A startup company (from the English startup, start-up) is a new company with a rapidly growing business, the goal of which is to meet the needs of the market by developing a viable business model based on an innovative product, service or platform.

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Hello, dear readers of the business magazine “site”! In this article we want to tell you what is a startup (Startup) in simple words, how to create it and where to find sources of funding for the creation and development of projects.

How often do you hear the word startup these days? But it has already become almost colloquial and is found in everyday life all the time. Some call it a startup exclusively, others believe that startup– this is generally any business project.

If among the readers there are aspiring entrepreneurs, novice investors, or at least financial theorists, then this publication will be useful to read. Because the story will be about the most basic concepts associated with the term " startup", the history of its origin, stages of creation And development of startup projects and sources of their financing.

So, from this article you will learn:

• What a startup actually is - the main features and features;
• How to independently create a successful startup project;
• Where and how to find funding for startup projects;
• Who is a startuper?

And the article is intended for those who know about financial undertakings of this type only by hearsay and want to get to the bottom of the truth.

In the article, we described what a startup is, gave a full definition of the term “startup” in simple words, cited the main stages and key points in the creation and development of projects, and also cited relevant and interesting small business startup projects

In the distance 1939 in the United States, near San Francisco, which was a center in the development of new technologies, graduates of Stanford University, David Packard And William Hewlett, developed an idea, tested it in practice and called their project a startup(from English startup – launch, start).

Today this project is known as a huge company that produces computers, laptops, office equipment and related software under the logo HP, or Hewlett-Packard.

Later, in 90s, many financiers and entrepreneurs argued over the definition of the term startup, calling the main characteristic feature either a short period of active activity of the company, or mandatory rapid growth, or the creation of a product or service in conditions of high risk.

The classic definition of the concept of startup is considered to be that formulated by successful American startuper Stephen Blank, namely:

« Startup “is a temporary structure aimed at finding and implementing a scaled business idea.” .

Simply put, startup – this is a new financial project, whose goal is rapid development and profit.

But is it really that simple? After all, if you rely on this short definition, then absolutely every newly created business can be proudly called a startup project.

It is not for nothing that new technologies were mentioned in the story about the history of the creation of the Hewlett-Packard company. After all, the first product released by HP was regular generator, where a simple incandescent lamp was used as a resistor.

This innovation (precisely an innovation!) made it possible to make the operation of the generator more stable, and at the same time reduce its cost. So the project became competitive And profitable.

Thus, the main characteristic of startups is precisely the use of some kind of activity as the basis of their activities. latest technology, no one else never tried before.

For example, opening a traditional cafe- this is an ordinary business project, but if the service in this cafe is carried out in some completely innovative way, which is ideologically justified and financially justified, then this is a startup project.

To others wrong opinion is the belief that a startup is necessarily a project created on the Internet. There are, of course, grounds for such a statement: now the Internet business sector is developing so actively that that almost all innovations are connected specifically with the World Wide Web. Therefore, most people who do not deeply understand the intricacies of business and new technologies call any Internet project a startup.

What other distinctive characteristics of startups exist?

• Development and development of a product, service, idea, which is offered by a newly founded young company (to implement the project it is necessary to create a legal entity), always a team of like-minded people.

In this team, everyone has their own responsibilities, but they are united by the belief that the result of a common cause is necessary for people and can improve life in general.

No matter how pretentious it may sound, but practice shows, that only those startup projects that began precisely with the formation of such a global idea, were able to overcome all the difficulties of growth and development and turn into a long-term profitable business.

• A startup project, like any other endeavor, needs cash injections.

But it so happens that startupers are almost always young people, students and even pupils who do not have enough funds to develop their project, and their task is different: they must develop an idea, a product, a service that they offer.

Therefore, an important part of working on a project is finding sources of funding. Moreover, the further the project moves, the more funding it requires. Who usually funds such projects and where to find these sources will be discussed in detail in the continuation of the article.

Startup – a completely young project, which is based on some completely new idea that has not been used by anyone before;

The project can be created in any sphere of life: medicine, trade, transport, services, and so on;

Successful development of a startup project requires a close-knit team of developers and assistants, as well as sufficient funding until the project becomes self-sustaining and profitable.

The main problems of startupers and features when creating them

2. Features of Russian startups

Separately, it should be said about the specifics of creating and developing startup projects in Russia.

Everyone knows that Russia lags far behind the West in the formation of the business sector. Therefore, what in the USA and Europe has long ceased to be a novelty and has acquired established forms, in our country is just going through a stage of rapid growth and formation. This statement applies in particular to startups.

Russia has never had a shortage of good brains and bright ideas. Today, there are also conditions for the implementation of interesting ideas. But as you know, every barrel of honey has its own fly in the ointment.

The main problems of startups in Russia

Analysts identify 3 (three) problems that Russian startups face:

Problem 1. Cash support

The problem arises almost immediately when the project begins to need financial support.

Finding sources of financing is not easy even for serious adult entrepreneurs who own an established profitable business and a good reputation. What can we say about young people who have neither reputation nor profits from their project?

Banks They ask for a high interest rate on the loan, which will have to be repaid in any case.

Crowdfunding in the Russian segment it is not yet so developed, and turning to Western sites is associated with the complexity of converting and withdrawing money. We wrote in more detail about what Russian sites exist, and so on, in previous issues.

