With AI to the future!

Helping businesses use artificial intelligence solutions

What is the AI Development Programme

Companies that will succeed in a globalising world are those that can keep up with the rapid development of technology. The winners will be those who can quickly automate the largest possible part of their production and digitalise the largest part of their processes. The top priority today is introducing artificial intelligence, whether into production or into providing services.

The Tehnopol AI Development Programme is designed to help Estonian businesses introduce artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, making them more competitive and keeping the Estonian economy sustainably successful in the future. We do this by launching and funding pilot projects based on AI, organising development marathons, running an accelerator with a six-month development cycle, and sharing all of the knowledge gained during the programme with other businesses.

The AI Development Programme is working closely with AIRE, the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Estonia hub. The aim of bringing together the two independent organisations is to make Estonian manufacturing companies and the whole economy more competitive by supporting the introduction of artificial intelligence and robotics solutions.

The AI Development Programme has been created jointly with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to introduce artificial intelligence technologies into Estonia.

 

During the entire development program, companies are supported with up to 2 000 000 euros over two years.

The programme is designed for:

  • RDIE Focus Areas (Research, Development, Innovation, Entrepreneurship) such as data-intensive educational, greentech, healthtech and manufacturing companies implementing digital solutions. We look for companies that are exposed to large amounts of data that could be analyzed by AI when offering their product or service. We will involce at least 25 companies in the program to create new solutions, and we finance at least 8-12 projects with up to 75,000 euros.
  • Startup and spin-off companies and university research teams who are interested in creating AI solutions to meet the needs of manufacturing companies and data-intensive companies. The bootcamp will involve at least 25 different teams working to solve challenges, and they will also get some of the funded projects. At least ten smart solutions will also be given the chance to develop their products in the AI accelerator.

Important dates:

March 23rd to 24th 2023 –AI workshop tailored for industrial enterprises; announcements will be made regarding funding decisions for pilot projects.
March 2023 – pre-seminar for AI accelerator program
March 2023 – commences the first 6-month AI accelerator program
Summer 2023 – AI ideation day
September 7th to 8th 2023 – AI workshops open to all companies interested in developing AI-based products/services, industrial enterprises with process innovations are also welcome; announcements will be made regarding funding decisions for pilot projects.
October 2023 – commences the second 6-month AI accelerator program
January 12th and 19th 2024 – AI workshops
February 12th – pre-seminar for AI accelerator program
March 28th 2024 – AI ideation day
April 2024 – commences the third 6-month AI accelerator program
May 2nd and 10th 2024 – AI workshops, open to all companies
September 10th 2024 – AI webseminar (in Estonian)
October 1st 2024 – AI ideation day

Loe rohkem

AI ideation day

More information about AI Ideation Day on the 1st of October can be found here.

In case of questions, contact anu.puusaag@tehnopol.ee.

AI Ideation Day is an immersive, transformative experience designed to empower businesses to discover, explore, and validate the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their respective industries. This event is specially crafted for businesses that are at the beginning of their AI journey.

AI Ideation Day starts with an engaging introduction to AI, demystifying the concepts and technologies that underpin this groundbreaking field. We will showcase real-world case studies of AI applications across a variety of sectors, setting the stage for participants to envisage how AI could be integrated into their operations.

The heart of the workshop is centered on the ideation and validation sessions. Participants have the opportunity to validate and conceptualise their artificial intelligence ideas. AI industry experts will be present throughout these sessions, providing guidance, answering queries, and offering insightful input to help shape and validate these ideas.

The attending entrepreneurs can refine their artificial intelligence ideas, focusing on their feasibility, potential return on investment, and overall impact on their business. Experts will facilitate these discussions, ensuring that the ideas stand the test of feasibility and potential impact.

Validated ideas provide the opportunity to be more confident in developing the artificial intelligence-based project plan.

The AI Ideation Day is not about leaving with a complete AI solution, but about validating innovative AI ideas that could potentially revolutionise your business. Join us as we embrace the future of AI in business and validate the concepts that will drive tomorrow’s success!

Tehnopol established the AI development program in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. The program aims to empower industrial and data-intensive companies, enabling them to ascend the value chain.

What's going on?

The AI Ideation Day, taking place on October 1st, aims to bring together companies that have a plan, idea, or simply a desire to implement artificial intelligence but lack the detailed knowledge on where to start. Come and find out if your company’s AI idea is worth pursuing and where exactly to begin!

In addition to exciting presentations, you will have the opportunity to meet 1:1 with AI experts and mentors, who will provide guidance and collaborate with you on how to make AI work in your company.

You can find the detailed schedule and list of mentors here.

