Fifteen startup companies and teams, participants in the Raising Starts program were selected to participate in Phase 2 of the program, under which they will receive further business and financial support up to CHF 15,000 for accelerated development of their innovative idea: Cinteraction, Beehold, Soter, ZenCV, Inclusio, Digi Kids Cloud, Greenia, Mad Mage Games, Circadian Games, Outpost, HOM3D, VoiceToys, BabyFm, Ball Skiller and Brush galaxy.

Funding is intended to cover costs in prototyping, business model development, market research, first customer testing, intellectual property protection and other costs related to the development of new products or services. Through additional business support, including specialized training, mentoring, peer-to-peer networking and the opportunity to use innovation laboratories in STP Belgrade, startups will acquire additional knowledge and skills in business building and startup development.

Let’s remember that 35 teams were selected to participate in Phase 1 of the Raising Starts program in very fierce competition (more than 180 applications were received for the first public call for the Raising Starts programme). During this phase, the participants acquired knowledge of acquiring business skills, market validation of problems and characteristics of innovative products/services, and in the field of intellectual property protection, in close cooperation with the Swiss Federal Institute for Intellectual Property, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia.

At the end of Phase 1, teams and companies presented their ideas on DemoDay to the Selection Committee, which decided which 15 startups with their work and approach showed the greatest potential for commercializing their ideas and conquering the global market, and which will continue to participate in the programme under Phase 2.

Congratulations to all the startups, the Program participants, on great ideas, presentations and dedication, and especially to the selected Phase 2 participants!

Science Technology Park Belgrade is implementing the Raising Starts program with the support of the Swiss Government. It is the first program of this type in Serbia that provides both business and financial support to startups in the earliest stages of development, created through the project “Technopark Serbia 2 – Boosting Exports through Technoparks” by which the Swiss Government supports further development of innovation and technological entrepreneurship in Serbia, implemented by the STP Belgrade.

Through several public calls in the next 3 years, Raising Starts will support the establishment and development of up to 100 new startup companies, and in addition to Belgrade, it will expand its coverage to the regions of Nis and Cacak.