Venture funds they put forward a lot of conditions before providing financial support to the young team.

All that remains is to rely on personal funds, the help of family and friends, or try to look for business angel, who will believe in the project and finance its development.

Overcoming this complexity, perhaps, primarily determines the success of the entire project as a whole.

Problem 2. Startup development time

Another problem is related to ignorance of the theory of startup promotion over time. In itself, such a project is characterized not just by development, but by rapid development. And is assigned to this stage from 6 (six) to 8 (eight) months. And then, if the project does not begin to make a profit and pay for itself, it's being closed.

In Russia unsuccessful startup projects drag on for years, sucking money out of the startupers and investors themselves and turning into unprofitable hopeless enterprises.

Problem 3. Project implementation

There is another rather serious problem in Russia in the field of implementing startups.

It consists in the lack of interest among large manufacturing companies in acquisition and further development successful innovative developments.

Whether this is due to the general policy of the state, which does not pay any attention to creating conditions for the emergence of this type of entrepreneurship, or whether the startup industry is simply still at a low level is difficult to say.

Let's hope that over time, Russian startups will have strong support in the form of government agencies interested in developing innovative technologies in practice and introducing them into existing industrial production.

At almost all stages of development of a startup project in Russia, there are serious difficulties associated with the still imperfect ecosystem for such projects and the uncertainty of its future existence.

Stages of development of business projects + comparative table

3. Key stages of development of startup projects

Like any project, a startup goes through several main stages along the way of its formation.

It’s worth mentioning right away that such a division is approximate And depends on the purpose And project focus, on the scope of his activities and other criteria, which will influence the speed of development, the amount and level of investment in the project, and the results of the start-up company’s activities.

This division is based on the development of the same Steven Blank, author of the book “ Four steps to insight", where he described a model for the gradual development of a startup and the careful use of investment funds. This model later became the basis of Eric Ries' lean startup philosophy.

Stage No. 1. The birth of a startup (pre-seed, or pre-seed)

This is the ideation stage. That same exceptional idea, which is based on some kind of innovative product, service, technology, capable improve and make life easier, modify an existing product, enhance the effect of the drug, and so on, depending on the field of activity of the creator of the idea.

At this stage a team of like-minded people and assistants who believe in the effectiveness of the planned business is formed, a rough plan for the development of the idea is developed, options for finding investors are considered, and a prototype of a product, service, or technology is tested, if it has already been created.

Funding is needed already at this stage, even minimum. Most often, personal funds of developers, their families and friends are used here.

If necessary and possible, it makes sense for a startup to contact business incubator, where he can be provided with office space with connected communications and various types of services, from secretarial to legal and consulting.

Finding an investor at this stage is very difficult, since the project does not yet have any achievements by which to judge its effectiveness.

Nevertheless, it’s worth a try, since there are investment companies that specialize in investing in startups in the early stages of development.

Such organizations do not have a lot of capital, but at the same time they have a strong analytical apparatus to conduct an examination and calculate the prospects of an investment.

Stage No. 2.

Formation of a startup (seed, or sowing)

At the seed stage of startup development, a working model already exists, a well-coordinated team has been created, where the functions of each of its members are clearly distributed, a detailed strategy for promoting the project to the market or in the user environment has been drawn up, a legal entity has been formed, the first steps have been taken in advertising and searching for investors. The task of startups at this stage

– debug the product promotion system and look for sources of financing.

Yes, it is these components that are more important than bringing the product, service, or technology itself to perfection. Because attracting investors

- a painstaking matter that requires time for direct search, negotiations, decision-making and conclusion of an agreement. Sometimes this can last a month or two, or even more.

During this time, it is quite possible to finalize the product and even make some profit, which will certainly have a positive effect on the investor’s decision to invest his money in such a promising undertaking. Funding at this stage is already more serious

Finding an investor at this stage– the task is also not an easy one. Investments are required more than at the initial stage, and there is no profit yet or it does not cover current expenses. On the other hand, there are fewer risks.

And here the ideal option would be to find business angel , a person who will calculate the prospects of the project And wishes to invest a certain part of his own funds in it V.

Another source of funding at this time is crowdfunding (crowdfunding) - receiving funds from a community of people who are ready to contribute money to provide assistance, in this case, in the development of a promising startup project.

Stage No. 3.

Early development of the project (Alpha version)

The early development stage is characterized by the presence of an operating company that is profitable, occupies a prominent place in the market or other consumer environment, and is popular among users of the product. The task of startups at this stage is

becomes the final formation of a product, service, technology, correction of identified defects, inaccuracies, that is, bringing it to an ideal state.

At the same time, the promotion of the product on the market continues, with massive advertising in order to increase income or expand the consumer circle. The need for additional funding still remains , since the costs of maintaining the company and implementing marketing plans are growing, and although there is profit,.

but does not cover all expenses – To attract investors early development stage Golden time : They themselves find startups at this stage of formation. This is understandable, because you can already see the effectiveness of the idea itself , And the effectiveness of the idea itself company profitability other characteristics

, indicating the prospects for further cooperation. Here you can connect And investment venture funds business accelerators

– organizations specializing in professional assistance to developed startups that are ready to grow into big businesses.

