Luxembourg is truly a GREAT place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to are not aware of the local resources that are available to help them.
With applications for the Luxembourg Founder Institute now open, we are excited to release the Luxembourg Startup Ecosystem Canvas, which is currently in Draft v1 below! It was developed by the Luxembourg Founder Institute and local leaders Anna Radulovski and Ivo Radulovski.
This is just a DRAFT, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version.
Are you looking to build a startup in Luxembourg? Then apply to the Luxembourg Founder Institute today!
Text version included below, for ease of searching:
Startup Stages
There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.
1. Idea Stage
This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.
A. Inspire
- Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters, Startup Digest)
- Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)
- Arch Summit Luxembourg
- Blockchain Luxembourg
- Coding Girls
- European Entrepreneurs 2018
- FINSight
- Girls in Tech Luxembourg
- ICT Spring Europe
- Interaction Design Foundation - Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Blockchain Meetup
- Luxembourg Startup Weekend Community Meetup
- Meetup Bitcoins Blockchains Luxembourg
- Startup Weekend Luxembourg
- Silicon DrinkAbout Luxembourg
- Startup Apero
- Tech Entrepreneurs & Startups Community
- WIDE | Women in Digital Empowerment
B. Educate
- Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like 1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, Startup Founder 101, etc).
- Advanced Crypto-Assets Meetup
- Big Data, Luxembourg
- bitFlyer Europe Meetup Nights
- Digital Finance - Blockchain Action Group
- Golang Luxembourg
- JavaScript Luxembourg
- LëtzBlock - Luxembourg Blockchain & DLT Association
- Luxembourg Drupal Users and Developers Community
- Luxembourg Rancher Meetup
- Luxembourg Testing & Quality Assurance Group
- Mobile Apps Luxembourg (iOS / Android)
- Modern C++ Luxembourg
- Startup Founder 101 Luxembourg
- Startup Grind Luxembourg
- Tezos, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto for Beginners.
- Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)
- .NET User Group - Luxembourg
- Agile Luxembourg
- Antenne AFUP Luxembourg : PHP
- AWS User Group Luxembourg
- CoderDojo
- CoderDojo Meetup
- Data Science Luxembourg
- Deeper PHP
- DevOps Luxembourg
- Docker Luxembourg
- Founder Institute
- GDG Luxembourg
- Girls in Tech Luxembourg Bootcamp
- Growth Hackers Luxembourg
- IOTA Chapter Luxembourg
- Lean Startup Machine Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Active-Happiness Group
- Luxembourg Data Analytics Meetup
- Luxembourg and Greater Region PHP Meetup Group
- Luxembourg Scrum Master Meetup
- Luxembourg Tech School
- Machine Learning Luxembourg
- Meetup Cryptomonnaie Luxembourg
- Meteor Luxembourg
- MICSE Luxembourg Professional Development Meetup
- Nyuko Meetup
- Open Innovation Luxembourg
- ReactJS Luxembourg
- Startup Pitch Bootcamp Luxembourg
- WordPress Meetup Luxembourg
C. Validate
- Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)
- 1,2,3 GO
- Artificial Companions, Chatbots and Robots Luxembourg
- Café Strangers
- CoFoundersLab
- DevOps Café Luxembourg
- Founder Night Out: Network with Local Entrepreneurs
- Founder2be
- FounderDating
- Founders United
- Luxembourg Bitcoin Meetup
- Luxembourg Business Networking Group
- Luxembourg Entrepreneurs and CoFounders
- Luxembourg Open Innovation Club
- Luxembourg Product Manager Meetup
- Mac User Luxembourg Group
- Startup Apéro
- StartupBlink Luxembourg
- StartupBlink Monthly Networking Event
- The NETWORK
- UX FLUPA Luxembourg
- Women In Business
- WomenHack
- Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)
- ActInSpace Hackathon
- Base 1 Makerspace
- Bee creative
- Chaos Computer Club Lëtzebuerg
- Consciousness Hacking Luxembourg
- Digital Luxembourg @AI Hackathon
- Elastic Luxembourg User Group
- Game of Code Hackathon
- Game Creators
- Hackathon Lux4Good
- JavaScript Lab Luxembourg
- Level2
- LTS AI Hackathon
- Open Source Security Software Hackathon 2018
- syn2cat
- Test my App - Europe
- Testing Talks
- Wearable Wednesday Luxembourg
- WIDE Coding Workshops
2. Launch Stage
In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.
