Applying for the accelerator programme is easy. You can apply in the F6S in the web environment, which is used by other start-up accelerators as well as investors. You can access the environment by creating an account via Facebook, LinkedIn, or email. This is necessary so that you can complete your form or view it after submission.

Can teams from previous seasons of Ajujaht participate again?

Yes. If you have applied before but your idea was not selected, you are welcome to apply again. You can also apply with a new business idea.

How big is the Ajujaht prize fund and how is it distributed?

The Ajujaht prize fund is over 300,000 euros this year: it includes an investment of 150,000 euros investment proposal from Estonian angel investors, at least 30,000 euros for the winner of Ajujaht, prizes for both second and third place winners, and special prizes from supporters. It also includes a number of benefits from the accelerator programme – for example, up to 10,000 USD in credits to use Amazon’s cloud services, free tickets to various events, and a study trip for the top nine participants. The size of the prize fund grows over time, and there will definitely be more exciting surprises.

Is there an age limit for participants?

No.

What field should the business idea be for? Are only ideas for the IT field allowed?

There are no restrictions. The Ajujaht accelerator programme is open to ideas for different fields and sectors. Ajujaht has experts from different fields among mentors and supporters, which is why we can offer development support to start-ups from different fields.

Will Ajujaht appoint a mentor for me?

Yes. All teams participating in the Ajujaht development programme will be appointed a so-called key mentor, who will work with the team from the beginning to the end of the accelerator programme – as a rule, such mentors are themselves entrepreneurs and members of the Estonian Founders Society. In addition, we have a very wide network of mentors, including supporters, alumni, various investors, and the founders of other start-ups.
You can also join Ajujaht with your own mentor if you already have one. The role of the mentor is to help and support the team in thinking through the idea and developing it, as well as to give feedback. Implementing the idea is the task of the team participating in the competition.

In what language should the idea be submitted?

Ideas can be submitted through the designated environment (F6S) by filling in the form in Estonian or English. Trainings and events of Ajujaht take place in both Estonian and English, so it is useful if the team speaks both languages.

By submitting my idea to the Ajujaht competition, I confirm that

• the idea and its implementation so far belong to the submitter(s) of the idea and no one has any claims against it (including all copyright issues): if third-party permits, licences, certificates, etc. are required, they are available. In the event of any violations of this clause discovered during the competition, the organising team has the right to immediately exclude the infringing start-up from the accelerator programme;
• I allow the organisers of the competition to publish a short description of the product/service and the name of the start-up company;
• I am aware that the information related to the form is visible to the organisers, evaluators, and members of the jury.
• I allow the organisers of the competition to use quotations, pictures, videos, and other materials which will be generated during the various stages of the competition related to my start-up company and team during the competition;
• I allow sharing the contact information of my start-up company with the supporters related to the implementation of Ajujaht and the sub-agencies of the Business and Innovation Agency;
• to allow monitoring the growth of the start-up company, I will transmit the data of my start-up company, such as team members, turnover, investments involved, etc. upon requests from the organisers;
• I am ready to actively participate in the Ajujaht accelerator programme and other relevant events;
• I allow the organisers and partners of Ajujaht to send information to me that is related to the Ajujaht competition, as well as special offers from the organisers and supporters.

All data submitted during the submission of the idea will be used in accordance with the above clauses and the requirements of the GDPR.