Stage No. 4. Startup expansion (closed Beta version)

Extension– this is the stage when the company has a completed functional product that brings constant profit. The marketing strategy at this stage has been worked out to the smallest detail, and the company is ready to scale, that is, increase sales volumes, distribute in related areas of activity, or attract a mass range of consumers. An important task at this time The owners of the company must decide on its future and, in accordance with this, distribute shares among themselves and formalize relations with investors legally.

If the founders intend to develop the business, especially when one of them is also a product developer, then it is more logical to direct efforts to obtain high profits.

Besides, preferably limitamount of investment from and place bets on business partners.

If the company is supposed to be sold or the project can function perfectly without the direct participation of the founder, then the work should be aimed at finding a suitable investor for whom want to buy a controlling stake at a reasonable price.

By retaining a small share, the startuper gets the opportunity to move on to other projects.

Stage No. 4.

Project maturity (open Beta version) Basically, the maturity stage says that a startup project has turned into a serious business

, when a company occupies a leading position in the market or close to it, has a high return on investment, the company’s staff is a team of highly qualified specialists, and their work is well-functioning.

Most often, at this stage, the company begins issuing shares that generate income for its founders.

In other cases, the company is sold as a ready-made business. There is no doubt that in the development of each individual project there may be a different number of stages . It depends on the goal set by the startup developer, the scope of activity and the overall development strategy of the company. And only one point remains mandatory for any startup project:

Each of them needs an investor!

The main sources of funding will be discussed in the next part of the article.

We suggest studying the table, which describes what is needed for each stage of startup development, as well as where and what kind of financing is needed:	Stage	What's available?	What is necessary?
FinancingEmergence (pre-sowing/)	pre-seed	A formulated idea, developers, a team of like-minded people.	Drawing up a development plan, testing the product, searching for investors.
Minimum level, use of personal finance, involvement of family, friends; business incubator.Formation (sowing/	seed)	A working version (prototype) of the product, an active team, a detailed marketing development plan.	Introducing the product to the market/attracting users, advertising, searching for large investors.
Middle level, third-party investors, business angels, crowdfunding.	Early development (A-version)	Finalization of the working version, correction of defects, promotion of the product to the market.	High level: venture funds, investment companies, private investors, business accelerator.
Expansion (closed B-version)	A finished functional product, stable profits, serious management, advertising.	Concluding long-term contracts with partners, expanding the network, increasing the number of users.	Distribution of shares between founders and investors, search for a major investor.
Maturity (open B-version)	Leading position in the market, smooth operation, high profitability.	Issue of shares, search for a buyer of a ready-made business.	Full self-sufficiency of the company.

4. How to attract investment in startups - TOP 7 sources of financing for a Startup project

How often does a situation happen in life when “ I have an idea, but no money"! And most often this happens with startup projects, which, as mentioned above, are created by young people who do not have sufficient funds to finance their project.

Fortunately, the opposite also often happens: “ there is money, but no idea" There are always people who cannot come up with an idea themselves, but who have the gift of recognizing promising projects, know how to develop them and are not afraid to invest money in them.

We are talking about investors and investment organizations specializing in investing in startups.

But in reality, there are many more sources of funding. Each of them has its own distinctive features and capabilities at one or two stages of project development.

Investing in startups - finding an investor for a startup: main sources of project financing

This section of the article is devoted to a detailed analysis 7 (seven) main types, or sources, financing start-up projects.

1) Personal savings of startupers

Used at the stages of origin and formation, when idea of ​​a product, service, technology, as well as the business plan of the startup itself, are at the development stage, and there is simply nothing to offer to third-party investors yet. By the way, we talked about it in the last issue.

In addition, often the creator of the idea does not want to share all the details and subtleties of the model he is developing for fear of losing authorship and control over the development of the project.

In this case, attracting third-party investments is impossible, except for those that friends and close relatives are ready to make.

2) Funds from relatives and friends

They are used in the first stages of a project’s development, when there are already costs but no profit yet. At this point, friends and relatives can act not only as financial helpers, but also as first users of a product or service.

By the way, analysts claim that this source of investment for startups in Russia is very common and ranks second in terms of the volume of invested funds.

3) Crowdfunding

So-called crowd funding can be used by a start-up in the initial stages of project development.

What is crowdfunding? This is a voluntary collection of funds, and not only material ones, for holding events or creating objects and values social, public, political, cultural, scientific direction.

Crowdfunding is most often carried out via the Internet., and it is characterized by a clear goal setting, announcement of the required amount, drawing up an estimate, or cost calculation, and always openly informing the participants of the collection.

This type of financing is popular in the West since 2000 and since 2007developing in Russia. Internet platforms ( kickstarter.com in Europe and the USA, boomstarter.ru And planeta.ru in the Russian-language part of the Internet), through which you can declare your project and ask for financial assistance, will definitely offer the organizers to establish an award for participants.

Participation in the collection is rewarded in 3 (three) ways:

1. Gifts or prizes;
2. Obtaining a small share in a business project for which money is being raised;
3. Receiving a share of future profits or return on investment.

Who mainly uses crowdfunding?

Most often, of course, money is collected to create music albums, filming, book publishing, social and charitable projects.

