Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Startup (BØK385)
Do you have a start-up idea? Are you interested in addressing today's sustainability challenges through your startup idea? Perhaps you are simply interested in the process of turning ideas into practical startup projects, or learning about the journey of entrepreneurship?
The Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Startup course offers you not only the opportunity to learn useful and sought-after knowledge on sustainability- and innovation-driven entrepreneurship, but also to challenge your skills in establishing your entrepreneurship journey.
The course builds on the "Disciplined Entrepreneurship" 24-step approach, where students gradually go through a step-by-step process of translating business ideas into practical start-up projects. Through such journey, students also learn the societal and environmental implications of their startup development. Throughout the semester, students train to present and evaluate their ideas and develop a business plan, which can further be used to seek for potential funding. In addition, students also get to learn from and discuss with local entrepreneurs in the region.
NB! This is an elective course and may be cancelled if fewer than 10 students are enrolled by August 20th for the autumn semester.
Course description for study year 2024-2025. Please note that changes may occur.
Course code
BØK385
Version
1
Credits (ECTS)
10
Semester tution start
Autumn
Number of semesters
1
Exam semester
Autumn
Language of instruction
English
Content
In this course, students work on their startup projects and develop their business plans in a group of three to four members. Throughout the process, students are expected to use the insights they acquired from other courses that a bachelor student has taken. The course offers a set of topics that guides students to advance their start-up progress, including:
• Who are your user and customer
• How do you develop sustainable and innovative products or services
• How do you create value from your products or services
• How do you scale your business
• What are the societal and environmental implications of your startup development
• How do you address sustainability challenges through your startup
The gradual progress in working through such topics forms the basis for the final deliverables.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Upon completion of the course, students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of how innovation-driven start-ups are formed and developed. In particular, students will acquire knowledge in specific areas such as:
• The entrepreneurial process of creating and capturing value from ideas
• Characteristics of sustainability- and innovation-driven start-ups
• Methods and techniques for investigating market needs and potential demand
• Societal and environmental implications of the start-ups
• Valuation, financing strategy, and funding sources
Skills
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
• Prepare and write a business plan
• Evaluate the potential of different business ideas
• Identify the value proposition of products or services for customers/users
• Perform market analysis and financial projections
• Present ideas and pitch to potential investors
Required prerequisite knowledge
Recommended prerequisites
Exam
Written business plan and oral exam
| Form of assessment | Weight | Duration | Marks | Aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written business plan according to specified requirements | 1/2 | 1 Semesters | Letter grades | All |
| Oral exam | 1/2 | Letter grades |
The course assessment consists of both written and oral exams:
• The written exam is a complete business plan that counts for 50% of the final grade. No re-sit.
• The oral exam comprises a presentation and defense, which counts for the other 50%.
• Both the written and oral exams will be jointly considered towards the final grade.
Coursework requirements
The course has two mandatory requirements:
- Participation of at least 60% of lectures or full participation in StartUp Booster program
- Submission of preliminary description of the business idea
Students are expected to work on their startup projects and business plans continuously throughout the semester. Active participation in class is expected, especially through presenting and sharing the group work progress as well as exchanging feedback among student groups.
Course teacher(s)
Course coordinator:
Andra RianditaCourse teacher:
Andra RianditaStudy Program Director:
Tarjei Mandt LarsenMethod of work
The workload is estimated to be 270 hours: approximately 30 hours of lectures, five hours of presentations, 195 hours of working on the step-by-step development of the start-ups and business plan, and 40 hours of preparation for the oral presentation and defense.
The weekly sessions include a combination of lectures, progress sharing, and group discussions. The course session will also involve field visits and guest lectures on relevant topics during the semester.
Students are required to work in a group of three to four, where independent work will be carried out in between course sessions. Students form the group and identify business ideas independently at the beginning of the semester with guidelines from the course teacher. Submission of work in progress is voluntary but strongly encouraged for getting relevant and specific feedback.
The final grade for the business plan (and the oral defense) will be determined based on the formal quality of the business plan, i.e., how well it has been documented, how well the choices made have been argued for, and how the analysis have been conducted. The assessment includes questions regarding the feasibility and reliability of the results also the coherence and consistency of the "story" throughout the business plan.
Overlapping courses
| Course | Reduction (SP) |
|---|---|
| From idea to business (MØA125_1) | 5 |
| Entrepreneurship in Technology based companies (MIN220_1) | 5 |