Where nature meets technologies

Apply until December 15 and be a part of a cutting-edge acceleration program

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From Seed to Tree.
From Idea to Global Business

SilvaTech is a free international acceleration program powered by JSC Latvia’s State Forests (LVM) and Startup Wise Guys (SWG) accelerator. Designed to promote innovation and efficiency within the forestry sector, SilvaTech helps entrepreneurs to complete the journey from ideation to building a tech product that will bring forestry solutions: from seed and plant growing to mineral extraction and production to recreation and geospatial information technology.

Innovate. Bring Your Ideas to Life. Grow

The Ins & Outs of the SilvaTech Acceleration Program

SilvaTech is a hybrid (online & offline) 8-month-long acceleration program that’s divided into four stages covering everything from idea shaping to building a market-ready solution. Teams with a ready MVP can apply till December 15 to be considered for the Growth acceleration stage.

August
1. Ideation Workshops
3 ideation events where participants will get a chance to:
  • introduce their product ideas;
  • form teams for further collaboration;
  • present their ideas to experts and mentors from LVM and SWG.
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September
2. Hackathon
A 3-day online event with a focus on idea development and prototyping. During the hackathon, you will:
  • go through pre-selection;
  • ensure a close match with LVM’s innovation requirements;
  • start building a prototype.
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October–December
3. Pre-accelerator
Up to 30 teams that passed the hackathon stage will join an 8-week pre-accelerator program to:
  • determine the product/market fit;
  • develop their business model;
  • demonstrate their achievements during Demo Day.
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January–March 2022
4. Growth Accelerator
Both online and offline, this stage will allow up to 10 product teams to:
  • deep dive into product development and market research;
  • discuss a potential partnership with LVM;
  • get mentoring on building and scaling the business.
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Meet SilvaTech Mentors & Experts

Cristobal Alonso
Company building and fundraising
Farid Singh
Corporate innovation
Patrick Collins
Sales and lead generation
Stoyan Yankov
Productivity and performance
Uldis Zeidurs
Product and technology
Razvan Suta
Business development
Zane Bojare
Pitching and marketing
Karina Lapina
Product and fundraising

Build Solutions to Address Forest Technology Challenges

The products and solutions developed throughout the SilvaTech acceleration program should all aim to solve the key technology challenges within forestry and related fields.

While you will get a chance to exchange ideas about the most pressing questions within the field throughout the early program stages, we’ll give you a range of areas you can start your ideation process from:

SilvaTech Selection Criteria

SilvaTech welcomes both LVM employees and external applicants to embark on this acceleration journey and form internal, external, or mixed teams. Teams coming from outside the LVM ecosystem to join the program at the Growth Accelerator stage should meet the following criteria:
Minimum viable product (MVP)
Product with a proven technological readiness of production
A market-ready product that’s fit for technology transfer projects
Product with clear IP rights

We Bring Experience & Expertise in Forestry and Startup Acceleration

SilvaTech is designed by two of the strongest brands within their niche – Latvia’s State Forests and Startup Wise Guys. Here’s all you need to know about SilvaTech’s founding partners.

Latvia’s State Forests (LVM) is a digital-first forest management company operating by combining innovation and sustainable development. With cutting-edge technologies already being at the heart of LVM’s business, they are always on the lookout for new solutions that will help them bring their vision for a more sustainable future and more engaged communities to life.

Founded in 2012, SWG is one of the top investors in the broader CEE and CIS regions, as well as Nordics. With over 230 startup investments in their state-of-the-art accelerator program portfolio, SWG brings together aspiring entrepreneurs and world-class mentors to accelerate innovation, business growth, and international expansion.

Still Have Some Questions?

Browse through our FAQ and if you have any questions left, feel free to contact us via the form
SilvaTech is an acceleration program designed by Latvia’s largest forest management company Latvia’s Sate Forests (LVM) and Europe’s biggest startup accelerator, Startup Wise Guys. The program aims to bring innovation to the forest industry by encouraging the development of cutting-edge tech products that can modernize the forestry sector. The primary focus is on more mature startups with a product or at least an MVP in place. However, this program can accommodate startups of different development stages. For example, more early-stage startups can benefit from the hackathon and the pre-acceleration program, but there will be strict selection for joining the final stage of the program.
Yes, you can apply by filling out an application form. Our scouting team will assess if your idea is right for the first stages of the program (ideation workshops, hackathon, online pre-acceleration program) and contact you for further discussion. However, the main target audience is more mature startups with a product or at least MVP in place.

