From Business Idea to Startup

- Entrepreneurship Lunch Talks

Business ideas are born everywhere and by people in all professions. Do you have an idea you’d like to bring to life, or are you simply curious to learn more about entrepreneurship?

Join us for our free lunch talks, where inspiring speakers share their own entrepreneurial journeys along with practical tips, examples and useful tools.

The series is a collaboration between University West and Innovatum Science Park’s incubator, which supports people in turning innovative ideas into real businesses.

Each talk stands on its own—you can join just one, or attend all three. No experience needed, just bring your curiosity.

We’ll provide a lunch sandwich and some coffee.

The talks

The talsk are independent sessions. In the registration, you choose which session(s) you want to attend.


Entrepreneurship – Introduction and Inspiration
📍 University West, Room F123.  You can also attend this session online.
📅 Thursday, October 14, 12:00–13:00

What exactly is a startup, and how does it differ from a traditional company? What characterizes a good business idea, and what are the key questions you need to ask yourself early on in the journey? This session is packed with useful insights, but above all, a big dose of inspiration, as we also share a startup story that illustrates what an entrepreneurial journey can look like.

Speaker: Markus Sulkupuro & Nigel Blanken

Product Development with a Customer Focus
📍 Thursday, October 29, 12:00 -13:00.  You can also attend this session online.
📅 University West, Room F123

Are you curious about how to turn your ideas into smart products that your customers actually want and need? Then this session is for you! During the lecture, we will dive into the art of conducting early experiments and involving customers in the development process. You will also get concrete examples and tips on how to avoid the most common pitfalls in product development.

Speaker: Vitor Ortega

Funding your business idea: What Opportunities Are Available?
📍 University West, Room F123. You can also attend this session online.
📅 Thursday, November 19, 12:00–13:00

Turning your business idea into reality is an exciting journey, but to really gain momentum, funding is often needed. What options are there when it comes to financing? And what do they entail? What is important to consider, and what groundwork is necessary? This session offers a unique opportunity to understand how you can secure the capital you need.


Speaker: Pavel Calderon

Curious to get to know our speakers? You’ll find more info about them further down the page.

Practical Information

Where? All sessions will take place at Campus (Room F123). Its also possible to join online.
When? October 16, November 6, and November 20, from 12:00–13:00.
For whom? For students and staff at University West who are curious to learn more about entrepreneurship.

The lectures are free of charge, but registration is required. 

Coffee and a sandwich are included.

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Meet our speakers

The talks are led by Innovatum Science Park’s business coaches—entrepreneurs who’ve turned their own ideas into startups and now guide the next generation of founders to success!

Nigel Blanken

Nigel has always been actively engaged in business development and worked at a private equity fund during his studies.

This has given him insight not only into the founder's perspective but also into that of investors. Today, he works as a Business Advisor at Innovatum with a focus on university projects, bridging the gap between Innovatum Science Park's incubator and University West.

He supports student innovation ideas at an early stage, from the initial assessment of the business idea through coaching and continued guidance. Alongside his work, he is completing a master's programme at University West to further deepen his expertise.

Nigel is driven by working with inspiring people who are passionate about turning their ideas into reality.

Read more

Markus Sulkupuro

Markus has a background from fast-growing international companies, where he has worked with organizational development, quality improvement, sales, and strategic matters. He is the founder of the startup PQM, which trains and coaches managers, providing them with digital tools to lead companies and individuals toward achieving goals and building a thriving organization. Markus is passionate about leadership and sales and now shares his expertise with the entrepreneurs at Innovatum Science Park’s incubator.

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Pavel Calderon

Pavel Calderon has spent the past seven years in the startup world as a founder, investor, and advisor. With a strong passion for sustainability, he has founded several startups in the energy and green technology sectors, combining technical expertise with business development. Prior to this, Pavel gained over a decade of experience as a corporate advisor and technical director in the electric vehicle and battery industries. Since 2025, he has been working as a business coach at Innovatum Science Park’s incubator, where he supports entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their companies, and driving innovations that generate both commercial success and long-term environmental impact.

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Vitor Ortega

Vitor has a background in entrepreneurship and business development, with experience from international companies such as Unilever, the industrial sector, and the football agency industry. As a startup founder, he has also experienced the entrepreneurial journey firsthand, including a successful exit. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs turn ideas into scalable businesses and supports startups with business models, technology, growth, and partner strategies.

Read more

Questions? 

Contact Markus Sulkupuro
markus.sulkupuro@innovatum.se 
072 - 083 60 08

Innovatum Science Park