Startup company. What is a startup company? How to start a similar business. History of the concept of a startup project

Ideas for startups: the “freshest” ideas from all over the world - 3 keys to success + TOP 5 ideas from all over the world + 3 startup ideas from Russian developers.

Why startup ideas Are they becoming increasingly popular in the business sphere and bringing owners a lot of capital?

First of all, because they offer completely new, innovative solutions to people’s pressing problems.

Therefore, it is quite logical that in search of inspiration for creating your own startup, you should not rush “deep into history.”

Follow trends, fashion trends, what is actually in demand now.

This article, which brings together the main business trends and forecasts regarding future discoveries in the entrepreneurial “art” market, can help you with this.

What is a startup?

Before talking about startup ideas, it’s worth defining what we mean in general.

Most people have only a general understanding of startups. That’s why some believe that this is the name given to new resources on the Internet, while others believe that this is a business created by young people without experience.

There is some truth in this. However, the concept itself is broader.

Startup is a business idea that is based solely on the use of innovative technologies or the introduction of completely new products.

That is, the composition of the team and the format of the company do not matter (startups often begin to develop without being officially registered).

The main thing is that the team helps solve some problem of humanity by offering something unique.

Also distinctive features of the startup are:

  • limited money to start;
  • starting work from scratch;
  • Most often, startup partners were previously connected by some kind of relationship (worked together, studied together).

And although the world learns about such companies in their first steps, when the market position is not yet strong, only those companies that have already manufactured a product can be called startups.

The development or “raw” project is only the basis for creation, but not the startup itself.

What is the key to success of a startup idea?


If you analyze the ideas behind startups that have been particularly successful, you can identify several common features.

Conventionally, they can be called “secrets of success.”

Factors on which the success of a startup idea depends:

    What exactly do you think about the idea that became a startup?

    Do you think it can bring in a lot of money?

    Or are you really “on fire” and confident that this business will be useful to people and become innovative?

    Only in the second case does the startup really have a chance of success.

    If you don't have a genuine interest, you can quickly burn out.

    Moreover, startups rarely bring immediate profit.

    A lot depends on the team.

    It is obvious that a team of like-minded people working on the same wavelength can do more than one person.

    Don't try to put everything on your shoulders.

    You should not calculate how many people will have to divide the profit, but take care of the perfect quality of every detail.

    Youth is a plus.

    Let this statement sound like discredit.

    But the fact remains: investors are more focused on investing in the young and ambitious.

    Let people with experience do their thing - run large organizations and share their knowledge with others.

For those who no longer consider themselves a “young man”, but are eager, let us clarify: success in business has no age restrictions.

Do you have any doubts? Look at this picture:

TOP 5: global startup ideas

As a rule, startups are concentrated in the field of IT technologies. We decided to create a selection of ideas that were created and brought to life by ordinary people.

This step is designed to inspire you to implement your own ideas, even if you do not have any special education or many years of work experience.

1. An eco-friendly idea: a special shampoo


"Nephentes" looks like an enema or something.

In fact, this startup idea can have a significant impact on the environment.

Few people think about it, but ordinary plastic bottles from "" are a product harmful to the environment. The decomposition period of one bottle can be hundreds of years!

Do you remember how much you use them throughout your life?

According to the idea of ​​this startup, manufacturers produce products in huge containers, pouring the required portions into customers’ “Nephentes” bottles.

It is curious that the design does not even involve the use of a lid! The neck is simply bent and inserted into the compartment.

Another plus: you can finally use 100% of the product, including what usually remains at the bottom.

2. Indian startup idea




If you think that all that India can do is dance and make films, then you will be surprised - quite a few startup ideas have been created in this country.

Interestingly, there is even a kind of analogue of the American Silicon Valley.

In addition, India is really interested in the issue of the huge amount of garbage on the streets. Innovative ideas appear regularly.

For example, an edible spoon is an excellent alternative to plastic utensils. After eating, you can eat it as a dessert or, of course, just throw it away.

Obviously, such “material” as flour decomposes as quickly as possible and is absolutely harmless to nature.

The creators also assure that vegetarians can safely eat the product. And in the future there are even plans to develop a gluten-free version.

3. Idea for junk food lovers



Who among us is not familiar with such a problem: you carefully take chips or something else greasy, and your fingers get so dirty that you have to go wash them.

And you need to be extremely careful not to catch or stain anything!

A startup has appeared in Italy, the idea of ​​which is to create finger pads. They are very thin, but the latex fits tightly around your fingers.

Thanks to this, consumers can safely enjoy the goodies and then simply throw away the “attachments.”

It is assumed that these devices will not be sold on their own, but as a set with chips, nuts or similar food for which they were invented.

4. Startup: “folding” napkins



But the idea of ​​this startup is designed for higher cuisine – that is, for restaurants. It appeared as a reaction to the fact that ordinary napkin holders are already becoming an obsolete item.

But napkins pressed into a small round “puck” are a different matter. To use such a thing, visitors must immerse the “tablet” in an antiseptic solution.

And immediately the fabric unfolds, acquires a pleasant smell, and even becomes a “killing weapon” for harmful microbes on your hands.

Don't immediately assume the increased costs for owners: these towels are not disposable. So the startup idea will not harm your wallet or the environment.

5. Startup idea with social value




Often startups are still called upon to solve global problems, and not just improve the already comfortable lives of consumers.