A. Start
- Establish: Law firms & banks for startups
- Bank of China
- Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL)
- BGL BNP Paribas
- Bonn Steichen & Partners
- Clifford Chance
- Danske Bank
- Dentons
- DLA Piper
- DNB Luxembourg
- Elvinger Hoss Prussen
- Hance Law
- Hogan Lovells
- HSBC Luxembourg
- ING Luxembourg
- Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Luxembourg
- Kaufhold and Reveillaud
- Linari Law Firm
- Luther
- Moyal & Simon
- Nordea Private Banking
- RCB Bank
- RJ GAITO
- Simmons & Simmons
- UniCredit International Bank
- Wildgen
- Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure)
B. Develop
- Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups.
- Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup teams)
C. Launch
- Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)
- Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)
3. Growth Stage
Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.
A. Recognition
- Investor Networking: Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)
- Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)
B. Funding
- Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors
- Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond
- Adara Ventures
- Alpha Group
- Bain Capital
- Blackstone
- BlueOrchard
- Brighteye Ventures
- btov Partners
- Castik Capital
- Chameleon Invest
- Cipio Partners
- CVC Capital Partners
- Digital Tech Fund
- EQT Partners
- EXPON CAPITAL
- Genii Capital
- H.I.G. Capital
- IK Investment Partners
- Kharis Capital
- Luxembourg Future Fund
- Mangrove Capital Partners
- Mojo Capital
- NAC Partners
- Oaktree Capital
- Paladin Capital Group
- Proptech Capital
- Redalpine Ventures
- Simile Venture Partners
C. Growth
- Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
- Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
- Accenture
- Akeance Consulting
- Aon
- Aurexia Consulting
- CGI
- Deloitte Luxembourg
- Ernst & Young Luxembourg
- Escent
- Exigo
- EYnovation
- Finimmo Luxembourg SA
- Grant Thornton Luxembourg
- InnoHub
- Kantar TNS
- The KHUBE
- KPMG
- McKinsey & Company
- PwC
- Sia Partners
- Simon Kucher & Partners
- Sogeti Luxembourg
- Tata Consultancy Services
- Tomorrow Street
4. Success Stories
Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.
- AIVA
- Algoreg
- CoinPlus
- Doctena
- Etix Everywhere
- Evtiko
- GFS
- Global Fashion Group
- Governance.com
- Job Today
- Kleos Space
- Passbolt
- Scorechain
- Simpleshow
- Skype
- Tadaweb
- Talkwalker
- Travelsify
- Ujet Electric Scooter
- Yotako
- Ziggu
Supporters
To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.
1. Evangelists
Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.
- Adis Sabanovic
- Anna Radulovski
- Bastien Berg
- Cedric Rochet
- Charles-Louis Machuron
- Cyrille Foillard
- Daniela Clara Moraru
- Daniela Ragni
- Diane Tea
- Diego de Biasio
- Fabrice Testa
- François Légaré
- Frédéric Weimerskirch
- Gosia Kramer
- Ivan Cardoso
- Ivan Deschamps
- Ivo Radulovski
- James Hickson
- Laurent Kratz
- Laurent Marochini
- Laurent Rapin
- Márton Fülöp
- Nicolas Buck
- Nicolas Fries
- Olus Kayacan
- Philippe Linster
- Pierre-Yves Meert
- Stefan Berend
- Thibault Milan
- Xavier Buck
2. Government
Public organizations that facilitate local economic development
- American Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg
- British Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg
- Chambre de Commerce Luxembourg
- Digital Luxembourg
- Government IT Centre
- House of Entrepreneurship
- LHoFT
- Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
- Luxembourg Trade and Invest
- Luxinnovation
3. Talent
Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.
- Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)
- Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices)
Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Luxembourg Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a DRAFT, and more input is needed!)
