Global Entrepreneurship Week starts in Georgia

This week Georgia will celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week - one of the most large-scale international campaigns that aims to foster entrepreneurial spirit and encourages the creation of new, innovative businesses.

From November 16-20 Georgia will connect with 160 countries and millions of creative minds through a number of events and competitions that engage potential collaborators, mentors and even investors in entrepreneurial activities.

It is very important for the future of Georgia to keep pace with the dynamics of modern ideas because it will help the structural transformation of the country’s economy,” said Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili after opening Global Entrepreneurship Week in Georgia today.

The PM accented the importance of crowd funding - the practice of funding a project or venture by asking a large number of people to donate a small amount of money, and consequently raise a significant sum - and he named several different examples of how crowd funding had helped to turn innovative ideas into reality.

For example the 'smart watch’ attracted $12 million USD financing by using this perfect tool – crowd funding. Also another idea Flow Hive attracted $13,200,000 through crowd funding. Flow Hive is a revolutionary beehive invention that allows beekeepers to harvest honey without opening the hive and with minimal disturbance to the bees,” said Kvirikashvili.

About 200 entrepreneurs attended the Global Entrepreneurship Week opening ceremony in Georgia, which was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Embassy to Georgia.

During the next five days the public can listen to interesting discussions in the following topics:

• Development of innovations and entrepreneurship
• The role of women entrepreneurs
• Agricultural producing
• Start-up formation

This year Global Entrepreneurship Week in Georgia will also host innovation and wine forums.