For example, a special supermarket was created in Denmark – “WeFood”. Its concept is that they sell goods here that cannot be displayed on “decent” shelves.

Incorrect labeling, torn packaging, an approaching expiration date, or even being out of date - all of these are usually reasons for writing off, returning, or even disposing of goods.

Meanwhile, even in Denmark there are many people who have to save on everything.

The supermarket idea not only helped low-income people eat more nutritiously. It also revealed a 25% reduction in the amount of food wasted across the country!

This is such a useful and, oddly enough, profitable startup.

What about Russia: 3 domestic ideas for startups


Although the words “conditions of economic decline” have already become classic words for the reality of Russian entrepreneurship, in the field of startups everything is not so bad.

The “buy and sell” guideline is gradually giving way to an innovative approach.

Original solutions still do not have such strong government support as in other countries.

However, their number is increasing, and investors are ready to invest their funds. This is especially clearly seen in the variety of startup ideas in 2016.

1) A startup you've definitely heard of


Have you seen the original photo processing on Instagram that turns an ordinary frame into an artistic canvas? Most likely, you already know what we are talking about.

For the rest, let’s clarify – the “Prisma” application is a service that allows you to process user photos in an original way.

It will come as a surprise to many that Prizma was developed by Russian programmers. Moreover, its creator is a former employee of the well-known mail.ru.

The peculiarity of the program is that it does not simply impose some filters on top of the card.

Thanks to the use of neural network algorithms (which you may also have heard a lot about), Prizma analyzes the frame and then creates it from scratch. But already in the form of a painting.

The fact that almost everyone now knows about this application is already an indicator of success. It remains to be added that the Facebook administration banned the use of the program on its network only because it considered it competitive.

2) Idea for a startup on cards




It is believed that various savings and discount cards are gradually becoming a thing of the past. At a minimum, because no one wants to carry dozens of options with them without knowing which one they need.

The developers of the startup “Cardberry” came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a device that can accommodate all kinds of cards.

We won't go into technical details. The bottom line is that any user cards are, as it were, entered into the memory of this electronic device.

Every time a person needs a certain card, he goes into a special application and selects it.

“Cardberry” adapts to your choice and becomes a full-fledged replacement for the required card.

For your attention, we offer a cool video

about the 10 most successful startups in the world:

3) Startup idea for a comfortable life




You may not be familiar with the SVET company yet, but you have every chance to hear about them.

As the name suggests, the team offers lighting equipment. What makes this startup idea innovative?

The fact is that the light bulbs from this company are designed to imitate ordinary natural lighting.

Moreover, the device settings can be adjusted (for example, according to the time of day or night).

This startup idea is not only original and adds more comfort to everyday life. But it also has a beneficial effect on human health.

There is perhaps only one downside to the idea: at the moment, one device is priced at $70. The amount is too significant for Russians. However, the startup is in demand abroad.

Collected above ideas for startups They only emphasize: anyone can create a business based on an innovative idea. The field of startups is not limited to the field of IT technologies.

The main thing is that you bring something new and useful to the world.

And if the idea is worthwhile and the execution is diligent, it can make you rich, no matter how trivial it may sound.

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Nowadays startups are in trend. And there is nothing surprising about this - an explosive idea for business development not only in Russia, but throughout the world, can bring a lot of income in the shortest possible time. Moreover, this idea must be innovative, which will make it possible to earn a lot of money even in highly competitive niches where entry into novice businessmen with small capital is prohibited.

One of the main conditions for the successful development of a startup is considered to be a non-standard approach to banal things, the main goal of which is to solve problems or provide unique services to the end consumer. Funding for explosive small business projects in the new 2017, which in the future is capable of bringing sky-high dividends, can be carried out through one’s own savings, the capital of a private investor or the assets of venture funds.

What is venture business?

It’s not for nothing that we decided to start our review of startups with the venture business, since these two concepts closely intersect with each other. On the one hand, if a small enterprise has a high-tech project based on the latest technological developments, then it is possible to draw up a business plan and a clear development strategy.

On the other hand, if you have capital, you can organize a venture fund yourself with an authorized capital of 10-15 million dollars and start financing promising startup projects in 2017. Each investor who decides to organize his own venture company to finance innovation in Russia (and on the world market) assumes responsibility for the high risks of investing assets.

However, it should be understood that the profit from financing startups can be calculated with an indecently large “number of zeros” after a known figure. A striking example of well-thought-out explosive projects are the social network Facebook (could Comrade Zuckerberg have thought that he would be among the richest people on the planet?), the game of millions World of Tanks (as well as other Wargaming projects) and others.

The owner of the fund is interested in receiving excess profits, therefore, if the project is truly worthwhile, funding will not be long in coming. In addition, venture capital companies are co-owners of the company’s shares, which are sold to the co-owner after the startup becomes a profit. Thus, both parties are interested in the development of an innovative idea and the financial growth of the project.

Advice: To develop a small business that will be based on innovation, you will need a certain amount to start. You can use your own capital, take out a loan from a bank (as in most cases with opening a small business in Russia), resort to crowdfunding, or turn to business incubators and business accelerators. Innovations in the IT industry are the most in demand, so this industry will never go unnoticed by investors.

Successful startup project ideas 2017

It’s easy to guess that the fewer competitors there are in a niche, the higher the profit from the activities of a small enterprise in Russia will be. Let’s look at successful projects – and they will be relevant not only in 2017.

