ITMO University Lit up the First Day of SLUSH-2015!

The largest European startup conference SLUSH-2015 started in Helsinki on November 11. More than 15, 000 participants from 100 countries came to Finland this year. Among visitors there were about 700 investors who came to see 1, 700 startups.

Every year SLUSH brings together startupers from Russia, Baltic States and Northern Europe who exchange experience, look for investors so as to do their business internationally.

Apart from face-to-face meetings with investors SLUSH also includes project stand exhibition, pitch sessions, as well as lectures, discussions and workshops. According to its organizers, SLUSH-2015`s program differs from previous conferences.

“We have organized more interactive sessions that include roundtable meetings and discussions on business and industry. We also have doubled informal gatherings. So I hope you will manage to visit all of them,” said Riku Makela, Chief Executive Officer of Slush.

Describing SLUSH-2015 one can use such words as global and international. First of all the conference has fused together lots of people from different countries. Moreover this spring organizers initiated the first meeting out of Europe. A startup forum took place in Tokyo.

Organizers of an opening ceremony were inspired by previous Industrial Revolutions that had taken place over the last century as well as forthcoming revolution, which would burst out as a result of Smart technologies` development. Marianne Vikkula, president and chief operating officer of Slush, and Juha Sipila, Finland's prime minister, made an opening speech.

The conference also includes a stand exhibition. ITMO University is represented by five projects; three of them are winners of startup accelerator Future Technologies. Russian startupers attract visitors with virtual reality glasses developed by “Video 360 Production,” and innovative laser making device presented by “ColorIT.” “Chemlab” Project designed a stand, which looked like a giant! Researchers developed a hydrogel, which helped to water plants in rainless areas. A new type of superabsorbent material, with the key feature to absorb water very fast and store it for weeks can be used as an alternative fertilization for Mars`s potatoes. Thus inspired by the plot of a popular movie “The Martian” Russians made this 60 kg stand, which looked like a red planet. “Rehabot” and “Aquamagnetix`s” developers also presented their projects at SLUSH-2015.

A lot of visitors were interested in ITMO University`s stand. Arkady Dvorkovich, deputy chairman of the Government, was also among them.

Thus the second day of SLUSH-2015 is coming and ITMO University to rush in it! Thanks to a branded bike, the symbol of the non-classical university, we are very fast and manoeuvrable! Furthermore before to present the bike at SLUSH this bike was upgraded by specialists of FABLAB of ITMO University Technopark. Currently it is lighted up with different colors that depend on speed changing. Our startupers are going to meet with international investors. So we hope that university`s innovations are given the green light for commercialization!