PROTOTRON Putting Fresh Ideas into Practice

STPs are struggling to provide innovation supporting services because the public support for service providing is diminishing. The most innovative ones in the synergy of STP-s are definitely the startup companies with global breakthrough ideas. But the problem is that there are limited services available for startup companies and the main expectations of a startup company are more investment oriented. In 2012 Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol, Tallinn University of Technology and Swedbank founded a private financial fund called Prototron. The main aim of the fund is to fill the financial gap between the great business idea and first round seed investment. Prototron is financing startup companies, students, inventors and spin-offs in building the first working product example, prototype. Since launching the fund, Prototron has attracted 300,000 euros for investments, and packed 17 different projects with total amount of 185,000 euros. It is a fine example of successful cooperation between a STP, university and private sector companies.