GIST Innovates the Balkans
Application is open for the GIST Innovates the Balkans. Bringing U.S. entrepreneurial expertise to the top science and technology innovators in the Balkans. Check below for more information including important dates for this program.
GIST Innovates the Balkans is a ten-week pre-accelerator training program modeled after the Lean Startup methodology. They will coach teams about how to apply the Lean Startup entrepreneurship methodology and how to do effective customer discovery for problem/solution fit of participants’ ideas. By the end of the program, teams will have completed at least 40 interviews with target customers, gaining valuable insight on how to shape their product for maximum impact. The program will provide innovators with the training, mentoring, and resources they need to build their entrepreneurial skills and bring their ideas to market. The program will provide opportunities for teams to connect with mentors in the US and provide opportunities to interact with U.S.-based investors and companies.
Eligibility
This program is perfect for Balkans startups (eligible countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia) that are looking to take their innovations to the next level by getting mentoring, U.S. market expertise, and valuable business model training. All Balkan science and technology startups whose founder is 18 – 40 years of age are eligible to apply. Please read the full eligibility requirements before applying. The broader aim of GIST Innovates Balkans is to reinforce productive values in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Balkans, including merit-based competition, diversity of experience, scientific rigor, the societal impact of technology, ethics, transparency, and inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups.
Benefits
After the training, teams may have an opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors at Arizona State University’s bi-annual Venture Devils Demo Day at ASU in Greater Phoenix, AZ.
The training will focus on customer discovery-based entrepreneurship, real-world practical experience, and functional expertise.
- An inclusive and immersive entrepreneurship curriculum based on the Lean Startup methods.
- Establish connections with experts and investors in the U.S. and perform customer discovery for the U.S. market.
- Train in person two diverse cohorts of STI entrepreneurs recruited from IHubs in the Balkans in the summers of 2023 and 2024.
- Culminate the training experience of Balkan entrepreneurs with their proposal presentations at ASU’s Venture Devils Demo Day
Application Process
- Questions about this program: visar@asu.edu.
Fee information: N/A