But, for example, in 2008, the well-known Barack Obama raised money only for the first stage of his election campaign through crowdfunding more than $250,000.

4) Credit

As mentioned above, credit– one of the most undesirable types of financing for a new project.

This is explained by completely understandable reasons, namely: startup – an enterprise with high risks, which are often difficult to calculate, it is also difficult to determine the level of profitability of the project.

Therefore, it is more logical to take out a loan for the development of such a business at later stages, when these risks have already decreased and profitability has increased.

5) Business angel (obsolete Russian “philanthropist”)

This is the name given to independent investors who invest personal funds at the earliest stages of a startup’s development and, on this basis, sometimes participate in project management.

At all, business angel – the dream of every startuper. In addition to money, they also have professional experience in the field of marketing and finance, and due to their interest in the success of the project, they can provide professional assistance at the stages of formation and early development.

But we must be aware that attracting a business angel at the first, most high-risk stages of project development will require transfer of a large share of the business into his possession.

If the startuper’s ultimate goal is to sell an existing business, then there will be no problem. But if the startuper intends to continue to engage in his enterprise, then the relationship with the business angel and his share of participation in the enterprise must be legally formalized at the very beginning of cooperation.

• Firstly, if the startup is fresh and is of interest in social, scientific and public terms, then you can contact crowdfunding platforms, which have already been discussed here.
• Secondly, if a startup project has a serious scientific, information, production or technological focus, then it makes sense to contact specialized sites and forums, where not only general business issues are discussed, but also where potential investors are present. They are also interested in finding profitable projects.
• Third, you can contact directly through the websites and offices of investment and venture companies. As a rule, implementing government programs to support private business, it is these companies that hold seminars, conferences, competitions and exhibitions, where, in addition to information and advisory support, one can find future partners and investors.

Question 3. How to come up with a good idea for a startup project and bring it to life?

Good idea– this is where any successful startup begins. There are people who generate such ideas with enviable consistency.

But what should those who, having both the desire and ability to start their own business, cannot decide on an idea?

Experienced startupers advise the following:

• An innovative idea must lie on the surface. That is, it should be something ordinary, but imperfect. So imperfect or inconvenient that you want to correct it and thereby help all the people who are bothered by this imperfection. Therefore, take a closer look at your daily life and notice everything that needs improvement and correction.
• Don't be afraid to fantasize! All the latest achievements were once fiction, fantasy and seemed like a pipe dream. But they happened because someone was not afraid to turn a dream into reality.
• Write down any ideas and interesting thoughts, it doesn’t matter whether you came up with them yourself or heard them from someone. And then try to try them on in real life. It is possible that this is how you will find that unique niche where you can apply your talents.
• If you feel like you've found something interesting, conduct research to determine the need for your idea. Internet forums, specialized websites on the problem, and conversations with potential consumers will help determine the relevance of the idea, the scope of its application and the direction of development.
• If an idea is found and you are confident in its prospects, then start acting: make a plan, look for helpers And like-minded people And launch project to life. If you do not have sufficient funds even at the initial stages, try to save on everything you can and look for investors for subsequent development.
• Be confident in yourself and your abilities, optimistic and determined to succeed. There will be many difficulties along this path, but the result is worthy of overcoming them.

8. Conclusion + video on the topic

Modern life is developing at a rapid pace, which means that more and more new ideas will always appear that deserve attention and development. And since there are ideas, it means that there are opportunities to apply your abilities and talents.

In conclusion, we suggest watching the video — “STARTUP SHOW from Dmitry POTAPENKO”, where young entrepreneurs present their start-up small business projects.

And also a video about how an entrepreneur earned 17 million without investments:

You just need to believe in your strengths, and, starting small, gradually move forward to high results and achievements.

Finding a truly promising startup in a sea of ​​diverse projects is not so easy. Every day the IT world “grinds” hundreds of them. The editors of the online publication BusinessInsider have compiled a selection of the most interesting startups that have already managed to attract millions of dollars for their development. The creators of these projects strive to change the world. Whether they will succeed, time will tell.

Outdo Google

Become cooler and more popular than the largest search engine in the world? Why not! Blippar CEO Ambarish Mitra dreams of expanding the capabilities of the global network, or rather, obtaining information. His immediate plans include adding elements of virtual reality to the search process.

Innovative image recognition technology will make it possible to turn any object placed in space into a source of a huge amount of information. In the future, it will be enough to simply focus the smartphone camera, for example, on an apple and get an article about it from Wikipedia, links to popular recipes using it, and a list of stores where you can buy this fruit. Ambarish Mitra strives to make search not a part of the Internet, but a part of life.

To implement the bold idea, Blippar has already received $72 million from the investment company QualcommVentures.

Squeeze out YouTube

Hooked decided to compete with video hosting YouTube, bringing a previously unprecedented format of journalistic creativity to the mobile sphere. The startup's website contains interesting dialogues with voyeuristic overtones.

Prerna Gupta, founder of Hooked, believes that it offers a completely new way of storytelling - short test vignettes that will fully meet the needs and expectations of mobile users. According to her idea, Hooked will encourage the Snapchat generation to learn more by viewing short, informative conversations in just a minute.

Investors value the startup at $15 million. 2.9 million US dollars have already been allocated for the development of the project.