Business on wheels

Mobile housing for holidaymakers . This type of activity is in demand in resort areas, where people wanting to relax are a dime a dozen. The idea is to produce mobile residential houses and rent them out to tourist centers, holiday homes, boarding houses and private entrepreneurs. Judge for yourself how popular this project will be in Russia, since there are a lot of resort areas in the vastness of the country. In addition, this direction is relevant all year round, since in summer houses can be rented on sea beaches, and in winter, for example, at ski resorts. During the development of the project, part of the profit can be used to rent land or a recreation center in a resort area, which will significantly increase income. The service of delivering mobile housing to customers to their immediate vacation spot is also very popular.

Mobile cafe with exotic cuisine . have become a common thing for ordinary people - wherever you go, everywhere you can see mobile trade with a variety of goods on the shelves. The idea of ​​such a startup is to popularize exotic fast food dishes. Today they can be tasted mainly in expensive restaurants, which not everyone can afford to visit. A mobile restaurant on wheels can serve a considerable number of visitors. To launch a project in Russia, you will need permission from local authorities to rent land (not needed), a van equipped with kitchen equipment, and several sets of tables and chairs for visitors. You can come up with a menu for your restaurant by getting dish ideas from the Internet or from various cooking shows. If necessary, they can always be replaced with more popular treats. It is worth noting that when stationary restaurants are opened within a year, only one out of 10 survives. As for mobile cafes, out of the same number of open “establishments,” only 2-3 cannot withstand competition. It's worth thinking about, especially if you don't know the restaurant business.

Dairy kitchen on wheels . The idea of ​​this startup is outrageously simple - daily sale of natural milk to the population. This area will almost always be in demand, since milk is one of the most important food products, so the demand for it will always be high. In addition, do not forget that it is dismantled early in the morning, so by lunchtime the tank is usually already empty. You can start such a small business in any city by installing a barrel of milk in a residential area. To implement the project, you need to purchase a stainless steel barrel that can be attached to a car. Then you need to find a farm to purchase fresh milk (every morning), and also take it to the nearest sanitary and epidemiological station to obtain certificates confirming the suitability of the products for human consumption. Since milk is not a staple food item in supermarkets, there are unlikely to be any problems with "nearby" competitors. It is necessary to set the selling price slightly lower than the store price, and the flow of buyers will not be long in coming.

Providing services to the population

Providing related medical services to the population . To implement such a project, you do not need to have a specialized education, since the idea is to collect a database of medical institutions in Russian cities and provide information to a person upon request for a certain amount. For example, an entrepreneur can keep statistics for a region (locality) on a number of diseases. This should also include the cost of medications and their generics (cheap analogues) in city pharmacies. Services must necessarily include detailed information about dental clinics (private and public) with a detailed list of services and prices. It is also necessary to collect a complete database of practicing doctors in the city of various specializations. It is also worth adding patient reviews about the work of a particular specialist, the specifics of his work, etc.

Dating from the Internet to real life . This quest has already become popular in Russia. And by 2017 the project will become quite profitable. You can start such a business with virtually no investment. It is known that in today's bustle, many people have practically no time for their personal lives and, accordingly, for dating (it is not surprising why many people meet through the global network). The idea of ​​the project is this: you organize a meeting for 20-30 people (men and women should be equally divided) via the Internet, for example, in a city cafe. It is necessary to agree in advance with the management of the establishment about the upcoming event and organize tables with light snacks and drinks. Naturally, the meeting of people will not be free. You need to figure out the cost of tickets for the upcoming speed date yourself.

Production

Production of fuel briquettes . The idea of ​​the startup is to produce briquettes for heating from wood waste. You can safely invest in this line of business, since fuel is unlikely to be “cheaper than mushrooms” in the near future. Moreover, cheap sawdust can be bought at any sawmill or wood processing plant. You will also need to buy drying chambers. In addition to wood shavings, you can use charcoal, peat and other natural raw materials.

Manufacturing of double-glazed windows for metal-plastic window structures . Today, this startup is in demand in Russia, and for its implementation it is necessary to purchase professional equipment. The cost of the production line will cost 35 thousand euros, approximately the same amount is needed to purchase equipment for sealing finished products. You will also need to rent production space. On average, in 1 working month your small business will bring in about 6 thousand euros (taking into account that you will sell 300 m² of ready-made packages at a wholesale price to companies involved in the assembly of metal-plastic window structures).

Advice: Speaking about the economy, we should mention the sale of “used” building materials. We are talking about a startup related to the dismantling of dilapidated and abandoned buildings, thanks to which bricks and building stones can be obtained. Starting a business is quite simple; to do this, you need to obtain permission from the village council (it’s not like dismantling schools in the city) and organize teams of workers.

Production of living notebooks . This area has no competition, so if you manage to occupy this niche in time, you can raise a lot of money. On the cover of the notebook there is an image with various heroes or cartoon characters. If a person points the lens of his mobile gadget at a notebook, the same hero will come out of it and begin to communicate. This is simply incredible, so the production of such notebooks will pay for itself very quickly. In addition, this type of activity does not require large capital investments.

Business the American way

It's no secret that many ideas of successful startups were adopted from Americans. Let's look at what they came up with on the opposite continent and what business ideas are in demand overseas.

