accelerator

Startup
Factory

Award-winning Startup Factory is

Croatia’s first acceleration program.

It takes no equity or fees.

In 2022, the best teams / startups were awarded from a fund worth HRK 800.000,00. They continue to receive ZICER’s support.

We accepted projects that haven’t participated in other accelerators and haven’t yet received an investment.

 

Applications are now closed.

 

Who could apply?

Teams

Without a registered company

Will be required to register a company with a company seat in the City of Zagreb prior to receiving financial support

2 to 7 team members with complementary skills

Startups

Companies registered less than 12 months ago with a company seat in the City of Zagreb

Majority of the company owned by natural persons

2 to 7 team members with complementary skills

Education

Mentors

Infrastructure

No Equity

PR Support

Networking

Financial Support

Alumni Network

All innovative and disruptive solutions were eligible. Main recommended areas of innovation:

Health and Quality of Life

Energy and Environmental Sustainability

Transportation and Mobility

Cyber Security

Food and Bioeconomics

Education

Robotics

Fintech

Tourism

Data/AI/Space

Applications are now closed.

Startup Factory’s Seventh Cycle

Fall 2022

During the program, teams and startups worked on their tech product development and were guided by the program coordination team and mentors. The program was designed around four intensive 3-day bootcamps. Bootcamps included workshops, industry talks and networking events.

Startup Factory culminated in a Demo Day at Zagreb Connect startup conference. There, the teams pitched in front of a jury and audience, and the top five were awarded a total of HRK 800.000,00: three Stage 1 teams received HRK 100.000,00 each and two Stage 2 teams received HRK 250.000,00 each.

Bootcamp

& demo day

Bootcamp 1 — Validation (Sep 23-25)

  • Lean Startup
  • Design Thinking
  • Sustainable Business Model

Bootcamp 2 — Development (Oct 7-9)

  • Product Development
  • Business Development
  • Brand Development
  • Growth Hacking

Bootcamp 3 — Finance & Legal (Oct 21-23)

  • Financial and Business Plans
  • Intellectual Property and Tax
  • Crowdfunding
  • Investor Readiness

Bootcamp 4 — Pitch (Nov 4-6) & Demo Day (Nov 16)

  • Pitch
  • Demo Day – Zagreb Connect

99

teams

195

workshops & industry talks

40

mentors

5,1
M HRK

awarded support

Batch 2022

stats
11

teams

33

workshops

5

winners

800.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2021

stats

12

teams

28

workshops

4

WINNERS

800.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2020

stats

18

teams

29

workshops

5

WINNERS

550.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2019

stats

18

teams

33

workshops

6

WINNERS

1.000.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2018

stats

18

teams

36

workshops

5

WINNERS

860.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2017

stats

16

teams

39

workshops

6

WINNERS

750.000 kn

awarded support

winners

Batch 2016

stats

5

teams

35

workshops

5

WINNERS

700.000

awarded support

winners

Coordination team

Frane Šesnić

Frane Šesnić

Startup Factory Initiator & ZICER CEO

Željana Barišić

Željana Barišić

Program
Coordinator

Milica Projić

Milica Projić

Program
Coordinator

Ivana Rajković Pavlić

Ivana Rajković Pavlić

Program Coordinator – Public Relations

Ana Vlahov

Ana Vlahov

Program
Coordinator