ZAGREB, 22 Oct 2021 - The sixth generation of the first Croatian startup accelerator was presented at the Zagreb Innovation Centre (ZICER) on Friday, marking the start of operation of the new "Startup Factory."

Twelve development teams were presented with prospects to produce innovative technological products. They will receive training by excellent domestic and foreign experts and mentors and will have an opportunity to meet with established startup experts while using ziceR's infrastructure.

The entire programme will last for a month.

The Startup Factory Finale will be held on 23 November at the Zagreb Connect international startup conference where the best development teams will be awarded grants of HRK 800,000 from the City of Zagreb.

Some of the teams presented today include the AssessMe (which uses advance software solutions to ensure working integrity and validation of remote learning), Automatizacija 3D printers, Digicyte (develops technology enabling a broad use of digital and artificial intelligence in tissue analysis), EduDron (an education drone), EVAP 404 (a temporary shelter for people affected by natural disasters), Flaster (a technology marketing company enabling brands to gauge visibility of mobile outdoor billboards and conversion from offline to digital communication), Go Green Ozonator (ecologically acceptable alternative for pesticides for the production and storage of food) and others.

The head of the City Department for Economy, Energy and Environmental Protection, Tatjana Operta, said that this is an excellent solution to improve the quality of life.

September the 25th, 2021 - Croatian startups are set to get further financial boosts as a new cycle of the Startup Factory programme headed by Zicer (the Zagreb Innovation Centre) begins.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the Zagreb Innovation Centre (Zicer) has launched applications for a new cycle of the popular Startup Factory programme, in which development teams and young startups are distributed grants in the amount of 800,000 kuna, with intensive educational, mentoring, promotional and infrastructural support. As stated in the announcement made by Zicer, the Startup Factory programme accelerates the development of technology-oriented teams and startups from across the country.

It helps in validation, market entry and access to first buyers and investors, and it is also an internationally awarded and the first such acceleration programme in all of Croatia. The programme is intensive and competitive in nature, all selected participants will receive knowledge through workshops, lectures and mentoring, and the best financial support from the City of Zagreb from a total fund of 800,000 kuna.

"Six years ago, we launched the first pre-acceleration programme in Croatia. Startup Factory has so far successfully passed 76 teams, and the best 28 startups also received non-refundable financial support for the development of their technological products in the amount of more than 3.5 million kuna. The intensive support we provide to future startups through this programme ensures progress in a short time. The programme is such that it requires fast and concrete results, more than 90 percent of startups that have passed the programme are now operating successfully. For them, Croatia is a small market, and they're out there conquering the world,'' pointed out Frane Sesnic, the director of Zicer and the initiator of the popular Startup Factory.

Teams or new Croatian startups developing high-tech solutions can apply to this year's Startup Factory, and the main recommended areas are healthcare and quality of life, energy and sustainable environment, transport and mobility, security and cyber security, food and bio-economy, education, robotics, fintech, tourism and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

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