Forget about Wi-Fi problems

The creators of Eero decided to put an end to the problems of poor Wi-Fi signal once and for all. Operating on the basis of a cellular network and Bluetooth, they allow you to improve the signal quality throughout the entire room, be it an apartment, office or classroom. To service a standard three-room apartment, several modules are needed. One is for connecting to a modem, the rest are for placement in different parts of the room. Communication between devices is carried out via a radio signal.

Eero is a router, range extender and repeater at the same time. Software updates and improvements occur automatically. Eero avoids the phenomenon of signal dead zones, increases network security and prevents long buffering.

It is worth noting that sales of innovative Wi-Fi started at the end of February 2016. In 2015, the project attracted a total of about $40 million from several investment companies.

Application to guard democracy

The aggravation of the social and geopolitical situation in the world has updated the issues of democratization and the involvement of society in political processes. In particular, the developers of the startup Brigade, using available programming capabilities, focused their attention on such a segment of Internet users as millennials.

The creators of the application for mobile devices invite people to unite with like-minded people (colleagues, friends, neighbors, etc.) to express their will as an independent citizen. According to the Brigade team, millennials, being the most dedicated users, can not only influence the local political situation, but also help in social research.

We have already managed to attract more than 9 million US dollars for the development of the project. Both investment companies and private entrepreneurs decided to finance the startup: Sean Parker, Marc Benioff, Ron Conway.

Smart personal assistant

It seems that the largely not very successful developments of the programmers who created Siri will be corrected in a promising project called Viv. This time, Chris Brigham, Doug Kittlaus and Adam Scheier decided to implement the idea of ​​​​artificial intelligence in a smartphone that will understand its owner literally at a glance.

It looks like Viv has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the phone as a device for communicating, receiving and sharing information. The application will act as a personal assistant. For example, to call you a taxi with the exact address, Viv just needs to say: “I drank a lot.” It is worth noting that an offer to purchase the startup has already been received by its creators from Facebook and Google. However, they refused the deals.

Viv's funding in 2015 amounted to US$30 million.

Startups also started small: the profession "".

Ideas for startups: the “freshest” ideas from all over the world - 3 keys to success + TOP 5 ideas from all over the world + 3 startup ideas from Russian developers.

Why startup ideas are they becoming increasingly popular in the business sphere and bringing owners a lot of capital?

First of all, because they offer completely new, innovative solutions to people’s pressing problems.

Therefore, it is quite logical that in search of inspiration for creating your own startup, you should not rush “deep into history.”

Follow trends, fashion trends, what is actually in demand now.

This article, which brings together the main business trends and forecasts regarding future discoveries in the market of entrepreneurial “art,” can help you with this.

What is a startup?

Before talking about startup ideas, it’s worth defining what we mean in general.

Most people have only a general understanding of startups. That’s why some believe that this is the name given to new resources on the Internet, while others believe that this is a business created by young people without experience.

There is some truth in this. However, the concept itself is broader.

Startup is a business idea that is based solely on the use of innovative technologies or the introduction of completely new products.

That is, the composition of the team and the format of the company do not matter (startups often begin to develop without being officially registered).

The main thing is that the team helps solve some problem of humanity by offering something unique.

Also distinctive features of the startup are:

• limited money to start;
• starting work from scratch;
• Most often, startup partners were previously connected by some kind of relationship (worked together, studied together).

And although the world learns about such companies in their first steps, when the market position is not yet strong, only those companies that have already manufactured a product can be called startups.

The development or “raw” project is only the basis for creation, but not the startup itself.

What is the key to success of a startup idea?

If you analyze the ideas behind startups that have been particularly successful, you can identify several common features.

Conventionally, they can be called “secrets of success.”

Factors on which the success of a startup idea depends:

What exactly do you think about the idea that became a startup?

Do you think it can bring in a lot of money?

Or are you really “on fire” and confident that this business will be useful to people and become innovative?

Only in the second case does the startup really have a chance of success.

If you don't have a genuine interest, you can quickly burn out.

Moreover, startups rarely bring immediate profit.

A lot depends on the team.

It is obvious that a team of like-minded people working on the same wavelength can do more than one person.

Don't try to put everything on your shoulders.

You should not calculate how many people will have to divide the profit, but take care of the perfect quality of every detail.

Youth is a plus.

Let this statement sound like discredit.

But the fact remains: investors are more focused on investing in the young and ambitious.

Let people with experience do their thing - run large organizations and share their knowledge with others.

For those who no longer consider themselves a “young man”, but are eager, let us clarify: success in business has no age restrictions.

Do you have any doubts? Look at this picture:

TOP 5: global startup ideas

As a rule, startups are concentrated in the field of IT technologies. We decided to create a selection of ideas that were created and brought to life by ordinary people.

This step is designed to inspire you to implement your own ideas, even if you do not have any special education or many years of work experience.

1. An eco-friendly idea: a special shampoo

"Nephentes" looks like an enema or something.

In fact, this startup idea can have a significant impact on the environment.

Few people think about it, but ordinary plastic bottles from "" are a product harmful to the environment. The decomposition period of one bottle can be hundreds of years!

Do you remember how much you use them throughout your life?

According to the idea of ​​this startup, manufacturers produce products in huge containers, pouring the required portions into customers’ “Nephentes” bottles.

