Needs of Global Start-up companies (Deliverable 2) GlobalStart wp1 Studies Deliverable 2 Needs of Global Start-up Companies Table of contents p

3. Internationalization

From the beginning Asper could rely on the high-quality expertise on international level from researchers at Tartu University: Professor Metspalu, and Docent Ants Kurg (technological development). As they are among the leading authorities in the field, there was no need for deeper collaboration with other international research centres.

The company could establish their first customer relationships due to Professor Metspalu, and Docent Kurg’s relationship network in Europe and the US.

The company has approximately 60 customers, whereas ca 95% of them are international ones, mainly in the US, but also in Canada, Germany, France, Korea and Taiwan. It has one sales office with one person employed in Munich, Germany. There is a desire to build a reseller network for marketing/selling its products and services. Until today the direct sales mode was applied.
The main client target group is academic institutions, but state owned agencies and private companies are also interested in Asper’s services.
Finance

Since the foundation, the company has received money from venture fund and state’s grant. Asper is satisfied with the money received, however, there are several remarks. Firstly, involvement of venture capital has caused undesirable changes in management and business administration (e.g. supplementary reporting). Secondly, the company counted on venture capitalists’ promise for added-value (consulting on industry structure, markets and competition) in vain.

The employees are of Estonian nationality.

TTO support is limited. When Asper just started in 1998, the company could not get any support from Estonian TTO-s to find customers abroad. It might have also been due to the company’s internal processes, that Asper did not have a transparent marketing and selling plan. At present looking for international customers Asper receives moderate help from Estonian Enterprise (business support agency) and the University.