Expedition DO!

DO!, the centre for entrepreneurship at Ghent University, yearly launches Expedition DO!, a unique 7 month startup programme for entrepreneurial talent.

The mission of the expedition is to support and stimulate Ghent University students and researchers to develop critical entrepreneurial skills to start, build and grow their business idea into a successful startup.

On top of that, the expedition rewards the 3 winning teams with prizes to further boost their business.

Thanks to the help of an extensive network of experts and existing industry accelerator programmes early ideas will be developed into scalable business models. The partners of Expedition DO! will be part of our experts network, inspirational talks and/or jury team throughout the track.

Expedition DO! also prepares its participants for accelerator and incubator programmes outside of the university.

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

(John A. Shedd)

Why apply?

Chapter 1: 17 March– 5 July (16 teams)

This chapter is all about validating your idea. We start with a jam-packed bootcamp weekend to kickstart your business. We continue with intensive coaching sessions, inspirational talks, networking opportunities and help you find the best route to get started. The chapter ends with a summer pitch in which you present your progress. Only the teams that prove themselves in this chapter continue the expedition.

Chapter 2: 5 July – 18 September

In this chapter we focus on developing your business concept and preparing your actual startup. We continue with intensive coaching, but you also get access to the online Startup Masterclass and additional thematic content. This will help you define the right business model, find a way to finance your idea and to bring it to the market. We end with another uplifting bootcamp weekend in which all teams will present their progress. Based on these pitches, we select the 8 finalist teams that receive a spot on stage during Expedition DO!’s live closing event, ‘Final Destination Pitch Night’.

Chapter 3: 18 September – 6 October (8 teams)

We focus on pitching and help you create your ultimate presentation to boost your chances of becoming one of the 3 winning teams during ‘Final Destination Pitch Night’. Prepare for lots of pitching, coaching, feedback and on stage rehearsals.

Chapter 4: November (3 teams)

The 3 winning teams head to Slush – one of the biggest startup events in the world – for an inspiring, unforgettable and invaluable entrepreneurial experience. Additionally, 1 research team will be invited for the intake meeting to enter TechTranser’s Venture Track. For more information see ‘Prizes’ below.

During the closing event on 6 October 4 teams win amazing prizes to further boost their business.

3 teams win tickets to Slush 2021 in Helsinki. If Slush cannot take place, another prize – worth 2.000 euros – will be awarded. TechTransfer offers an extra 2.000 euros to 1 of the winning research teams working on their research topic. Additionally, this winning team will be invited for the intake meeting to enter TechTranser’s Venture Track. The 3 teams also receive a free office spot in coworking hub Kohezie.

A 4th team wins the Audience Award and receives a Bryo track offered by Voka.

Any (team of) student(s) / researcher(s) at Ghent University that:

want(s) to validate an innovative idea and verify whether it is, or could be, market-ready
want(s) to explore the bigger potential of an existing business and scale it up

At least 1 team member should be a Ghent University student (with a minimum of 27 credits) or researcher. If you are graduating this academic year, you are still eligible to apply and partake in Expedition DO!

Teams can enroll up to 3 active members in the programme. If you are part of a large team (with more than 3 team members), the remaining team members are restricted to joining online sessions and the online content on Ufora only. They cannot participate in offline activities and don’t receive a welcome box. If selected for Expedition DO!, it is expected that all active team members take part in the entire Expedition DO! programme. At least 1 active team member needs to be present during each Expedition DO! activity.

There is a subscription fee of € 100 per active team member for the entire programme. This fee includes all sessions/events, weekends, a welcome box with amongst others 1 Expedition DO! Hoodie, expert advice / mentoring / coaching / keynote sessions, coworking facilities and course materials. If you have any questions about this, don’t hesitate to contact us.

For researchers participating in Expedition DO! until the Finalist Pre-selection Bootcamp, extra credits via Doctoral Schools may be obtained. More details will be given at the start of the expedition. In this case the general regulations of Doctoral Schools will apply.

The timing of the 2022 track will be as follows (individual monthly coaching sessions still to be added):

1 February: opening of the applications
6 March: closing of the applications
9-10 March: Selection Pitches
17 March: Welcome Event
25-27 March: Kickoff Bootcamp
31 March, 21 April, 28 April & 05 May, 12 May: Inspirational Talks
05 July: Summer Pitch
02 September: Progress Presentation
08 September: workshop
17-18 September: Finalist Pre-selection Bootcamp
06 October: Final Destination Pitch Night

At least 1 active team member needs to be present during each event.
Consider the intensive Expedition DO! schedule a small step for you but a huge leap forward for your startup.

Please be aware that this timing is subject to change.