basis for an excellent discussion.
Instead of the old “check it out and we’ll take it up at the next meeting,” we could clarify this in 2 minutes.
Here are some other examples:
Notes: You can use ChatGPT to take notes from the meeting automatically while you are talking. This can save you time and ensure that you don’t forget important points.
Questions and answers: You can use ChatGPT to answer questions that come up in the meeting, so you can stay focused on the discussion.
References and examples: You can use ChatGPT to find relevant references and examples that can help strengthen your arguments during the meeting.
Summary: After the meeting, you can use ChatGPT to create a summary of what we discussed and the important decisions that were made.
Translation: If the meeting is to be held in multiple languages, ChatGPT can help you translate what is being said into the desired language.
Content creation
Joshua Wöhle, co-founder and CEO of edtech company Mindstone and former co-founder and CTO of SuperAwesome, uses generative AI for a range of uses in his startup day-to-day. This includes a social media assistant he built with the help of ChatGPT and image generators DALL-E and Stable Diffusion.
Wöhle’s Excel app allows him to enter the text for a tweet in a single spreadsheet, which then creates graphics for use on social media. This includes a headline for the tweet, placed over an image that is automatically generated based on the text he writes.
“It just means that the time to go from an idea to something you can publish is now a minute or less, instead of it taking around 20 minutes,” says Wöhle.
He also uses ChatGPT in multiple ways to help him generate content for his startup. This includes feeding the system with examples of previous essays he has written and asking it to suggest ideas for new posts. He also uses ChatGPT to come up with suggestions for questions for guests on his podcast.
However, even though Wöhle says that generative AI has strengthened his ability to create high-quality content, he still plans to hire a head of product marketing at Mindstone, but with different expectations.
– I will still want an expert there, but my expectations for that person have skyrocketed. I expect them to do more work at the same time.
Joshua Wöhle
Integration with Google Search
ChatGPT for Google allows you to integrate ChatGPT into Google Chrome and get search results directly in the browser. This enhances the value of the search results. Keep in mind that the data used as the basis for answers is about two years old.
Features:
Access ChatGPT directly from the pop-up
Markdown rendering
Code highlights
Dark theme
Feedback to improve ChatGPT
Copy to clipboard
Taking notes and creating summaries of videos
Glasp is a tool for taking notes and adding markings from websites. You can find and save articles from friends. I use it mostly to transcribe and create summaries of videos. Supports all the most popular browsers.
Coding
Peter Nixey is the founder of the task management app Intentional. As a solo founder, Nixey is currently building the entire technology stack himself. Peter uses ChatGPT every day as a personal web development assistant.
He describes in an article on Sifted how it has given him the ability to speed up work with the development tool, Docker. He hadn’t used it before, and uses ChatGPT to ask for details about the tool.
“It’s been very good at explaining what I should do. It’s been very good at giving me code examples. ChatGPT explains distinct lines of code and why they’re there, and does it efficiently,” he says.
He says it would normally have taken him about two weeks to learn how to use the tool. With ChatGPT it took two days.
See also the videos further down in the article.
Who will own ChatGPT in the future?
According to The New York Times, Microsoft is in talks with OpenAI about an investment of up to $10 billion. They have previously invested $3 billion, and have a “right of first refusal” in the agreement.
I consider it likely that they will invest more.
Satya’s (Microsoft CEO) expectation is that we will push the boundaries of AI, and we will do this for all of our products.
Eric Boyd, head of Microsoft’s AI team
Other ways to use AI in your business
There are many ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) in a startup. Here are some other examples:
Prediction models: AI models can predict future trends and outcomes, such as in economics, customer behavior, and sales.
Automation: AI technology can automate repetitive tasks, such as responding to customer questions, following up on leads, or handling administration.
Analysis: AI tools can analyze large amounts of data, such as to identify patterns or to uncover new opportunities.
Image and sound recognition: AI tools can recognize objects or sounds, such as to sort images or to recognize voices.
Quantitative analysis: AI tools can analyze large amounts of data and generate reports that can help you make better decisions.
Development of new products: AI can develop new products or services that are more efficient or better suited to customers.
Join the conversation How are you using ChatGPT or other AI tools today and what plans do you have for the future?
Registration
ChatGPT is available via a website, so there is no need to download anything. OpenAI has not yet released an official app, although the app stores are full of fake versions. You should install and use these with caution, as they are not official ChatGPT apps.
Supposedly, you can download ChatGPT locally through GitHub, but I haven’t tried that yet.
Dou you want to learn more about how to use ChatGPT in your startup? Please connect with me on LinkedIn or other of my social channels and read more about me here.
Good luck with implementing ChatGTP into your workday and life!
ChatGPT is an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by OpenAI. It is a variant of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model. The specialization is to generate human-like text for conversational AI.
They trained ChatGPT on a large amount of conversations and dialogues. This gives it the ability to understand context and perform a range of tasks such as answering questions, generating responses, and writing text that resembles human-written text.
They used ChatGPT in a variety of applications, such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated text generation.
This article was first posted by Berg Moe in Norwegian at Gründervekst. This is the member portal of Gründerklubben – The Norwegian Entrepreneurs Club (35 000+ members).
Drake Star has published the Q3 2022 edition of its Global Gaming Industry Report providing key insights into the gaming deal activities for the first nine months of the year.
So far, the year had a record $123B+ in total deal value for almost 1000 announced and/or closed deals. The report also analyzes the key trends in the third quarter of the year.
“2022 has been a mixed year for gaming,” said Michael Metzger, Partner at Drake Star. “We saw some of the largest M&A deals ever at the start of the year and then experienced a notable slow-down in Q2’22 due to global macroeconomic challenges.
With an increase in M&A and Financings volume in Q3, we anticipate healthy deal activity and possibly even some mega deals for the rest of the year and beyond.”
