About Startup Commons

Scaling Innovation Entrepreneurship Globally!
Startup Commons, an ecosystem development framework by Digiole Oy, was born around simple but powerful concept of digital commons familiarized by Open Source Software and Creative Commons that have enormously accelerated global innovation, business and  development of the internet in all areas of life.

​We apply the same core concepts for sharing knowledge, education, best practises, software and data - to reduce duplicated work and facilitate collaborative efforts towards business creation and ecosystem development. By sharing things learned and created by us or others. 
Image credit: modified from original by ​Sacha Chua

Our Core Expertise 

The unique value we can deliver in projects we get involved, comes from our deep and wide expertise in three key areas; innovation, entrepreneurship and digital, where each of these topics are extensive and complex on their own with various aspects and considerations.  
​For few decades we have worked in the intersection of these topics globally in building global ventures and developing ecosystems while strategizing, consulting, developing and training about these topics both individually and in combined manner. From deep details to global ecosystems levels. But most importantly, we never stop learning and sharing our learnings.

The easiest, fastest and most convenient way to validate our expertise, before committing with bigger projects, is to validate our knowledge directly via our eLearning courses. If the value you experience via eLearning programs does not match your expectations, we'll give your money back.

If you are convinced, please contact us with your innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem development and digital transformation needs. 

How do we work?

We work to enable effective global sharing of best practises, development efforts and resources between ecosystem operators and ecosystem developers, supported with our international business creation, ecosystem development and digital expertise and related knowledge, applications and interoperable digital infrastructure, - to empower, accelerate and facilitate ecosystem development, digital transformation and data connectivity within and between startup ecosystems.

Enabling Ecosystem Operators

Co-developing Ecosystem Operator functions and providing EcosystemOS digital infrastructure, connected applications and knowledge assets to partnering Ecosystem Operators to be deploy and operate at local geographical or global business vertical ecosystems, within one of multiple ecosystems.

All in One Infographic

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​with active links.

Ecosystem Membership Models

Membership packages with access to support function, digital transformation and ecosystem development knowledge documents, eLearning courses and tools, with optional on-call expertise support for ongoing ecosystem development.

Platform For Global Sharing

  • Sharing best practises of support functions, successful/ongoing ecosystem development projects and related subject matter experts within and between ecosystems.
  • Marketplace for EcosystemOS connected applications targeted for needs or various ecosystem segments and supporting different functions within ecosystems and ecosystem development
  • Coordinate co-development of globally neutral “How to” -handbooks for Business Creators, Support Providers, Ecosystem Developers and Digital Teams by facilitating the collection, moderation, publishing and distribution of these handbooks with various subject matter experts.

Training, Consulting And Support Services

  • On-site and online webinar trainings and handbooks for different ecosystem segments.
  • Workshops for ecosystem training and development for key topics & development targets 
  • Workshops for training, development and deployment of specific service function.
  • Consulting projects for services and digitalization assessments, solution deployments and ecosystem development team organizing
  • On-call expertise support packages for: support function, digitalization and ecosystem development 
Mission
Scale innovation entrepreneurship by empowering ecosystem development with shared global knowledge and digitalization for data-driven development and decision making, in financially sustainable way.
Vision
A global network of digital startup ecosystems, operated and co-owned locally, connected by open standard data models, global API infrastructure and shared licensing. Where all data belongs to their rightful owners.
Strategy
Facilitate, co-create and license open global knowledge and digital solutions for ecosystem key actors and operators to accelerate developments and enable data-flow within and between ecosystems for smarter actions.

Why do we do what we do?

