12 participants of “Get Started” program will explore the startup ecosystem

Twelve school students will gain fundamental knowledge about the startup ecosystem and explore the experiences of successful startup companies by participating in the “Get Started” educational program.

The educational program “Get Started” is launched on 21 December 2023, by the Armenian On-line Media and Journalists Association NGO and Mediamax, with Viva-MTS as the main partner.

“Youth, in general, are the engine of progress. Their inventiveness, creativity, and desire to succeed allow them to make progress where it seems like everything has already been said and done. We, as organizations with years of experience, can only help to create and promote this environment. This is a crucial strategy for Viva-MTS. The era of smart solutions is a new and significant challenge, and keeping up is unavoidable. I welcome the program’s participants and look forward to a lively discussion, new ideas, and project implementation,” Viva-MTS General Director Armen Avetisian said.

The first part of the program includes meetings with the heads of companies and foundations operating in Armenia, during which the students will acquire basic knowledge about the startup ecosystem.

“The project aims to support high school students with ideas and potential to initiate startups. Through this program, they will gain insights into building a successful startup and learn to avoid the common pitfalls in the future. Young people have great potential, and investing in their future is of significant importance for our country,” said Ara Tadevosyan, Director of Mediamax.

The second part of the program will consist of workshops during which mentors will work with small groups of students. The students will present their ideas, discuss their feasibility, and, if needed, define new ideas and develop startup projects.

In the third part of the program, the developed startup projects will compete with each other and the best ones will be awarded with monetary incentives. The total prize fund amounts to AMD 1,000,000. The program will be implemented until June 2024.