Call is: OPEN
Deadline: 25.02.2025.
Budget: N/A
Sector: Business and innovation
Konkurs je za: SMP and startaps

Star Venture Program of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) aims to support promising startups, accelerators, and consultants to help them unlock their full potential. With over 25 years of experience working with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), EBRD has developed unique expertise in strengthening startup ecosystems across its regions.

The program collaborates with startups, accelerators, mentors, and investors, leveraging a dedicated network of mentors and advisors to provide tailored consultancy services and industry best practices.

Program Includes:

• Strategic workshops led by Cambridge IfM Engage
• World-class advisory, mentorship, and access to financing
• Market development to help startups improve their results and scale their businesses quickly

Support for Startups:

The program helps young companies eliminate systemic barriers to financing by connecting them with a network of investors strategically interested in early-stage startup development.

Support for Accelerators:

Star Venture mobilizes mentors to help accelerators improve their training capacities and support the development of startups. The program provides tools to help accelerators enhance the business performance of startups within their cohorts while also contributing to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Additional Ecosystem Support:

The program offers training for local investors to develop their capacities, opportunities for crowdfunding, advisory services for governments supporting startups, and guidelines for local consultants on how to mentor startups in the future.

Public Call for Startups from the Western Balkans

The call for promising startups from the Western Balkans is currently open.

• Deadline for applications: 25 February 2025
• Guidelines for applications: Star Venture – Guidelines 8th call – FINAL
• Application link: [Here]

Info Sessions:

Interested parties can join Info Sessions to directly contact the Star Venture program team and obtain more information about the call and the program itself. Sessions are held every Friday at 11:00 AM, until the application deadline.

• Microsoft Teams Link:
  Join the meeting now
  Meeting ID: 361 545 785 295
  Passcode: bw2hb9HR

Program Brochure:

Star Venture Overview Presentation

For more information about the program, please visit [Here].

Star Venture Program Results:

To date, Star Venture has supported more than 550 promising early-stage startups across 23 countries, including regions such as Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED), Western Balkans, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Turkey.

While the program is currently available only in these regions, EBRD is committed to expanding access to finance and knowledge for entrepreneurs in all the countries in which it operates.

Program Funding:

The Star Venture program is currently funded by the European Union, Luxembourg, and Korea through the EBRD Small Business Impact Fund, which includes contributions from countries such as Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States.