Whether it's about our Digital solutions model, open sourcing innovation entrepreneurship curriculum or ecosystem development knowledge, questions we are asked repeatedly; "Why do you share so much for free?" Or "What is your business model?" 
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​Not only do we believe, but the world has proven, that "open source" is a viable business model. Actually, it's one of the winning business models for infrastructure at a global scale, like in case of Linux, Wordpress, MySQL, Android, and many more. Same principles apply for openly sharing deep knowledge, like in case of Tesla and even by Microsoft. These are models where open innovation is embedded into to the core by default and models that outsurvive any individual people, company or political cycles. In digital economy, the world is already seeking even further, like in case of blockchain to enable distributed trust. 

Ultimately we believe, innovation entrepreneurship is one of the most positive and powerful drivers of growth in economic development and to push societies forward. In startups and scaleups, this drive and energy get capsulated for creating and validating new value creation in externally investable package, - to find solutions for the world's problems at various levels.

When there are no barriers to access knowledge itself or limitations on using it, it forces us to innovate more advanced offerings and value creation to drive business. While also being the most scalable way to support innovation entrepreneurship that we have been able to imagine. - A true win win for everyone involved. - At scale.
We also don't want our business model to be the limiting factor in scaling to our vision. - As with enough scale, there's enough business to be made, - by us and those working with us.

We also don't think there can be such thing as - "too many entrepreneurs creating new value". - So this is, a never ending business.
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When it comes to digital platforms and ecosystems, more and more people, organizations and regulators are concerned with monopolistic models and data privacy, where even the founder and entrepreneur of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg himself has stated -“I feel fundamentally uncomfortable sitting here in California in an office making content policy decisions for people around the world”.  
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We believe the digital economic development of any city, region or country should be in the hands of local actors, connecting within and between ecosystems, while being properly managed under local rules, and where data is in possession and controlled by its rightful owners. - Not in control by foreign government or freely monopolized by global "black box" businesses. At least not without a clear mandate to do so. - Just because there may be a lack of awareness, understanding, digital skills, or capacity. - As here is exactly where we, a neutral and globally operating private company, can help, and this is the core of our added value we can deliver.

Not only does this approach feel right for us, but it also feels right at a global scale. We know this is not the easiest path, but it's the right one for us in a long run and for anyone who share our believes.
"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things! - Not because they are easy, but because they are hard!" ​- John F. Kennedy, Rice University 1962

Our Work With Different Ecosystem Segments

  • Ecosystem Developers (also known as Ecosystem Builders) to share best practises and ecosystem development projects between ecosystems to share global knowledge, digitized content, development and management tools.
  • Ecosystem Operators for assessing, identifying and deploying applications and digital connectivity infrastructure to support ecosystem development and enable connectivity and data flow between ecosystem functions and between other ecosystems.
  • Support Providers and Business Creators to provide business creation and support providing knowledge and training in on-site and digital means, as well as develop models for sharing best support practises and related support function specific experts, available to help develop ecosystem support functions in ecosystems around the world.
  • App developers ​around the world developing EcosystemOS connected applications, SAAS services or platforms focused on startups business creation, managing support services for startups or managing & coordinating ecosystem development, - for sharing and distributing applications between ecosystems around the world.

Our Expertise

For ​more than a decade we have assisted more than 30 national and local governments 'on the ground' and hundreds more virtually, at various Ecosystem Maturity levels and population sizes in US., EU, Africa and Asia on policy-making and developing solutions, services and instruments on how to nurture and grow a thriving startup culture and how to develop startup ecosystems in a globally connected world. We are proud to be working in this important area of global economic development.

Early on, when developing startup funding instruments, we understood the importance of DATA, to identify, understand and qualify potential startups in digital means. 

Beyond the knowledge and consulting in innovation entrepreneurship ecosystem development and digital transformation under Startup Commons brand, - as Digiole Oy, we also offer digital platform economy and digital ecosystem solutions with international connections necessary in global business vertical ecosystems and digital business development. 

Meet our team
"Innovation entrepreneurship is a positive and powerful driver for growth of economic development and to push societies forward. In startups and scaleups this drive and energy is capsulated to create and validate new innovations to find solutions for problems at various scales."