It is curious that the design does not even involve the use of a lid! The neck is simply bent and inserted into the compartment.

Another plus: you can finally use 100% of the product, including what usually remains at the bottom.

2. Indian startup idea

If you think that all that India can do is dance and make films, then you will be surprised - quite a few startup ideas have been created in this country.

Interestingly, there is even a kind of analogue of the American Silicon Valley.

In addition, India is really interested in the issue of the huge amount of garbage on the streets. Innovative ideas appear regularly.

For example, an edible spoon is an excellent alternative to plastic utensils. After eating, you can eat it as a dessert or, of course, just throw it away.

Obviously, such “material” as flour decomposes as quickly as possible and is absolutely harmless to nature.

The creators also assure that vegetarians can safely eat the product. And in the future there are even plans to develop a gluten-free version.

3. Idea for junk food lovers

Who among us is not familiar with such a problem: you carefully take chips or something else greasy, and your fingers get so dirty that you have to go wash them.

And you need to be extremely careful not to catch or stain anything!

A startup has appeared in Italy, the idea of ​​which is to create finger pads. They are very thin, but the latex fits tightly around your fingers.

Thanks to this, consumers can safely enjoy the goodies and then simply throw away the “attachments.”

It is assumed that these devices will not be sold on their own, but as a set with chips, nuts or similar food for which they were invented.

4. Startup: “folding” napkins

But the idea of ​​this startup is designed for higher cuisine – that is, for restaurants. It appeared as a reaction to the fact that ordinary napkin holders are already becoming an obsolete item.

But napkins pressed into a small round “puck” are a different matter. To use such a thing, visitors must immerse the “tablet” in an antiseptic solution.

And immediately the fabric unfolds, acquires a pleasant smell, and even becomes a “killing weapon” for harmful microbes on your hands.

Don't immediately assume the increased costs for owners: these towels are not disposable. So the startup idea will not harm your wallet or the environment.

5. Startup idea with social value

Often startups are still called upon to solve global problems, and not just improve the already comfortable lives of consumers.

For example, a special supermarket was created in Denmark – “WeFood”. Its concept is that they sell goods here that cannot be displayed on “decent” shelves.

Incorrect labeling, torn packaging, an approaching expiration date, or even being out of date - all of these are usually reasons for writing off, returning, or even disposing of goods.

Meanwhile, even in Denmark there are many people who have to save on everything.

The supermarket idea not only helped low-income people eat more nutritiously. It also revealed a 25% reduction in the amount of food wasted across the country!

This is such a useful and, oddly enough, profitable startup.

What about Russia: 3 domestic ideas for startups

Although the words “conditions of economic decline” have already become classic words for the reality of Russian entrepreneurship, in the field of startups everything is not so bad.

The “buy and sell” guideline is gradually giving way to an innovative approach.

Original solutions still do not have such strong government support as in other countries.

However, their number is increasing, and investors are ready to invest their funds. This is especially clearly seen in the variety of startup ideas in 2016.

1) A startup you've definitely heard of

Have you seen the original photo processing on Instagram that turns an ordinary frame into an artistic canvas? Most likely, you already know what we are talking about.

For the rest, let’s clarify – the Prisma application is a service that allows you to process users’ photos in an original way.

It will come as a surprise to many that Prizma was developed by Russian programmers. Moreover, its creator is a former employee of the well-known mail.ru.

The peculiarity of the program is that it does not simply impose some filters on top of the card.

Thanks to the use of neural network algorithms (which you may also have heard a lot about), Prizma analyzes the frame and then creates it from scratch. But already in the form of a painting.

The fact that almost everyone now knows about this application is already an indicator of success. It remains to be added that the Facebook administration banned the use of the program on its network only because it considered it competitive.

2) Idea for a startup on cards

It is believed that various savings and discount cards are gradually becoming a thing of the past. At a minimum, because no one wants to carry dozens of options with them without knowing which one they need.

The developers of the startup “Cardberry” came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a device that can accommodate all kinds of cards.

We won't go into technical details. The bottom line is that any user cards are, as it were, entered into the memory of this electronic device.

Every time a person needs a certain card, he goes into a special application and selects it.

“Cardberry” adapts to your choice and becomes a full-fledged replacement for the required card.

For your attention, we offer a cool video

about the 10 most successful startups in the world:

3) Startup idea for a comfortable life

You may not be familiar with the SVET company yet, but you have every chance to hear about them.

As the name suggests, the team offers lighting equipment. What makes this startup idea innovative?

The fact is that the light bulbs from this company are designed to imitate ordinary natural lighting.

Moreover, the device settings can be adjusted (for example, according to the time of day or night).

This startup idea is not only original and adds more comfort to everyday life. But it also has a beneficial effect on human health.

There is perhaps only one downside to the idea: at the moment, one device is priced at $70. The amount is too significant for Russians. However, the startup is in demand abroad.

Collected above ideas for startups They just emphasize: anyone can create a business based on an innovative idea. The field of startups is not limited to the field of IT technologies.

The main thing is that you bring something new and useful to the world.

And if the idea is worthwhile and the execution is diligent, it can make you rich, no matter how trivial it may sound.