Startup for the “lawn mower” . Lown-Love - this is exactly what they came up with in the USA to call a monetary project related to landscaping gardens and personal plots. Its idea is simple: this information portal acts as an intermediary between a potential customer and professional gardeners. The customer provides data on his plot and information about how he wants his garden to look like, and the service selects a specialist for him who will do this work. Then payment for services is made through the website, the service removes its commission, and the customer receives an ideal landscape. Lone Love acts as a guarantor of the quality of the services provided, so a person can be confident in the services ordered.

Startup Detective . Resourceful Americans were among the first to resort to the services of private detectives who conducted surveillance of any object. Without violating human rights, it will be very difficult to trace him from a legal point of view. The Tile project is based on the development of key fobs with an active tracking function and the transfer of relevant data to a mobile device, for which the customer needs to purchase a mobile application. This service is very popular, and such a business has already managed to bring its owners about 20 million dollars.

Earning money from a healthy lifestyle . The unusual project has already brought its owners more than one million and continues to gain popularity. The customer wants to eat some dish, for which he needs to order special ingredients via the Internet from the delivery service. They are delivered at a strictly specified time. The highlight of this service is the fact that the ingredients are supplied to the customer with detailed instructions for preparing a dish from the selected menu.

Travel companions. The uncontrollable craving of Americans for hitchhiking gave rise 10 years ago to the idea of ​​​​creating the BlaBlaCar service, which is now popular in Russia. Each person can easily find a travel companion or, conversely, find a driver who will take you anywhere inexpensively (along the way). It is known that some venture capital companies have invested over $100 million in the future of this service.

Internet business

Every freelancer can organize an explosive online business that will generate substantial income by providing remote services to consumers. There can be a great variety of ideas for profitable startups, ranging from providing advice (legal, business, accounting) to international trade.

One of the profitable areas is the resale of cheap and high-quality goods made in China on the consumer market of Russia and a number of other countries. Also, in the near future, the services of remote specialists will be in demand, for example, SEO copywriters and translators (without investing their own funds).

If you are a specialist in any type of activity, you can organize paid online training courses for everyone via the Internet. Examples of such startups include courses on learning how to do business online, writing articles using search queries of any frequency and word forms, playing the guitar, programming in modern languages, martial arts, etc.

An excellent option for investing money and running a business via the Internet can be franchising. This is a ready-made business where they cooperate on mutually beneficial terms. The owner of the trademark (business) receives from the entrepreneur at a certain frequency and helps him in every possible way in promoting the brand.

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Anyone can use the Internet to attract customers to their business, even if it operates offline. The main thing here is to carefully think through the idea of ​​a startup and approach its implementation from a non-standard angle, which will allow you to be one step ahead of your competitors.

In contact with

The international publishing project of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russia Beyond The Headlines (RBTH), compiled the TOP-50 most ambitious Russian startups for 2015. This year the ranking features young Russian companies with potential for development abroad.

RBTH has been ranking new startups since 2012. The main goal of the project is to inform foreign investors and consumers about the potential and services of Russian technology companies. Traditionally, the ranking includes companies that would like to enter or are already entering foreign markets, and startups with Russian participation abroad.

The startups represented in the rating were selected according to the following criteria: the interest of foreign investors, the uniqueness of the idea, the demand of foreign consumers for the products and services offered, the potential for commercialization, as well as social significance, that is, the desire to improve people's lives through technology. The TOP 50 was made up of more than 200 Russian startups that met the requirements of the project authors.

The rating included the Russian-Ukrainian startup 2for1, aimed at the US market. The project was founded by businessman Alexey Romanenko, who lives in San Francisco. 2for1 is a service that brings together the best offers from the 15 most visited online stores in the US and Europe.

The application is designed for fashionistas and fashionistas from the middle class, who will be able to see products selected by the service with discounts of more than 50%. At the same time, 2for1 does not position itself as a retailer, calling itself a “filter” for customers.

Another participant in the rating was the technological project “3D Bioprinting Solutions”, which was founded by Chairman of the Board of Directors of INVITRO Group Alexander Ostrovsky and biologist Yusef Khesuani. The project is a biotechnology research laboratory that explores the topic of 3D organ bioprinting and creates its own products.

For example, 3D Bioprinting Solutions created the first Russian 3D bioprinter FABION - a software and hardware complex designed for printing living functional three-dimensional tissue and organ constructs.

The environmental project invites users around the world to monitor the air quality in their region of interest. A startup called AeroState uses simple Web API technology to do this.

The rating included the AstroDigital project, a platform for accessing satellite data that provides fast and convenient search, as well as integration of satellite photos on the Internet and mobile applications.

Another participant in the rating is a service for yachtsmen or those who want to join this culture. In other words, with the help of the Anchor.Travel portal, anyone can rent a boat, motorboat or yacht, as well as offer someone their water transport. The service works similarly to Airbnb and provides for direct communication between users and yacht owners.


Russian scientists have made a breakthrough in medicine by launching the AntionkoRAN-M project, a gene therapeutic antitumor drug intended for the treatment of head and neck cancer. According to the results of preclinical studies, the drug increases the effectiveness of radiation therapy by 63%.


Another medicine that took a place in the Rossiyskaya Gazeta rating is the drug Ivix, also known as female Viagra. Target drugs for women with sexual dysfunction. While Ivix is ​​at the testing stage, it has proven itself well in animals.


