What is GIST Innovates Thailand?
GIST Innovates Thailand is an 8-week program of intensive training for startups working to take the next step in their ventures. Entrepreneurs will gain critical venture development skills, including using agile customer discovery and the Lean Startup process to identify and evaluate scalable opportunities, allowing participants to make informed decisions on the best approach for moving forward with commercialization of their innovation. Through the trainings, participants will be encouraged to engage with and understand the perspectives of potential customers in order to apply customer insights to the design of their product and/or business model.
Selected participants will be eligible to attend:
-A 2 day, in-person opening workshop in Bangkok, Thailand
-6 weeks of virtual coursework and guided study to accelerate startup development
-A 2 day, in-person closing workshop and demo day
Important Dates
We will accept up to 12 teams (2 members per team) for this program. We encourage teams to apply as early as possible.
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Phase 1: Submission April 6 - May 24, 2023
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Phase 2: Expert Panel Review & Quarter-Finalist selection May 25 - June 1
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Phase 3: Program Open (in-person) June 22 - June 24
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Phase 4: Virtual Program June 26 - Aug 4
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Phase 5: In Person Close & Demo Day Aug 10 - Aug 11
Difficulties creating your account? Email [email protected]
Program Launch
Participants will be invited to a two-day in person workshop in Bangkok, Thailand where they will (1) meet program instructors and peer-entrepreneurs (2) participate in trainings that introduce key course concepts and (3) receive assignments from Innovates instructors, which will be employed throughout the program.
Virtual Coursework:
Course participants will attend a six-week virtual program where they explore the commercial potential of an innovation, primarily, by using agile customer discovery tools from the Lean Startup framework. Participants will attend zoom sessions as a cohort once per week, and will each receive one hour of 1:1 mentorship from a course instructor. During these sessions, participants will apply course concepts to their own innovation/venture and workshop next steps with the instructor.
Program Close
Participants are invited to a two-day in person workshop in Bangkok to close out the program. During this workshop, participants will review key concepts from the course and present their findings and business-model pivots to the instructors. Additionally, participants will showcase their innovations through a demo day, which will be open to members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting stakeholders.
Support for Participants
Selected participants from outside Bangkok will receive a modest transportation stipend to support travel to Bangkok, as well as accommodation during the in-person portions of the course.
What is GIST?
Since 2011, the Global Innovation through Science and Technology initiative (GIST) has partnered with the private sector to train thousands of innovators at more than 100 events and has awarded more than $1.5 million in startup resources. GIST catalyzes startup solutions that address economic and developmental challenges through networking, skills building, mentoring, and access to financing. GIST has provided training for over 15,000 startups who have gone on to generate over $250 million in revenue.
Click the video to learn more about our programs and meet some of our superstar entrepreneurs!
About the Implementer
GIST Innovates Thailand is administered by VentureWell. VentureWell is a nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate a diverse pipeline of inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs driven to solve the world’s biggest challenges and create lasting impact. In 27 years, VentureWell has helped bring scientific and technological advancements in the fields of energy, agriculture, water, environment, and healthcare to millions of people in more than 90 countries. 15,000 innovators have been trained and supported by VentureWell, who have created over 3,000 businesses that have gone on to raise over $3.5B in private and public investments. VentureWell’s large network of partners span the fields of higher education, research, government, and industry, and includes many leading private and public partners including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of State (DOS), The Lemelson Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.