Today, May 29, a meeting between students and representatives of the StartUp Space public association was held at the Belarusian National Technical University. The guests shared how they've been helping young people launch startups, find teams, and receive feedback from businesses for six years, and also announced the opening of a branch of the association at BNTU. The meeting was held with the support of the High-Tech Park and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus.
Egor Oliferko, Chairman of the Startup Space public association and Head of the BSU Startup Center, addressed the audience. He shared the story of the organization's growth:
"Initially, we started at BSU simply as a university project with a team of 17 people, from a crumbling club where 80 people gathered for the first event. Now we're gathering 1,500 to 2,000 people at the Falcon Club Arena, where we hold forums." Over these six years, our core goal has remained unchanged: facilitating the development of young people's entrepreneurial potential.
Egor Andreevich also emphasized the importance of inviting practicing businesspeople:
"We believe that only business itself can explain business. Therefore, we invite top company managers, partners, and alumni entrepreneurs to share their expertise and provide feedback."
The students were introduced to the community's key projects: the large-scale Space Day forum, the Space University acceleration program, and three-day hackathons, where teams develop solutions to real-world business problems in 48 hours. Egor Oliferko also shared examples of successful graduates who received job offers from major banks and also successfully launched their own businesses and turned a profit.
The presentation by Stanislav Tarasyuk, the future chairman of BNTU's StartUp Space and a second-year student in the Faculty of Energy, was of particular interest to the audience. He shared his journey within the community:
"I joined StartUp Space in September 2024. I saw young entrepreneurs who already had experience, and I wanted to be like them. Over the past two years, I've launched 18 failed projects, and now I have two main ones. I believe that projects don't work in a vacuum without a community. You need an environment in which to develop, where you can be objectively discussed about your idea or startup. Networking and team building happen in the same environment. I believe nothing can be created in a vacuum; there needs to be a strong community."
Stanislav also announced that the official launch of the branch will be announced on June 12, and the first program will launch in September. Anyone can join the organizing team or participate in the startup program.
Finally, Egor Oliferko added that Space team members receive the same opportunities as startup founders: a portfolio, offers from partner companies, and invaluable experience with real projects.
"It's a social elevator where you can go into business, launch a startup, or work for entrepreneurs," he concluded.
This summer, BNTU students will have their own platform for developing entrepreneurial initiatives.