Key stats for the first 9 months of the year:
$102B in announced and/or closed M&A activity across mobile, PC / console, and esports, including the largest-ever gaming acquisition of Activision by Microsoft. Embracer remained the most active consolidator in the industry. PC / console and mobile went head-to-head with 68 and 64 transactions, respectively.
$9.6B has been raised through 685 financing rounds for private companies, including 15 large $100M+ raises. The most active VCs included Bitkraft, a16z, Galaxy Interactive, and Griffin Gaming.
More than $3.4B was raised by blockchain / NFT gaming companies with almost half of the total amount raised by early-stage companies. The Q3 report analyzes the first nine months of 2022 in terms of deal activity and volume across market segments (M&A, private placements, public markets), M&A activity by volume and multiples, public market performance and valuations, and discusses the most active gaming buyers and venture capital (VC) investors.
The report further focuses on the market activities for Q3 2022 by breaking out the most significant deals across M&A, private financings, and public market updates. As the broader markets witnessed a slowdown, gaming was also impacted but M&A and financing activities remained largely stable.
Q3 saw a significant increase in M&A volume to 81 announced deals, up from 70 deals in Q2’22. Unity’s announced $4.4B acquisition of ironSource was the largest deal in the quarter.
While the majority of the deal values were undisclosed, many of the top buyers were active including Embracer with 8 deals (Middle-Earth Enterprises, Tripwire, etc.), NetEase (Quantic Dream), Sony (Savage Games, Repeat.gg), Zynga (Storemaven), and Scopely (Stumble Guys). Private financings also increased in Q3 to 216 deals, up from 169 financings last quarter. A total of $2.3B was raised, including large financings for FromSoftware ($260M from Tencent and Sony), Loot Mogul ($200M), Limit Break ($200M), and Animoca ($185M).
While the Crypto market continued to be under pressure, investors continued to show strong interest in blockchain gaming companies. Half of the total amount raised and 40% of all financing rounds for private gaming companies were investments in blockchain gaming.
In public markets, Faze Clan ($750M valuation) went public through a SPAC, while Valofe ($3.5B valuation) and Asia Innovations Group ($2.5B valuation) announced new SPAC deals. Technicolor Creative Studios spun off to focus on VFX and games, now listed on the Paris stock exchange at $1B valuation.
Here are some news articles and tweets I have been reading the last week. I hope you find some relevant stories! If not, send me your links and ideas and learn more about our community here.
Stay in the loop and get daily Angel Investor News at @entrahouse and if you missed out on the last edition, you find it here.
What a Market Downturn Means for Startups — www.alleywatch.com
About once a decade, the U.S. Financial Markets implode. It happened during the “Dot Com Bust” of 2001, again in the financial meltdown of 2007, and is now upon us in a Post-COVID recovery.
As you will see from the pitch presentations, there are some talented teams with potential. I am seriously proud that the Norwegian startups Stready have come to this level and will share their story next week.
Launch Africa, the VC firm that has backed over 100 startups, closes first fund at $36.3M — finance.yahoo.com
Pan-African venture capital fund Launch Africa Ventures today is announcing the close of its $36.3 million fund, which it has primarily used to invest in B2B and B2B2C startups across Africa. In an interview with TechCrunch, managing partner Zachariah George said Launch Africa has backed 108 startups across 21 African countries.
On Track To Become A World-Leading Provider Of Safety And Security Solutions. New Smart Technology That Can Save Lives.
We had a fantastic launch event for BEMS (bSafe Emergency Management Software AS) with talks from Trond Riiber Knudsen, Johann Olav Koss, Eva Helen Rognskog, Ken Roar Riis, Steve Cottingham and Tor Rune Raabye.
As a curator, there is nothing more helpful than feedback on what you think should be the focus of this newsletter. If you want to be a more active contributor, have an interesting startup, some great ideas for collaboration you want to share etc… Let’s have a chat.
I promise your voice is important and suggestions regularly incorporated into the digest. Please send me your ideas, exciting news, deals, tools and connect on LinkedIn and follow my blog at bergmoe.com and @berg_moe 🙂
Here are some news articles and tweets I have been reading the last week. I hope you find some relevant stories! If not, send me your links and ideas and learn more about our community here.
Stay in the loop and get daily Angel Investor News at @entrahouse and if you missed out on the last edition, you find it here.
Germany startup Okapi:Orbits raised 5.5 million euros ($5.7 million) in a seed funding round led by Munich Re Ventures with participation from Dolby Family Ventures, Herius Capital and APEX Ventures.
Why Early-Stage Venture Capital Makes Sense Right Now — www.techstars.com
Investing in startups is all about valuations. Everyone is looking for the next unicorn, disrupter, to whoever is “building a better mousetrap,” and many investors are on the hunt to find these companies at their earliest stages. The later you invest, the more you’re going to end up paying for less of the company.
Building strong business angel networks takes hustle and hard work. Join us on June 30 as top angel investor network leaders share tried and true models.
— This Week in Startups (@TWiStartups) June 14, 2022
Startup Weekend is a great place to connect with passionate people driven to build something new. There is no better place to meet new friends, colleagues, mentors, cofounders, and investors.@StartupWeekend@Techstarspic.twitter.com/v2Jd1HFx0k
— Techstars Startup Weekend Kampala (@SWKampala) June 13, 2022
As a curator, there is nothing more helpful than feedback on what you think should be the focus of this newsletter. If you want to be a more active contributor, have an interesting startup, some great ideas for collaboration you want to share etc… Let’s have a chat.
I promise your voice is important and suggestions regularly incorporated into the digest. Please send me your ideas, exciting news, deals, tools and connect on LinkedIn and follow my blog at bergmoe.com and @berg_moe 🙂