Yes, if you have a ready solution/product that fits the program criteria, you can apply and our scouting team will assess if you can be invited to the last stage of the program – Growth Accelerator – where the main focus is on cooperation opportunities with LVM and product growth.

You will be mentored by experts focusing on specific fields and technology, as well as more general business and tech mentors. You’ll get guidance from LVM employees, LVM partner network employees, and SWG’s pool of international mentors.

Teams coming from outside the LVM ecosystem should meet the following criteria:

  • Have a ready-made commercial solution or a minimum viable product (MVP);
  • Have a product with a proven technological readiness of production (at least in technological demonstrations or prototypes with TRL6);
  • Have a market-ready product (according to the assessment of the applicant and subsequently, LVM) that’s fit for technology transfer projects;
  • The product has to connect with an existing LVM product or its production has to be tied with LVM processes. LVm does not work with the research, development, and commercialization of products produced as a result of lumber sawing, peeling, and drilling technologies.
  • Make sure the product doesn’t have any intellectual property issues and is compliant with the provisions of the regulatory enactments and good practice regulations for activities of the state capital company.

The final application deadline is December 15. 

This is an 8-month-long program split into four stages with different time allocation commitments at each stage:

  • Each Ideation Workshop will take around 3 to 4 hours, but the startup needs to participate only in one of them.
  • Hackathon is a 48 hour long non-stop action from September 29 to October 1.
  • Online Pre-acceleration program is an 8-week-long program and startups need to dedicate around 5 hours per week.
  • Growth accelerator is 3 months long with 4-5 active weeks spread throughout this period.

No, the program is free of charge and equity-free. SilvaTech does not provide investments, hence none of the partners take equity from any startup participating in the program.

If the idea/product initially belongs to an external team (external team, startup, researcher, company), it stays an IP of this startup. For LVM teams and mixed teams, this topic is up for discussion on a case-by-case basis.

All major events will happen online but if Covid-19 regulations allow, we will open the option to be physically present in Riga.
There are no geographical restrictions, however, the startup applying should be interested in testing its product/service and working together with Latvia’s State Forests.
There will be internal LVM teams taking part in the acceleration program, LVM mentors participating in the mentoring activities during all events, and close discussions on LVM cooperation opportunities during the last stage of the program (Growth Accelerator).
Meet industry experts and validate your idea by receiving feedback and guidance. Learn new tech and business methodologies from the acceleration program. Get access to cooperation opportunities with LVM and build a network of potential partners/investors.

Ideation Workshops: Filled with insightful Q&A sessions, these online workshops help ideators better define the problem they’re trying to solve, validate their idea and pinpoint potential gaps. You will get to present your idea, find and build a team of fellow collaborators, and get some initial guidance from LVM and SWG mentors.

Hackathon: This is a 3-day online event where you’ll get to develop your idea and work on the prototype. During the hackathon, you will get access to LVM and SWG mentors and field experts who will help to overcome technical challenges and build a surefire business approach. While at this stage teams should already be shaped, you can still employ additional forces.

Pre-accelerator: This is an 8-week online program that covers a range of topics on all things startup development – from identifying your product/market fit to building a viable business model. This program stage ends with a Demo Day – a signature event where you’ll get to present your idea, your MVP to a range of experts who will determine whether your team gets to the last stage of the program. You will need to allocate about 5 hours a week to go through weekly learning materials and assignments, and to join weekly meetings with field experts.

Growth Accelerator: 10 teams will get to this last program stage, which will be run both online and offline. Growth Accelerator will feature various workshops and mentorship on Design Sprint methodology (for market research and product development), team building, and business scaling. Moreover, this is where LVM will start to discuss potential partnership opportunities.

Please feel free to contact if You need any further information


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