The TOP 50 included the Cardberry project, which will help people save space in their wallets. Engineers are working on an electronic card that can replace a whole stack of discount cards, synchronizing with the application of the same name via Bluetooth. The project has received 800 pre-orders for 2016 and is currently in the funding phase.

Contactless payment provider CardsMobile and British startup Tedipay have begun working on an open platform for secure transactions. Using the technology, it will be possible to make any payments, including payment for transport, lunch, etc. To do this, you only need a smartphone, which the authors of the idea call a “wallet.”


An online auction for selling cars called Caprice is an analogue of the foreign portals Webuyanycar, WirKaufenDeinAuto and Al wataneya. The creators of the domestic auction promise that using the service you can sell a car in half an hour.


In 2015, the Siberian startup raised $1.4 million to create the first batch of 3D pens called CreoPop. The pens contain a new photopolymer ink that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.

The rating included the CrocoTime project, a program for HR specialists that tracks up to 10 thousand users simultaneously. The service offers automatic employee monitoring for a fee ranging from $14 to $50.


Among the most ambitious startups is the Russian private space satellite manufacturer Dauria Aerospace. In 2015, the Chinese investment fund Cybernaut invested in the development of the project, which gave the company $70 million, with the ultimate goal of tracking the life of one of the largest cities in the world.


Institute of Catalysis named after. G.K. Boreskov SB RAS developed the EcoCat technology. The project helps reduce the cost of heating industrial premises by 4 times.


A project called Ecwid can change the e-commerce industry: it is a platform for creating online stores using AJAX, which allows you to develop a website for an online store for free in a few minutes.

Another member of Elbi is an application created by supermodel Natalia Vodianova. The mobile service allows you to send £1 or $1 donations to charities around the world.

The rating also included the Russian analogue of numerous instant messengers and social networks, FireChat; in 2015, the number of registered users exceeded 5 million. The new version allows users to exchange personal messages and in group chats.

The Russian version of virtual reality from the company FIBRUM also attracted the attention of the authors of the rating. Engineers have created a headset in which the main element is not expensive materials, but an ordinary smartphone.

The list of best startups included the IBOX project, an innovative solution that allows clients to accept cash and non-cash payments without cash register equipment and terminals.

iBuildApp

Intersoft Eurasia,

iBuildApp is a platform that allows businesses to create mobile apps for iOS and Android in minutes. This service already has 1.3 million users, including the US State Department.

One of the participants in the rating was the startup Intersoft Eurasia, which develops cross-platform devices for monitoring human radiation exposure. The company offers several options for devices and their integration: a compact device that is an addition to a mobile device, a processor built into the mobile phone circuit, and dosimeter watches.

Travel service Intui.Travel helps travelers book a hotel and find a transfer from the airport. Using the application, users can create a route to any location.


Cloud video surveillance service Ivideon designed to work with already installed cameras, including on personal computers and laptops.


Kribrum has developed a social media monitoring system. The project is a tool for analyzing various mentions in the media. In 2015, the startup collected generous investments - more than $600 thousand. The system is aimed primarily at PR and marketing services.

Another participant in the rating is the visual image search system Kuznech, which allows you to track brands in a media stream, filter “adult” content, control offline merchandising, etc. The project supports video recognition and is adapted for smartphones.

The well-known project LinguaLeo, an online service for learning languages, also made it to the list of the best. Currently, there are about 12 million registered users on the portal who are learning English. The service is available to Russians, Brazil and residents of Turkey.


The Forest Watch project is a security system that allows you to prevent and monitor forest fires. The startup covers 33 regions of Russia and Bulgaria.

The Luka app provides recommendations for over 2,000 restaurants in San Francisco. Using an SMS conversation, the service finds out whether you are a vegetarian or a cheese fan, and then provides a list of establishments that suit your tastes.


Startup Mailburn aims to shake up the standards of business correspondence with controversial templates. Almost 80% of the application's users work outside of Russia, and the majority of the audience comes from the United States.

One of the TOP-50 participants was the MarketMixe project - a platform for trading from supplier warehouses with individual data processing for online stores and online trading platforms. MarketMixer automatically processes supplier price lists and prepares a selection of goods for sending to the online storefront


The startup Nanosemantics is a developer of a natural programming language that should be used on websites in chats with its representatives. The main key of the project is the relaxed human language in which bots communicate with site visitors.

Optograd Nanotech company, which works on strengthening products. The technology of nanostructural modification of the surface of materials and alloys using a laser was recognized as one of the best startups.

The N-tech.lab project, created at the University of Washington, allows facial recognition, surpassing other systems in quality and speed.

Another payment system that will make life easier for users is PayQR. With this online banking and QR codes, you can make purchases in seconds.

A product that can replace architects and designers in the future is the Planner 5 D application. It allows you to design a house and interior even before construction begins, from walls to furniture.

The startup Prixel will give anyone the opportunity to become a collector of the most famous paintings for nominal money. To create paintings, the company uses 3D scanning technology, which allows you to create exact copies. Prixel already has clients in the US, Mexico, Europe, Canada, South Korea and other countries.

One of the most positive startups in the rating is the Panda Money service, which is essentially online banking. However, it differs from other projects by the presence of a small character - a panda, which is “fed” by user payments.

Promobot is a retail robot that can identify people's speech and recognize their appearance. In this way, the robot can help existing customers and find new ones.

The online cleaning service Qlean has attracted investments of more than $327 thousand, and the service plans to enter the Asian market.


