The immigrant entrepreneur factory: Herizon Launchpad

At Herizon, we're piloting a new program: Herizon Launchpad.

This initiative is designed to launch mini startups and accelerate entrepreneurship within our community, particularly focusing on immigrants in Finland. As an early-stage venture capital investor, I've observed the challenges that Nordic companies, especially those from Finland, face when trying to expand into global markets. Our solution? Empowering immigrants who already have a broader market understanding to become entrepreneurs.

One of the core visions of Herizon has always been to help Finnish companies succeed globally from the very beginning. We believe that immigrants in Finland hold a unique advantage - they understand both the local and international markets. By supporting them to start their businesses, we can create companies that are global by design. This approach not only fosters innovation but also drives economic growth and inclusivity.

Over the past few years, we've helped over 300 individuals gain valuable experience by employing them in globally growing tech startups. This experience is crucial as it provides them with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the entrepreneurial world. Now, we're ready to take the next step.

The Herizon Launchpad Program

1. Learning community's entrepreneurship section:
We're developing a dedicated section within our learning community for a select group of individuals. These participants will help us shape learning materials tailored specifically for aspiring immigrant entrepreneurs in Finland. By involving them in the creation process, we ensure that the content is relevant, practical, and impactful.

2. Mini business launch:
We are about to soft launch our first mini business, an idea that emerged from Herizon's product development activities. If this initial launch gains traction, we'll build a team from our community members and use our growth hacking internship program to accelerate its market entry.

Successful validation will lead to the formal establishment of a new company, with Herizon owning a part and the workgroup receiving meaningful ownership stakes. This model aims to provide immigrants and underrepresented individuals in tech with access to small tech businesses, empowering them to build and benefit from their ventures.

Future of Launchpad

Despite reaching out to over 30 different grants, this is one of the many Herizon initiatives I haven't been able to secure funding for. However, we want to be a role model in being able to launch ideas without funding, so we're doing it anyway. We're committed to making it work through sheer determination and collaboration, and our community's support and hustle will drive this vision forward, proving that innovative ideas can thrive even without initial funding.

Herizon Launchpad is more than just a program. It's a movement towards creating a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Finland. By providing immigrants with the tools, resources, and opportunities to start their businesses, we're paving the way for a new generation of global entrepreneurs.

Stay Connected:

For more updates on Herizon Launchpad and our upcoming projects, follow us on LinkedIn. Let's build the future of entrepreneurship together.