Tehnopol’s AI Idea Day is free for all participants. Only prior registration is required.

This event is part of Tallinn Entrepreneurship Day.

AI workshops

The workshops have concluded for this year. Keep an eye out for information on the next rounds!

In case of any queries, don’t hesitate to reach out to anu.puusaag@tehnopol.ee.

The artificial intelligence workshops are tailored to bolster businesses in their quest to harness AI solutions. With two enriching workshops annually, we aim to bridge the gap between businesses with AI aspirations and the solution providers.

Over two days, participants collaborate to draft a pilot project, outlining technical solutions, validating commercial value, and crafting a comprehensive project plan. And the best part? Expert mentors guide you every step of the way.

Based on the applications, a select number of companies and solution providers are invited to the workshops.

Why join?

  • Participation in the development marathon is free
  • The bootcamp is in hybrid format – come and join us in person or via video stream.
  • Projects in the workshop have a funding pool of €250,000, within which the maximum support amount for one company is 75,000€*!

Companies of different sizes and from various industries, facing  challenges that can be tackled using AI, are encouraged to apply to the AI workshops.

Emerging and established companies, researchers, specialists, and students — anyone with the capability and desire to explore the development and application of artificial intelligence — are invited to apply to the AI workshop as solution providers.

*The grant is considered a de minimis aid.

What's going to happen?

Day 1: This day is dedicated to brainstorming and collaboration. Teams, alongside solution providers and mentors, work diligently to craft a comprehensive project proposal. The goal is to develop a proposal robust enough to secure funding for their AI initiatives.

Day 2: On this day, teams present their innovative ideas to an esteemed panel of judges, comprising industry experts. This is the moment where teams get to pitch their concepts, showcasing the potential impact and viability of their AI solutions.

A total of €250,000 is available for financing the projects. Each team has the opportunity to secure up to €75,000 for their individual project. This funding aims to support and accelerate the implementation of groundbreaking AI solutions.

The main focus of these AI workshops is on creating AI solutions through teamwork. All companies undergo an artificial intelligence feasibility assessment of the project before entering the workshop.

The project duration is 6 months.

For each completed project, a one-minute video is produced, which can be used to promote awareness about artificial intelligence and for marketing purposes related to the program.

Agenda:
Day 1, 02.05.2024
Tehnopol, at Mäealuse 2/1, 2nd floor, room UK lounge:

09:00 – 09:15: Coffee and gathering;
09:15 – 10:15: Introduction to the AI workshop, expectations, and introductions of companies and mentors;
10:15 – 12:00: Teamwork on AI project planning with mentor assistance;
12:00 – 13:00: Lunch;
13:00 – 15:00: Continued teamwork with mentor guidance;
15:00 – 15:30: Coffee break;
15:30 – 15:45: Presentation training;
15:45 – 18:00: Continued teamwork with mentor guidance.

Day 2, 10.05.2024
Tehnopol, at Teaduspargi 6/1, Tallinn, room SATURN:

09,00 – 09.15: Coffee and gathering;
09.15 – 09.30: Introduction of the day and expert panel members;
09.30 – 10.30: AI project presentations with Q&A sessions;
10.30 – 10.40: Break;
10.40 – 11.40: AI project presentations with Q&A sessions;
11.40 – 12.10: Lunch;
12.10 – 13.00: AI project presentations with Q&A sessions;
13.00 – 13.10: Break;
13.10 – 13.50: AI project presentations with Q&A sessions;
13.50 – 14.00: Break;
14.00 – 15:15: Expert panel deliberations, while presentations are given by Taltech, Tehnopol, and AIRE;
15.15 – 16.00: AI workshop summary, feedback, and announcement of funded projects.
16.00: End of Day 2 of workshops

Participants are able to join the workshop in person or online.

The best way to get to Tehnopol is described here.

Pilot project funding

Data-intensive, early-phase ideas based on artificial intelligence need capital to enter the market. Without that capital, those ideas will remain in the laboratory or as hobbies for the development teams.

The pilot project round brings funding, support and advice from mentors, and acceleration for the pilot projects that have been through the development marathon and been selected by the expert panel. This step helps artificial intelligence solutions become market-ready and attract additional private capital!

To recieve funding, all the pilot projects will be evaluated in 5 different categories:

  • Complexity and uniqueness of the pilot project
  • General impact of the implemented project
  • KPI’s, timeline and budget
  • Team.

A total of approximately 250 000 euros will be distributed in the AI workshop to implement the pilot projects!
During the entire development program, companies are supported with up to €2 000 000 over two years.
Funding for pilot projects is classified as de minimis aid.

