In the spring of 2018, Gründebrakka came as a new addition to the innovation environment at NTNU.
By Rebecca Amalie Skogø
Gründerbrakka’s purpose is to provide work space for the most ambitious student driven startup companies at NTNU. As of early 2019, 16 startups and over 60 active students and alumni are all fully committed to their entrepreneurial projects while staying at Gründerbrakka.
You don’t need fancy facilities to stimulate innovation
Gründerbrakka is meant to function as a transition between being a student and a full time entrepreneur. Previously, startups had to rent offices or move between group rooms at NTNU – now there is a designated space where they can stay in up to a year.
Jonas Hyllseth Ryen, who is in charge of operations at Gründerbrakka, tells us that since each startups is granted a limited amount of time in the working space, there are expectations that each startup have a strong focus on achievements, results and growth. Despite these requirements, it doesn’t seem to scare applicants away. The initiative is so popular that there is a waiting list to get an office in the current space. There isn’t enough room to house everyone.
We at Gründerbrakka are convinced that majority of new innovations must come from students, and that’s why we need to focus on this type of environment. Without a place to be, it becomes more cumbersome to start your own business and as a result fewer will succeed. It is very rewarding to be able to help build that kind of innovation environment at NTNU
Jonas Hyllseth Ryen
A more holistic representation
One of the many things that makes Gründerbrakka exciting, is their attention on creating an engaging space while sharing information across industries. Even though each startup works by themselves, there is a sense of community within the community. “There is a lot of room to share knowledge. Being open to share what you know is one of the criteria of getting access to our facilities. The threshold to stop by someone’s office or to have a talk over lunch is nearly non-existent. We even have an information bank over what each person in the office is good at so the others can make use of them”, says Ryen.
When all comes down to it, it was the students that came to Engage requesting a place where everyone could have a chance to get in. “This is unique in Norway, especially considering how this has emerged as a collaboration between the institution NTNU and the students. It’s clearly an enormous measure to make it more attractive to focus on innovation during our studies. With Gründerbrakka, the entrepreneurial environment at NTNU has become more holistic since we’re here for companies in all phases”, Ryen explains.
During the upcoming years, Gründerbrakka wants to increase its offers of counseling and services while helping to make even more students dare to start for themselves.