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Everyone knows that you can organize your own business. For example, build a hotel on the seashore. Also, everyone roughly knows what needs to be done for this: purchase a piece of land, draw up a package of documents, create a project, calculate an estimate, start and finish construction, find trained personnel, do not skimp on advertising, and then after about five to ten years, if successful In the course of business, the invested capital will pay off, and the business will begin to generate income.

This is a classic option for starting and developing a business, requiring considerable financial investment, and there is also this: the creators of the famous computer game Angry Birds in a few years they earned almost 56 million euros with an investment of 100 thousand. Or Facebook, the approximate cost of which is $100 billion. USA, and this with relatively minimal investment.

You can give a lot of such examples - these are projects VKontakte, Odnoklassniki and the well-known Google. All of them are similar in that they went through a rapid path of successful development, were based on the innovative ideas of their creators and did not require large start-up capital. These are startups. Projects, ideas, IT technologies. They cannot be touched, but they can bring billions to their creators.

Important Definitions

A startup (start-up - English) is a company that has just been created and started its activities, usually with limited financial capabilities and a small number of people working in it.

Its activities are not necessarily based on IT technologies, as many mistakenly believe, but on any innovative ideas related to medicine, nanotechnology, the Internet, or any other field. A startup is a company, organization, or any other legal entity. It is extremely incorrect to call any Internet service, successful website or project with this term.

Startup is a person who created a startup and is an employee of the company.

• Venture fund– a company that invests in innovative, risky projects, which, according to research, can subsequently bring good profits.
• Business angels– individuals who are ready to finance a startup at the development stage and expect to receive long-term interest from profits in the future.

The main distinguishing feature of a startup is its youth. After a few months of operation, the company either becomes a fairly successful business or ceases to exist. The key point is the desire to find and offer a completely new solution to a problem, an unknown service or product. Therefore, first of all, it is creativity and innovation.

And novelty, in turn, is inextricably linked with the unknown and uncertainty, since the company has to perform all actions from scratch. This includes determining the pricing policy and payment methods, studying the audience who is interested in their product, planning a future development strategy, and much more. It is from this that follows such a feature of a startup as the search for a model of behavior in the market.

History of origin

The English term “start-up” in its current meaning was born in the USA, near San Francisco, in Silicon Valley in 1939. This is the place where almost all companies that were involved in the development of information technology were gathered. In principle, the success of the valley is inextricably linked with the emergence of the first startup - when two Stanford graduates, William Hewlett and David Packard, founded the enterprise that later became the world famous giant Hewlett-Packard.

Other classic examples of successful startups are:

• Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
• Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne, who joined a little later, Apple Computer Inc.
• Google was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

Very often in recent years, any well-known company, Internet project or website that is somehow different from others is mistakenly called startups. For example, among the popular networks Facebook, Odnoklassniki.ru, VKontakte, only the first one is a real startup, and the rest are its successful clones, which are popular mainly in the Runet.

Specifics of working in Russia

The young startup market in Russia is now in a stage of rapid growth and development. But it is largely because of his youth that he experiences great difficulties. Over the fifty years of existence of this sector in the West, a certain innovative culture, mechanisms for supporting innovation, and investment forms have developed there. There are thousands of venture capital firms and business angels, private investors, and, accordingly, thousands of opportunities for startups. This does not exist in Russia yet, so it is extremely difficult to find sources of financing. Another distinctive feature of a Russian company is the time that the company can spend in this stage.

In the classic version, which operates in the West, it is given 6-8 months, after which, if the idea fails, the company dies so as not to waste time and money. In our country, this stage can last for years, which is a mistake.

The fate of the Russian startup, its further existence or development also remains uncertain due to the low interest of our large companies in such projects. Western giants constantly monitor the teams they have and buy the most promising ones. We don't have such practice. That is why foreign investors are increasingly turning their attention to the Russian market.

Startup creation

Nowadays, anyone who would like to try themselves in this field can found a startup. The easiest way to do this is, of course, in the IT sector. Today, having a laptop, a bright head with ideas and a desire to create something unusual may be sufficient for the first steps in this field.

To make the task easier, you can follow theses:

• Identify the problem you are going to solve. For reliability, it is better to take a real sphere and real consumers who have difficulty in something. You can find out by talking with clients, listening, reading reviews, comments, and after making sure that this is a really sore subject, you can try to find ways to solve it and implement the project. The ideal option would be to sign a letter of guarantee with the client who voiced the problem, stating his willingness to further cooperate with you and use your product if the problem is successfully resolved.
• Take your time to optimize the product and bring it to an ideal state. Your task is to create a trial version as quickly as possible and give it to friends, acquaintances, and customers for testing. And based on their comments, refine it and release the next and subsequent versions.
• Don't delay your first sale. You shouldn't sit on the interface for years without trying to implement what already exists. A startup is a business, and an accelerated business. Here you need to understand as quickly as possible whether it will be successful, and for this you need sales. And if they buy a raw product from you, this will be a signal that you are on the right track.
• Don't spend money, especially money you haven't earned yet. If you have invested your own funds in a startup, are at the beginning of your journey, have not yet received a single payment for the product, save on everything - office, employees, business cards and other things that you can do without.
• Devote as much time as possible to the project. The success of an enterprise depends almost 100% on how much work and time is invested in it. If you work on a project for an hour a day, the results will most likely be mediocre.
• Don't rush to look for outside investors. At the initial stage, it is better to manage on your own, attract friends and relatives. In order to create a trial model, not so much money is needed. If the prototype is successful, the business has taken off and needs to be developed, then you can think about raising additional capital. Moreover, doing this with a ready-made positive result is much easier and more profitable.
• Don't put off ideas until tomorrow. If you are sure of something, do the project immediately. There is no need to slow down on finding a team, discussions and other things. Just get started. Everything else will follow along the way. A startup is a business for the young, impulsive, and hot-headed. The older a person gets, the less susceptible he is to impulses and to the belief that a seemingly crazy idea can be successfully brought to life.
• Don't be discouraged if you fail. Before you give up on a startup, make sure you've done everything you can. Or maybe just a little tweaking of a failed product is enough to make it sellable?