 

The pilot project round is for:

  • Teams that have taken part in the Tehnopol AI development marathon and whose project plans and operating schedules have been voted worth funding by the expert panel;
  • Pilot projects that have been technically and commercially validated, that are feasible, and that could demonstrate a return on investment;
  • Teams that are ready to launch their project as they have access to the data they need and are prepared to put in the time needed;
  • Teams that are ready to consider their pilot project as a research and development activity and that are ready to publish a description of a methodology of the pilot;
  • Teams that are ready to put up at least 30% of the funding themselves.

The Tehnopol AI development programme supports the launch and research work of 25 projects over two years. The projects are selected by the expert panel of the development marathon.

The amount of investment depends on the plans submitted by the team and on their capital needs, and can range from 15,000 to 75,000 euros. The decision on the amount of funding is also taken by the expert panel. The eligible costs are labour costs, the costs of bringing in external experts, research work that is bought in, and technical hardware and software tools.

A contract is signed with the legal entity representing the team or company receiving the pilot project funding, and it regulates the implementation of the project receiving the funding, the use and commercialisation of intellectual property, and the financial reporting obligations. Tehnopol supports the pilot projects in achieving their goals through mentoring and the Startup Incubator AI accelerator from the first project round.

The time for implementing the pilot projects is 6 months (with exceptions up to 8 months). At the end of that time, the results of the project are submitted to the expert panel and, to the extent agreed, are released to the public through the Tehnopol channels.

AI Accelerator

The application for AI accelerator has closed.

If you’re interested in the next round, please leave your details here.

The Tehnopol Startup Incubator AI accelerator helps bring to the market new and strong technology companies working with artificial intelligence, whose solutions can take the production, processes or products of small and medium-sized businesses to a new level.

The AI technology accelerator is open to startup companies and spin-off teams from established companies, and to teams of researchers and students whose ideas and solutions use artificial intelligence and are aimed at industrial or data-intensive companies.

 

The AI accelerator programme of the Startup Incubator helps:

  • AI technology companies to grow strong under the guidance of experienced mentors using a training programme;
  • Bring together participants in the artificial intelligence ecosystem and experts;
  • Ideas based on AI reach the pilot phase faster and with less testing;
  • Make contacts who can help bring in additional capital.

More of AI accelerator program

To enter the programme:

  • The team must have the skills needed and be able to develop the idea proposed into a pilot during the accelerator programme;
  • The business ideas must suit not only the needs of one individual company, and must be possible to scale up in foreign markets as well;
  • The team must be ready to commit the time needed to reach the minimum level of pilot readiness by the end of the accelerator programme.
  • It would be good to have an agreement to pilot the idea with at least one potential client or partner.

The following development cycles will be completed during the programme:

  • Putting together a business model and a strong team
  • Creating product development and prototypes based on AI technology
  • Defining the problems of clients and designing the value proposition
  • Validating client cases, piloting, and setting a strategy for market
  • entry
  • Protecting intellectual property and agreements about it with other parties
  • Being ready for investors and finding sources of funding

 

A specialist training series focused on AI together with mentors and experts who are among the best in the business will help participants complete the development cycle, and the mentors will work each week with the teams. The teams participating in the accelerator programme can use the physical working space of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator.

The AI accelerator will run after the development marathon and will offer teams taking part in it immediate support in growing into strong startups developing AI technology. It is not required to take part in the development marathon to access the AI accelerator, but the winning teams in the development marathon are guaranteed direct entry into the accelerator.

The next Tehnopol Startup Incubator AI Accelerator begins in April 2024.

TEAM AND MENTORS

Martin Goroško

Head of the programme, member of the expert panel, head of validation for the development marathon, mentor

Anu Puusaag

Project manager of the AI development programme

Rauno Varblas

AI specialist

Kristiina Libe

Project manager for the Startup Incubator AI accelerator

Riin Lepp

Marketing project manager

Maarit Jalakas

Technical project manager of the AI development programme

Kristiina Herkül

Technical project manager of the AI bootcamp

Kristi Jõeäär

Marketing & communication

Pirko Konsa

Mentor

Aleksander Gansen

Mentor

Tähve Lõpp

Mentor

Marko Saviauk

Mentor

Otto Mättas

Mentor

Martin Goroško

Mentor

Kaarel Moppel

Mentor

Tiit Sepp

Mentor

Aleksandr Miina

AI Business and Technical Solution Evaluator

Lauri Antalainen

AI Business and Technical Solution Evaluator

Roger Allas

AI Business and Technical Solution Evaluator

For further information or with any other questions please contact us!

For further information or with any other questions please contact us!

Anu Puusaag
anu.puusaag@tehnopol.ee