Elite Entrepreneurship: The Digital Students Aim to Empower Small Businesses

This is part of a series of articles about the work and people behind one of Sweden’s best high schools for entrepreneurship.   

Affärsgymnasiet has a long list of national and international achievements when it comes to young entrepreneurship. With over 200 UF-related awards (Young Enterprise), national and European championship gold medals, and recognition as one of Europe’s top entrepreneurial schools, the school truly stands out.     

During this year’s national championships, the school had 9 nominated companies and won 5 medals in all categories.   

One of the nominated companies was Venuvo UF, run by Örebro students Patryk, Gustav, Theo, and Yonis. Together, they make up a cutting-edge marketing agency specializing in digital technology. Venuvo UF aims to help local clients strengthen their online presence.  

Helping Small Businesses

The students tailor solutions based on their clients’ needs and can provide services such as search engine optimization, web development, and AI-driven marketing.   

– Our long-term vision is to help smaller businesses that are lagging behind in digital development catch up with larger companies and give them a fairer chance in the market, says CEO Patryk Auguscinski.   

The idea came about through a market research project they conducted during the school’s marketing course. The results of the survey revealed that many local businesses are falling behind in digitalization.

– We saw a business area where we could benefit both ourselves and other companies, says Auguscinski. 

So they did. They started by expanding their knowledge and building their first website. Then, they reached out to potential clients and partners:    

– One milestone was when we secured our first major partner, CleanSea. They are a company that cleans the oceans. Working with them significantly boosted our skills while the company achieved increasingly better results.    

Contacts and partnerships have been crucial for Venuvo UF’s progress. They have leveraged their network, which has provided them with sponsorship tips and experience. Additionally, they have reached out beyond their existing connections, for example, by sending emails to many new potential clients.    

– Our advisors have been a great help, as have our UF teachers who have provided tips and assistance at every step of the way. We’ve also found local businesses that have sponsored us with things like roll-ups and business cards, says Auguscinski.    

The effort has definitely paid off.   

The students’ expertise and broad range of digital solutions led to a win in the Service of the Year category at the regional UF competitions. This also earned them a coveted spot in the national finals.   

They do not overlook the role of the UF course in this:   

The focus on UF has been a great help. It feels amazing that we friends now get to stand here together.    

Big Opportunities

With successes come expectations. Amidst graduation and final competitions, the students are thinking ahead and feel an exciting buzz about the company’s continued journey after graduation.  

– It feels good but also a bit nerve-wracking to graduate because it means big opportunities, especially for the company. We plan to continue developing it and apply for grants.