Relap is a B2B service aimed at increasing the time visitors spend on a website. The system recommends them using built-in widgets. The creators of the project promise that they will be able to increase the number of clicks to 30-50%.

Startup (start-up – to start, launch) is a general concept that unites organizations and projects at the initial stage of development. There is no clear time period. The time frame varies from a couple of weeks to several months. Then the idea receives investment support and develops or, if the direction is unpromising, it is closed.

Many people have heard this word, but not everyone can define it. To better understand the issue, let's consider its features.

  1. A short history of existence. Few people have heard of the idea; there is practically no mention of it in the media. Therefore, it is difficult to make development-related forecasts.
  2. Setting up processes. This is the period when the company occupies a niche and develops an audience.
  3. Startups use innovations in management and organizational processes. The world's best companies have been pioneers in their field.
  4. The project is based on the enthusiasm of the creators and new ideas. Many people are inspired by a problem: commercial, scientific, social.
  5. Authors use all kinds of promotion methods: professional forums, thematic conferences, media to find.
  6. Commercial basis is optional. The sphere can be social, humanitarian, informational, scientific. This does not include research that affects the interests of a small part of society.

Hundreds of business projects are created every year. But few survive the initial stage, continuing to develop successfully. According to statistics, about 70% of young companies go out of business in the first year of existence. To gain recognition from the target audience, it is important to create a sought-after product.

History of the concept of a startup project

This word appeared in 1939 and was first mentioned in the field of information technology. It was associated with the emergence of companies seeking to present to the audience something that competitors had not yet had time to create or had not thought of creating. The peak of active growth of organizations occurred from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s. This time was called the “dot-com bubble” as many Internet companies were created. Therefore, many people mistakenly call all projects that appear on the Internet startups.

Then the concept migrated to other areas: scientific and social research, culture, entrepreneurship, economics. The scope has expanded, so any newly created organizations began to be called.

The number of government programs under which funds invest in startups and support business ideas is increasing. But don't underestimate the importance of initial capital. Without the proper financial base, even with an innovative idea and an enthusiastic team, it is difficult to achieve high performance.

Components of a successful startup

There is no universal formula for success. Every area has its own laws. Economic techniques do not always work in science. External conditions change rapidly, and you need to be able to adapt to them in time. Team, niche, idea, features of the product being promoted - all these factors determine the fate of a startup.

Let's consider the general principles that will keep the company afloat:

  • professionalism of the team. If management has minimal understanding of the product being promoted or does not understand the issue, the idea is doomed;
  • innovation and appeal to the audience;
  • competent promotion: PR, publications in the media, promotion on the Internet;
  • Friendly team. Disagreements within the team will lead to an early closure;
  • high level of training. Work out all the details before launching an idea. Gaps will make themselves known, which will affect the attractiveness of the product to sponsors and target audiences;
  • search for investors. Without financial support, the business will not develop.

It is impossible to achieve success without work. Even for an interesting idea, you will have to spend time, money and effort searching for optimal ways to implement it, developing and planning. Therefore, a project is often founded not by one person, but by several partners.

Attracting investors to startup

One of the components of a successful startup is investment. Sites where you can not only collect valuable information are popular among founders. There are many opportunities to receive financial support:

  • funds conducting investment programs (competitions), each of which has its own terms of participation, amounts, and terms of financing;
  • venture companies;
  • business incubators offering work space, administrative and information support, and access to databases;
  • technology parks uniting universities, research institutes, business centers;
  • business accelerators – express training programs for startup founders with further support in exchange for a share in the company;
  • often relatives or friends of the initiators act as investors, especially when we are talking about small capital.

Project presentation for startup

Prepare a competent business plan, regardless of where you turn for support - a bank, fund or private investor. It is being prepared for a group of people, but it is possible that it will be focused on one person.

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Sponsors are exposed to many proposals, so boring startups are quickly forgotten. The project must “hook” with its novelty and competitiveness. Even if you think it's innovative and entertaining, someone else might have thought of it. Leave a brilliant impression of yourself and your idea.

Write down all the details in detail, from the relevance of the topic to economic calculations. During the presentation, do not go into details that potential investors do not have time for. Present the topic concisely so that the interlocutor can understand why the idea is profitable. A good startup has practical value.

A project that consists of promises that are not supported by demonstrable results and forecasts will not gain trust. If you want to get to know him in detail, include real numbers and facts in your presentation, rather than loud statements.

No one will support the first business plan they come across. A presentation is enough for investors to understand how promising a startup is and whether it is worth spending time and money on development. Make your presentation interesting, clear and concise.

The fashion for the term “startup” has led to the fact that now any small business in its infancy is called this way, regardless of its focus, model used and characteristic features. In an attempt to attract attention and attract investment, entrepreneurs are calling their rabbit farms and furniture-making workshops startups.