Watch the video on where to start developing your project:

The process of turning a startup into a successful enterprise consists of several stages.

Stages of development

1. Origin. This stage is characterized by the presence of an idea and sometimes a trial sample of the product. There are initiators of creating a company, but the process of founding a business has not yet begun.
2. Becoming. At this stage, the company has already been created, the production of the product has begun, but it is still raw, not finalized and does not yet generate income. A management team is being formed and the company’s documentation is being put in order.
3. Early development. The momentum is gaining, the company gains its first popularity and takes its place in the market, the first profit appears.
4. Stage No. 4.. At this stage, sales of the product increase, the company reaches a stable profit, it has well established its position in the market and is able to begin the development of related projects.
5. Maturity. The last stage, at which the company, as a rule, occupies a leading position in its industry and a fairly large share of the market segment, it is highly profitable, all processes have been worked out, and it employs highly qualified specialists. In this position, the company will usually begin issuing shares or may be sold to a suitable investor.

Investors and search for financing

For an undertaking to be successful, in addition to the idea, you need a good source of investment. Or several. Without funding, a startup will not survive. Ideally, at each stage of development it should move to a higher level of financing. Sources may be:

• Personal savings.
• Funds from friends and family members.
• Crowdfunding. A startup can make a presentation of his brainchild on the Internet and ask for money for development. A prize is usually promised for depositing a certain amount. This type of investment is poorly developed in Russia, and searching on foreign sites is complicated by the fact that you will need an account in a foreign bank to withdraw funds.
• Credit. Unlike Western countries where there are preferential lending programs for startups, in Russia you can get a consumer loan for this business or for the development of a small business. A high percentage scares away novice businessmen, making the project deeply unprofitable in the early stages of development.
• A business angel is the investor every startup owner dreams of. For people who have the gift of persuasion and believe in the success of their project, finding such investors is quite a feasible task even in Russia, where their number is increasing every year.
• State. The budget of any country includes funds for the development of innovative business. If you manage to meet the strict requirements, you can receive stable financial assistance at a low interest rate.
• Venture funds. It is quite difficult to obtain such investments. In order to convince people who have enormous practical experience in such matters, it is necessary to have a truly bright and profitable undertaking.

Making a decision also takes quite a long time. Each source of funding has its own nuances and problems, but faith in your business and perseverance in your work will help you overcome these difficulties.

Business accelerators and incubators

Important elements in the startup system are incubators and accelerators. The scope of their activity is the development of companies at the initial stage, turning them into a profitable business. They work simultaneously with a large number of projects, thereby minimizing their risks.

• Incubator– specializes in business development at the idea stage. This is, as a rule, the first structure that a startup can turn to after family and friends. The incubator's arsenal includes training programs for project development, theoretical and practical trainings that help apply acquired knowledge in practice.
• Accelerator- works with a ready-made company that has its own team and experience, requiring serious investment. The essence of the program is approximately the same, but at a deeper level related to the analysis of investment activities and communication with future investors.

If a startup does not have enough team or space to develop an idea, it should contact an incubator. If a company has been created, but needs professional advice on how to take it into big business, go to an accelerator.

The main activity of the incubator is consulting, so any startuper who can pay for the services can become its client. In order to become a client of the accelerator, you must pass a selection process. Experts with extensive experience are involved in their work, and additional financial resources are also attracted. The accelerator’s task is to turn a startup into an investment-attractive product in a short period of time. Very often, large accelerators cooperate with venture funds, which can subsequently finance such a company. To become their client, the proposed project must show good prospects for success.

Examples of successful projects

There are many companies that have made their projects successful and extremely profitable in a short time. These include:

• Wikipedia– the most extensive online encyclopedia, where the number of articles increases every day.
• YouTube– the largest database of video products.
• Among the startups that have become famous in recent years, we can name a gadget manufacturer from China - Xiaomi. By setting minimum prices for devices and providing them with decent quality, the company sold 18.7 million units of smartphones last year, and it also has other in-demand electronics in its arsenal. The company's market value is $10 billion. USA with an investment of 507 million.
• As a striking example of a successful startup on the Russian market, we can cite the company "Enter", founded by Maxim Nogotkov. The basis of her activity was the idea of ​​​​creating a project that includes real and online stores. The company includes more than a hundred sales points, operates in 40 Russian cities, you can order goods through the website, a special application on your cell phone, a landline phone, or directly in the store. Today, the product range includes more than 35 thousand items.