About the Center for Entrepreneurship
Business and Technology University established the Center for Entrepreneurship in partnership with Henley Centre for Entrepreneurship in 2019. The main goal of the Center is to make a sizable contribution to the development and internationalization of the Georgian entrepreneurship/startup ecosystem. The center aims to do so by continuously conducting research in the field, initiating discussion among key actors in the ecosystem about the necessary improvements to legal frameworks, suggesting innovative solutions, projects etc. The BTU Center for Entrepreneurship offers free programs to startups throughout Georgia. Startup bootcamps, training, workshops, hackathons, regional research, access to finance opportunities represent only a few of the center’s activities.
In 2021, BTU’s Center for Entrepreneurship became a member of the MIT Martin Trust Center, creating new opportunities for the local ecosystem. Resident entrepreneurs and experts from the Martin Trust Center have already held a couple of webinars and workshops for BTU. As part of this partnership, BTU led the process of translating and publishing Bill Aulet’s book Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a successful startup in Georgian. The book is one of the first entrepreneurship textbooks in Georgia. Apart from the MTC membership, BTU was the first regional partner of MIT in the context of their program – Global Startup Labs. Business and Technology University hosted the GSL acceleration program, led by MIT students, at our campus in Tbilisi Georgia.
Partners of the Center
Teaching Entrepreneurship at BTU
All students at Business and Technology University start their academic career by learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Specific courses are designed in a way that encourages students to create their own startups, pitch them on yearly demo days and participate in the incubation process. The aim of these courses is to give students basic knowledge about entrepreneurship, teach them the tools for ideation, business model creation etc. to ensure that they’re fully informed about all the steps necessary to launch a successful startup.
The entrepreneurship course was created in partnership with Henley Business School. This allows students to have access to top class international resources.
Practical Business Project
For graduating students, BTU has introduced a specially designed course – “Practical Business Project”. The objective of this course is to transfer all the theoretical knowledge students have received into practice, encouraging them to acquire new practical skills. In the context of this project, students choose an industry according to their interests and prepare a real business plan for a company in the given industry. Throughout the course, students will attend workshops in modules such as: business model generation, marketing, research, financial modeling, fundraising, pitch deck creation etc. Students will also have access to mentors from BTU’s partner organizations.
LECTURERS OF OUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP COURSES
- Tamta Gvelesiani
- Mariam Lashkhi
- Ani Vashakmadze
- Ana Gugushvili
- Giorgi Khatiashvili
- Teona Dalakishvili
- Tea Mkheidze
- Ketevan Ebanoidze
- Elene Zhvania
- Lia Gubashvili
- Sandro Vepkhvadze
- Tornike Jobava
- Lasha Gorgoshidze
- Ana Totibadze
Activities and Services of Entrepreneurship Center
The BTU Center for Entrepreneurship offers free programs to startups throughout Georgia. Startup bootcamps, training, workshops, hackathons, regional research, access to finance opportunities represent only a few of the center’s activities. The center implements these programs for different organizations as well. Our potential partners can contact us and request detailed info about the possible services the center can offer them. The service of organizing pre-accelerators, hackathons, training series etc. is offered individually, depending on the needs and priorities of the client/project. Ideation, business model generation, drafting a business plan, how to obtain financing, investors relations – these are some of the themes covered in custom training series organized in collaboration with partners.
TECH CLINIC
Masterclasses on the latest technology trends, individual consulting of technology companies, the latest research, intensive training throughout the year – from 2021 the Business and Technology University has launched a tech clinic.
Various training modules for students and beneficiary companies include the most current issues in the field of innovation: digital product design, UX / UI design, technology project management with Agile and Scrum methodology, the latest digital marketing trends, etc. The speakers of the clinic will be the leading professionals of the country, who have successfully implemented a number of international projects.
It will be possible to schedule individual consultations with these speakers and tech mentors, during which the beneficiaries will receive qualified advice on the issue they want, and this service will be fully funded by the Tech Clinic. A beneficiary registration form has already been set up for individual consultations and/or attendance at training centers, which can be found here.
If you have additional questions, please contact us at: [email protected]