Features of start-up

Meanwhile, small business start-up projects in 2019 are fundamentally different from other types of entrepreneurship at the level of the idea and the method of its implementation. Such companies are temporary structures created to find a model that is extensible, repeatable and quickly scalable. Simply put, every successful startup has enormous growth potential that, if done correctly, can recoup the initial investment many times over. In addition, a genuine startup is characterized by several more distinctive features:

  1. Creating a fundamentally new product or making improvements to existing ones. Thanks to this, young companies can compete in their field even with the largest market players, for whom profit is more important than innovation;
  2. The idea of ​​a new business project is not only interesting, but also unique and non-standard in its own way. It is this that constitutes the main asset value of the company being created and serves as a kind of bait for investors;
  3. The founders of the startup are young people, yesterday's students, full of strength, ambition and desire to create their own unique product;
  4. A team of several people works primarily not for profit, but to implement the idea and prove its viability. This idea is the main link through which several people gather into a team and begin to act;
  5. The evolution of a business project from scratch requires the mandatory attraction of investments. The volume of investments is determined by the stage of development of the company, the presence of a developed prototype and the organization of basic business processes;
  6. A startup as a temporary structure cannot exist for long. Consistently passing through all stages, it either ceases to exist due to mistakes or miscalculations of the creators, or turns from a promising business project into a full-fledged company engaged in further developments in the chosen field.

There is an opinion that start-up projects are an innovative, knowledge-intensive product. This is partly true, but with some amendments: the main task of such companies is not only the development of high-tech gadgets, but also the use of progress to satisfy the most ordinary needs of customers, as well as to facilitate and increase the efficiency of any action, be it ordering a taxi or preparing a family meal. dinner.

Making a profit from a startup involves two possible ways: independent development of a business project with minimal investment or a profitable sale of an already operating enterprise to a large corporation. Thus, since 2001, Google has already bought more than a hundred young companies around the world that have developed software products in the field of mobile applications, Internet business and communication technologies. The transaction amounts ranged from seven million to twelve billion dollars.

Based on this information, there is a reasonable opinion that the most profitable business projects for beginners are websites and various services. The launch of such startups does not require huge initial investments, the purchase of raw materials, fixed assets, rental of premises and investments in advertising, and the main assets are the knowledge, time and intellectual work of the creators.

Virtual nutritionist

Excess weight, thanks to the fashion for a healthy lifestyle, has become a real problem for many. At the same time, belief in miracles makes people rely on diets and try to find a way to lose weight without any effort. Meanwhile, the solution is obvious: strict self-control and maintenance of energy balance - the number of calories consumed should not exceed the number expended.

To facilitate the calculation process, an interesting small business project was created - the Dia-Life service, which allows you to instantly calculate its energy value using the name of the product and approximate weight, and obtain information about the content of vitamins and microelements. Calorie consumption is calculated using a built-in calculator, in which you can specify many types of active activities. In addition, registered users have access to ready-made diets, recipes for low-calorie dishes and much more.

Subscription for set dinners

The next startup with minimal investment is the complete opposite of Dia-Life, as it is intended for lovers of exotic cuisine. The Swedish company Middax, on the basis of a weekly subscription, delivers to its customers kits consisting of recipes for national dishes from all over the world, as well as the necessary ingredients for their preparation.

The dishes are selected in such a way as to suit most customers and even children: for this, each of them is tested many times by volunteers. For those who suffer from allergic reactions, a selection of special lactose-free kits is available.

The cost of a weekly subscription is 750 CZK. This price includes recipes and meal ingredients for five days of the week for a family of four. Those in doubt can purchase test kits that include ingredients to prepare one dinner.

Service for finding doctors

Anyone who has been to a hospital knows about hours-long queues and difficulties in finding a competent doctor. In order to optimize the process of visiting medical centers in Minsk, 2doc was launched - a business project with minimal investment, which greatly simplifies the choice of a specialist and making an appointment.

Today, several dozen private and public clinics, represented by doctors with all major specializations (more than forty areas), are connected to the service, and thousands of patients have used its services.

A new way to rent a car

It would seem that it is difficult to come up with something new when it comes to car rental, but the creators of a startup idea from America noticed that hundreds of thousands of cars sit idle in the parking lots of major airports every day while their owners are on vacation or on a business trip.

It is logical to assume that car enthusiasts would prefer to save on the daily payment for a parking space, however, the authors of the project went further and offered them a reward of $10 for each day of rental. For those who want to use a car, the price is already $15 per day, however, part of the company's profits is spent on washing and refueling the car.

The idea of ​​this promising small business project is quite simple: before departure, the owner contacts a FlightCar representative and hands over the car to him, indicating the date of his return. The car is parked near the airport, from where any arriving passenger can pick it up and use it for a specified period. Upon returning, the owner finds the car in the same parking lot and receives his reward.

Mentor search service

How can you connect experienced executives who want to become mentors with young entrepreneurs who need help? The answer to this question is provided by Everwise, a New York business project with minimal costs, which allows you to select a business coach for individuals and entire teams. Well-known directors and top managers, representatives of large corporations can act as teachers.

A startup is interesting to both parties: novice entrepreneurs receive invaluable experience, and experienced businessmen receive a team consisting of young, active and ambitious employees. In addition, Everwise users are provided with tips and tricks for self-education, lists of books, videos and tutorials that will be very useful for studying. The service also provides a system for monitoring personal development, a mechanism for setting goals and tracking the process of achieving them.

Project "Here-Here"

The development of online services can be considered one of the most affordable small business projects with low investments. Knowledge in the field of programming and design is quite enough to develop a worthy and popular product: this is the path taken by the Moscow authors of the startup “What-what”, who created an application to solve the problem of communication between fathers and children.

