In March, from the 22nd to the 24th, VentureLab Weekend brought together over 25 aspiring entrepreneurs, all driven by the same ambition: to transform their ideas into thriving businesses.
Throughout these three intense days, participants collaborated, learned, and strategized, laying the groundwork for their entrepreneurial journey. Let’s explore the highlights of this dynamic event and see how it paves the way to entrepreneurial success.
What is the VentureLab Weekend?
The VentureLab Weekend is a three-day event that occurs twice a year, gathering all aspiring entrepreneurs who are interested in startups, idea innovation, or anything entrepreneurial-related.
Open to anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit, this dynamic event fosters connections, sparks creativity, and promotes a supportive community of like-minded individuals—all motivated to transform their innovative ideas into reality.
Throughout the weekend, participants engage in team building, idea testing, and practical workshops designed to develop their entrepreneurial competencies and skills. Guided by expert coaches and mentors, they dive into developing business models and engage in insightful conversations and networking opportunities.
The highlight of the event is a pitch competition, where teams present their pitches to an experienced jury, competing for special prizes.
Startup Team Prizes are:
- 1st place: €500
- 2nd place: €250
- 3rd place: €100
Building entrepreneurial success: A peek inside the structure
During the VentureLab Weekend, our team designs the schedule to maximize learning, collaboration, and progress.
Day one kicks off with vibrant networking sessions, allowing participants to connect with each other and form teams. Together, they choose the idea to work on for the rest of the event.
On the second day, participants take part in various engaging activities. From practicing and improving their pitches for the final day to deepening their knowledge of customer discovery and validation. Throughout the day, teams are guided by expert coaches who help them in profiling customers and selling their ideas. One of the highlights is the hands-on experience of taking their ideas to the public, learning firsthand how to pitch and sell their ideas to reach their end goals.
As the third day arrives, teams feel the excitement peak as they prepare to showcase their hard work in front of the esteemed judges. They spend this time refining their pitch presentations, practicing relentlessly, and working together, guided by the helpful advice of their mentors.
As teams prepare to start their final pitch presentation before the judges, anticipation, and determination fill the room. This moment shows how far they’ve come in their journey, with every lesson learned, and every pitch perfected, paving the way for future success.
“The VentureLab Weekend had a high level of expertise, excellent organisation, and great atmosphere” said one of the participants.
Celebrating success: Meet the event’s winners
The judges faced a challenging decision as they selected the top three teams out of the six hardworking ones.
In a closely contested competition, judges carefully evaluated the final pitches, business model canvas, and teams’ ability to answer key questions.
Based on the final results, below are the winners of the March 2024 edition:
- First Place: MicroHealth
- Second Place: LabEbook
- Third Place: Hey Buddy
We’re also proud of each and every team that participated in the event and showed up consistently, contributing to an engaging final pitch competition.
Empowering entrepreneurial journeys: Key takeaways
Throughout the weekend, participants absorbed invaluable insights, gained practical experience, and participated in workshops filled with actionable takeaways. Each day was a stepping stone toward success, dedicated to equipping teams with new knowledge and skills.
The highlight? Witnessing the teams’ progress and dedication to achieving their goals. As they move forward, participants carry the invaluable lessons learned from our mentors and experts, guiding them further in their entrepreneurial journey.
“I enjoyed learning the process of how to make an idea compelling to the investor and I got to learn the process with people from completely different backgrounds” says another participant.
Would you like to participate in the VentureLab Weekend and experience its advantages firsthand? You can sign up for our next edition in November, with a focus on health innovations!
Dive into health-related topics, engage in various workshops, and experience a pitch competition. Join us as we continue to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, both within the health sector and beyond.
