ABOUT

The Balkans Circularity Demo Day is a one-day event where selected circular startups will pitch in front of international panel of experts and investors. The event provides hands-on support to early stage start-ups and businesses who seek to adopt circular economy principles, reduce waste and emissions, increase revenue, and develop innovative practices. By participating at the event startups will be able to position their business as a leader in the circular economy, attracting talent and investment.

BENEFITS

• Experiencing a regional, diverse and innovative environment
• Peer-to-peer exchange between startups and their international networks
• Pitch in front of recognized panel of experts and investors
• Covered travel and accommodation costs for attending the event

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• You are part of a team or an individual entrepreneur with a circular business idea
• You aim to create a positive environmental and/or social impact in your community or country through your product offerings, operations, or processes while creating a profit
• You are dedicated and eager to learn, and passionate about your cause
• You have a sound, technical understanding of your business or idea, but would like to learn more about how to build an effective and sustainable business model for success
• You are in your early stages
• Your business is innovative and unique in some way
• You want to learn, connect, and share with others: you are eager to network with like-minded green entrepreneurs from across the region
• You are comfortable with written & spoken English language

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Startups and SMEs from Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia
• The enterprise must operate or be intended to operate as a for-profit business in one of the countries listed above
• The enterprise must demonstrate a circularity focus

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Quality of the business idea
• Technical and commercial feasibility
• Future potential for growth
• Stage of development
• Market expertise and team

TIMELINE (indicative)

AGENDA

Thursday, 7 December (11:00 – 15:30 CET)

• 10:30 – 10:45 | Registration
• 10:45 – 11:00 | Opening words
• 11:00 – 12:30 | Pitch session 1
• 12:30 – 13:00 | Coffee break
• 13:00 – 14:30 | Pitch session 2
• 14:30 – 15:30 | Networking

IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS 

• 18 circular startups (3 per country) from the targeted countries will be selected to pitch
• Each startup will be given 5 minutes for presentation, followed by 5 minutes Q&A 
• Travel and accommodation for one representative will be covered by the organizer

EXPERTS AND INVESTORS

• András Lőrincz (Green Brother Accelerator) 

Andras is a partner and investment manager at Green Brother, an advisory company and the HUB of EIT InnoEnergy and RIS HUB of EIT Urban Mobility in Hungary. With over five years of experience in the renewables and sustainable industry, he has a proven track record of delivering innovation management, market entry support, and start-up investment process management for start-ups and innovators in the energy and mobility sectors. He has a mission to unlock investment and market access for advanced solutions that contribute to the green transition and the circular economy. He has successfully created, designed, and managed the Green Brother Accelerator program and the international start-up development program Interreg InNow, involving five countries and multiple corporate partners. 

 
• Rosen Dimov (Go-Up Incubator)

Assoc. Prof. Dr Rosen Dimov is the founder of PhaseGrowth, an Estonia-based SME that is member of the Copernicus Relay Network and founding member of the EO4GEO Alliance, in which he is a member of the Steering Committee. Teaching and working about circularity innovation in the Pannonia University and the Circular Economy Science Park in Hungary, he has an interdisciplinary experience in innovation-related fields, combined with a background as a serial entrepreneur and VC founder. Previously he worked as a consultant and expert with the European Union and the World Bank. As an individual investor, he is a member of the business angel networks in Bulgaria, Hungary and Estonia. He stands on the board of the Go-Up Incubator, a structure created by the EC that includes legal entities from 8 countries in Europe, and is focused on entrepreneurship and investment in the agrifood value chain.

• Matthias Schneider (Hamburg University of Technology)

Matthias Schneider is a doctoral researcher at the Institute for Technology- and Innovation Management (TIM) at Hamburg University of Technology. He is researching the role of innovation for the implementation of the Circular Economy among firms in the construction and manufacturing industries. He holds a BA in Global Economics and Management from Jacobs University Bremen, Germany and a MSc. in Finance from ESADE Business and Law School (Barcelona, Spain). Before working as doctoral researcher at Hamburg University of Technology, Matthias Schneider worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. 

• Eli Zhabevska (South Central Ventures)

Eli brings 15+ years of experience in financial analysis, business development and strategy. As part of South Central Ventures, a venture capital fund focusing on early stage technology investments in the Western Balkan, Eli is supporting and promoting the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem predominantly in North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania where she is responsible for sourcing new investment opportunities as well as continuously supporting the portfolio companies’ growth, performance and development.SCV is uniquely positioned to dentify and support valuable innovations in the region, providing an opportunity to scale consumption of new technologies and brigde the path towards the global tech ecosystem.

• Maria Cristina Saccani (Circular Economy Specialist)

Circular Economy Specialist, Chartered Accountant and Statutory Auditor in Italy, with a strong background in business strategy, planning and financial management. By leveraging her global understanding of the enterprise, she focuses on developing and implementing corporate sustainability and circular economy models in the manufacturing sector, as well as building partnership with ngos and the public sector.
Most notably, she worked as the tax and revenue director of the Municipality of Parma and served as a study commission member for the National Council of Chartered Accountants (CNDCEC). Additionally, she was an author for the business newspaper 'Il Sole 24 Ore' and the publishing houses 'Wolters Kluwer' and 'Giuffrè'.

• Uwe Birk (ZENIT GmbH)

Uwe Birk (ZENIT GmbH) Dr.-Ing. Uwe Birk joined ZENIT in 1992. He is a senior technology officer, working in technology transfer and innovation support for SMEs. He is an expert for regional, federal and EU funding instruments, all with a focus on energy, environment and mechanical engineering. For over 10 years he was an evaluator for innovation projects of SMEs in a regional a funding programme. He also has experience in reorganisation and quality management. He has a PhD in mining engineering and has been (in part time) senior lecturer at a University of Applied Sciences in North Rhine Westphalia for Thermodynamics, Fluid dynamics, energy systems, and energy since 2014.

REGISTRATION

All interested startups need to register by filling out the following form by 7 November.

CONTACT 

For any further information please write us at info@yes.org.mk.  

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