It is known that addiction to gadgets is typical for modern teenagers. Parents greatly contribute to the development of this hobby when, in an attempt to keep their child occupied, they hand him yet another electronic “entertainment” and forget about their direct responsibilities. With the help of the application, the developers hope to change the existing trend and twice a week they send their clients new tasks aimed at developing communication with children. The emphasis is on teaching the child creative thinking, the ability to dream, and reason logically.

Aimed at boys and girls ages 6-12, the app is free to download, but additional tips are available with a paid subscription.

Design resumes

It is difficult to find an employer who, when searching for an employee for a vacant position, would not require a resume from candidates. However, HR workers note that all applicants provide boring template forms and standard texts that do not attract attention.

As a result, the Loftresumes service was created - an original business project for beginners, which allows you to choose an original and memorable appearance for your resume based on pre-prepared layouts for $99. Reworking the text, adding pages, the author's unique design and urgency of order fulfillment are paid additionally, but as a result, the client receives an electronic document that can be printed or immediately sent to the employer.

Although this idea of ​​a startup without investment is not a fundamentally new approach to writing a resume, it was the originality of the design that attracted the attention of several thousand users to the project.

Business based on complaints

Many of us are prevented from mastering the art of writing complaints and reclamations by lack of time, non-conflict nature or ignorance of the intricacies of bureaucratic language. Meanwhile, everyone at least once found themselves in a situation where the rudeness of service personnel, poor performance of official duties or fraud of management companies led to damage not only moral, but also material.

To help people protect their rights, the creators of an Australian startup with minimal investment in 2019 offered users their services in correctly filing claims and submitting them to the appropriate authorities. The vast experience, perseverance and professionalism of the authors of this business project with minimal investment for beginners allows them to win almost hopeless cases: they once returned more than eighty thousand dollars to the budget of one married couple. This confidence in success allows startup founders to charge clients only if the results are positive.

Meeting tourists with locals

When going to a foreign country or an unfamiliar city, 69% of tourists prefer to have local friends who will help organize leisure time, show them the sights or explain the intricacies of the local mentality.

Despite the fact that the creators of the Belarusian project MeetnGreetMe focus primarily on the capitals, this idea for a startup in a small city, if there are interesting places and architectural monuments, may turn out to be no less popular. The scheme is quite simple: a foreign traveler uses the service to find a local resident who agrees to provide guide services for a certain amount. Non-standard programs are especially valued - not visiting museums and theaters, but a bathhouse, mushroom picking, the opportunity to live a couple of days in the rural outback.

The idea of ​​such a business project for a small town is not new, but previously the services of a personal assistant were available only to wealthy clients. The authors’ goal is not an impressive budget, but accessibility and popularization of their native land.

Vegetables from your own garden

Ideas to transfer games like “Farm Frenzy” into real life have been expressed more than once, but it was the Italians who first implemented a similar business project in agriculture, calling it Le verdure del mio orto (“Vegetables from my garden”).

The idea of ​​the project is as follows: the user of the service selects a virtual plot on the website and plants it with fruits and vegetables from the proposed list. All his actions are repeated in a real vegetable garden located on one of the farms in Northern Italy. After paying the rent (16–32 euros per week, depending on the area), the beds are processed according to all the rules by professional farmers. As vegetables and fruits ripen, they are delivered to the tenant’s home.

This small town or rural start-up has received a lot of positive feedback: users are attracted not only by the game-like process, but also by the opportunity to get their own organic products, different from the vegetables offered in supermarkets, treated with all sorts of chemicals.

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Infinite flash drive

Every active Internet user accumulates a huge amount of materials, documents, games, videos and photographs over time. Of course, you can store them on your computer, but carrying a laptop or hard drive with you everywhere is not always convenient. Therefore, flash cards and flash drives are widely used as a practical and compact storage of information, but they are not without drawbacks in the form of limited volume and insufficient data security. In an attempt to solve these problems, Samara startupers designed an “endless flash drive” Flashsafe, through which information is uploaded to an anonymous and encrypted cloud storage.

The “endless flash drive” itself has software that allows you to access data from any device. In fact, this is a kind of key that replaces the means of authorization on the service. Even in the absence of access to the Internet, the device allows you to store up to 8GB of information, and if you have a network connection, the amount of data is almost unlimited.

Cube with cartoons

Many startups dedicate their small business projects to working with children and overcoming their addiction to gadgets. One of these innovative projects became very popular in 2016: this unique portable projector weighing 250 grams, called “Multicubic” by its creators.

The device’s 8GB of memory allows you to record and project films, cartoons, and play audio stories onto any available surface at a distance of up to three meters. Thus, “Multikubik” is a kind of home cinema, which, thanks to the simplicity of the interface, a child can easily handle independently.

The developers claim that conventional electronic devices cause poor posture in children, hyperexcitability, weakened vision and lead to weakened social skills, since the child is left to his own devices at such moments. At the same time, “Multicubik” is free from these shortcomings and allows you to organize leisure time not only on your own, but also in the company of friends.

Conclusion

Examples of successful startups show that promising business projects do not necessarily have to be based on some innovative futuristic developments. It is enough to find an unusual and non-standard solution to any of the problems associated with human activity.

At the same time, many startups develop quite successfully without investment or external financing. The main assets in these projects are the knowledge and work of the developers, as well as their desire to offer the world something new and useful. Of course, not all of them will eventually turn into full-fledged companies, but based on their experience we can draw a conclusion: even a small team of like-minded people has all the sufficient resources to create a viable and profitable business from scratch, based on just one idea.
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