2011, Greece. While still in the university, it was the first time we had some crazy ideas that could change the world. But, there was an issue. We were based in a country where by 2011 the grounds for running a startup were near to none. There were very few people with experience building global products. If you also happen to develop a product that wasn't fitting in one of the pillars of the Greek economy, tourism, shipping, or health, then good luck to you. We didn't have the money to move to another country, and we were too young to raise some. It was the first time we realized that talent is universal, but opportunity is not.
Even nowadays, despite the rapid development of technologies that are available, geography plays a crucial role for opportunities. For example, a tech founder has access to more opportunities, if he resides in big tech hub areas, like London or San Francisco, than a founder in Greece or Africa. Until now.
Fast forward, from 2011 to 2018, after failing to build a global product, co-founding 3 non-profits that had to do with innovation & entrepreneurship, to act as the supporting mechanisms we never had ourselves when we first started, we decided to turn to online. We believed that online could help us build a bridge between the big tech hubs and the immature innovation ecosystems like Greece's. After many experiments, we realized that a bridge is not enough. We should create from scratch a global online early-stage tech innovation ecosystem.
Imagine how many tech ideas and innovations never see the light of the world because their founders happen to live in an immature or remote innovation ecosystem. How many diseases we don't cure, how many tools for fighting climate change aren't being built, and all of this for which reason? All of these, because the founders never had the supporting mechanisms to launch their product...their startup.
We are on a mission to solve this. We have started offering an all-in-one platform that every startup program could use, but we plan to build many more things. We are just getting started...
Sounds interesting? Come and work with us! Send us your CV or a short video describing yourself and why you would like to join us at: joinus@thefounderhood.com.