MIT’s world-renowned entrepreneurship framework comes to Estonia

For the first time, Estonia’s innovation-driven deep-tech companies can learn and apply the commercialization methodology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – a playbook that has shaped the growth journeys of thousands of successful tech ventures. The Disciplined Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (DE Bootcamp) is a five-day, trainer-led, hands-on program in product and business building, taking place in February 2026.  

“Don’t build the engine before you know where you’re driving” 

One of the bootcamp’s trainers, Marius Ursache, puts deep-tech pitfalls plainly: “The fundamental error is building the engine first and then trying to figure out what to do with it.” Ursache speaks from experience, as an entrepreneur, investor, and a long-time trainer of programs based on the MIT methodology around the world. 

“Estonia has grown a generation of great engineers,” he notes. “But the engineering mindset is insufficient to build great entrepreneurs. Go-to-market should be the primary concern for all founders, before technical innovation or engineering excellence.”  

While Estonian companies understand from day zero, they need global reach due to their tiny home market, understanding isn’t execution – they need frameworks for actually doing it, he adds. The bootcamp helps teams identify real opportunities and craft a strategy to enter international markets. 

Fall in love with the problem, not just the tech 

Trainer Vimala Palaniswamy, who has nearly a decade of experience delivering MIT entrepreneurship programs, sees the same pattern: “In the early stages, founders often fall in love with their technology rather than the problem they solve.” Deep-tech startups should start with: who is this for, and why does it matter? 

“Understand the market. Focus research on speaking to people and finding opportunities for where and how their technology can solve a meaningful challenge that systems, organizations, or individuals are facing. Customers care less about the technology than whether it solves their problem effectively.” Alongside rigorous market validation, teams will also level up collaboration: by Day 5, each team leaves with a shared operating framework and the confidence to execute next steps. 

Move past a “grant mindset” 

Venture capitalist and former head of the MIT Enterprise Forum, Vassilis Papakonstantinou, points out that many European research-driven companies get stuck in grant logic: “They still think in terms of technology or research development rather than product development. They often chase perfection instead of progress – refining the science rather than engaging users. To grow sustainably, they need to unlearn the “grant mindset” and embrace true experimentation: building, testing, and iterating quickly based on market feedback, not theoretical assumptions.” 

What is Disciplined Entrepreneurship? 

Disciplined Entrepreneurship (DE), created by Bill Aulet at MIT, is a structured approach that combines MIT’s problem-solving mindset with real-world company-building. It takes teams step by step from market understanding to a scalable business model. DE is taught at hundreds of universities and used by tech companies worldwide; long-term results show ~70% five-year survival and 60%+ fundraising success among startups that followed the methodology.  

What makes the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Bootcamp different is its focus not just on ideas, but on the skills to execute them. While many startups aim to “try and fail fast,” DE teaches how to build resilient, revenue-driven, scalable companies.  

Who should apply? 

Estonian-registered companies with international growth ambitions that are building innovative products based on deep-tech, engineering or R&D. Preference is given to early commercialization teams with a strong intellectual-property component. The cohort is limited (12 companies), and participating teams are expected to commit founders/key leaders for the full, intensive week.  

Key details 

Dates: 2–6 February 2026 

• Format & language: In-person, English 
• Location: Tehnopol Science and Business Park, Tallinn 
• Fee: €1,500 + VAT 
• Application deadline: 31 October 2025 

The program blends expert training, daily mentoring, and a Demo Day to present market readiness and growth plans. Expect deep work across market selection, value proposition, unit economics, go-to-market, team/OKRs, and an investor-ready (or board-ready) pitch deck. 

Apply and learn more: eis.ee/en/events/disciplined-entrepreneurship-bootcamp/ 

Brought to Estonia by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS) in cooperation with Tehnopol, BDA Consulting, and Performikon.  

Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.