The Кatapult program of the Innovation Fund, the first true acceleration program in Serbia combining intensive, three-month mentoring with co-investment, has selected 19 innovative startup companies for the first cohort.
From late March through late June, these companies, selected in a highly competitive process, will have the opportunity to improve their businesses and acquire new skills for attracting private investments. Katapult companies will benefit from intensive work with mentors and financial support in the form of grants of EUR 20,000 (for ideation-stage companies) to EUR 50,000 (for scale-up companies).
In addition, grants of up to EUR 300,000 in total will be available to Awardees who secure a qualifying equity investment within nine months after the conclusion of the acceleration program.
Over 30 experienced international and local mentors will work closely with startup teams, tailoring support to the unique needs of each participating company. Katapult will assist participants in identifying potential investment partners through networking and training. Our startups remain a part of the Katapult’s community even after the acceleration program is concluded.
Thanks to the strong partnership of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the World Bank and the European Union, through joint investments, Serbian innovative entrepreneurs have been provided support for the development of innovations. The new Katapult acceleration program will further boost our startup community’s ability to position itself on the global market, contributing to growth and competitiveness of the Serbian economy.
The selection committee chose the highest-quality teams from among 148 innovative growth-oriented enterprises who applied to Katapult. The chosen companies are from Belgrade and Novi Sad, and most work with information and communication technologies.
Financing for Katapult is provided by the Republic of Serbia (Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development), through a 7.7 million euro World Bank loan with implementation support, and the European Union, through a 10 million euro grant. The program is part of the “Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project,” dedicated to strengthening innovative entrepreneurship and scientific research.
