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EBRD Star Venture programme

Start-ups

The EBRD’s Star Venture programme identifies high potential, innovative start-ups which are ready for lift off.

We support them with world-class business advice and access to finance to strengthen their performance and accelerate their life cycle.

Star Venture assigns these start-ups advisory projects tailored to their specific competencies and needs. Our consulting services cover a wide range of segments, including strategy, business planning, finance, operations, organisation, marketing and sales among others.

What we offer

  • Business diagnostics workshops
  • Customised consulting projects
  • Online/in-person mentoring sessions
  • Global networks of business partners
  • Access to finance

Are you eligible?

  • Your business or your development team are based in one of 30 countries listed here
  • You have an annual turnover of up to €1 million
  • You have been in business for less than 5 years
  • You have the technology that makes your business scalable
  • The enterprise’s main areas of activity fall under any business area except: military products or services, gambling, tobacco, alcoholic drinks

Do you fit the profile?

  • You demonstrate a high potential to scale
  • You have a competitive advantage
  • You display a strong market opportunity
  • You are committed to continuous engagement throughout the programme 

Call for applications from Azerbaijan

We're currently receiving applications from high-potential start-ups in Azerbaijan. Please refer to the guidelines and the application form below. The deadline to apply is 29th of September.

Application form

Guidelines

Call for applications from Georgia 

We're currently receiving applications from high-potential start-ups in Georgia. Please refer to the guidelines and the application form below. The deadline to apply is 29th of September.

Application form

Guidelines

Call for applications from Morocco

We're currently receiving applications from high-potential start-ups in Morocco. Please refer to the guidelines and the application form below. The deadline to apply is 24th of September.

Application form

Guidelines

Call for applications from the Western Balkans

We're currently receiving applications from high-potential start-ups in the Western Balkans. Please refer to the guidelines and the application form below. The deadline to apply is 20th of September.

Guidelines

Application form

Call for applications from the West Bank and Gaza

We're currently receiving applications from high-potential start-ups in the West Bank and Gaza. Please refer to the guidelines and the application form below. The deadline to apply is 19 August 2023.

Application form

Guidelines

The EBRD provides know-how and mentorship.

More videos

Our portfolio showcases notable start-ups who have climbed the ladder and made headway in their local markets. Some of these include:

Albania

  • Communis Cloud - MedTech | Cloud-based Platform | SaaS
  • Datalix - Lead Gen | Technology Profiler | Sales & MarTech | SaaS
  • Lekotech - Automotive |  Logistics | B2B2C | SaaS | App | Mobile
  • Rubicon - Digital Payment | FinTech
  • Symmetric-OpenPay - Open Banking | Payment Processing | SaaS

Armenia

  • Kruzo - a designer platform | HR | SaaS
  • Velvioo - Transportation | Micro-Mobility Sharing | SaaS

Azerbaijan

  • Recepta - FinTech | Digital receipts management | App | Mobile | Platform
  • Adviad - AdTech | Cross-Channel Advertising platform
  • Push30 - WellTech | Provider of access to fitness network | App | B2B

Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • Bizbook - Digital Sales and Procurement Platform| B2B

Bulgaria

  • Agriniser - Agri-Tech I Agriculture I E-commerce
  • Zero Wave - FMCG-Tech I Manufacturing I Waste Management

Egypt

  • Amanleek – Insurtech | SaaS
  • Askova - Renewable Energy | Manufacturing | SaaS | R&D
  • Avidbeam - AI | IT
  • Brimore - FMCG | Distribution | Retail | E2E
  • CyberTalents – Cybersecurity | Marketplace
  • Etadweer | e-Waste | Recycling | Green
  • Filkhedma - Home Maintenance Services | Marketplaces
  • Fresh Source  - Agri-Tech | E-vendor
  • Gahez Market | Fashion tech | Marketplace
  • iCommunity - Information Technology | Mobile | App | B2B2C
  • Inploy | e- Recruitment | Talent Acquisition
  • Isqan.com - Real Estate | Proptech
  • Khazna – FinTech | App | Mobile
  • MaxAB - B2B | E-Commerce | Logistics | App | Mobile
  • Mazboot  - Healthcare | App | Mobile 
  • Mubun | Recycling  |Sustainable Furniture | Green
  • Notchnco® | e-Communication | CPaaS
  • Orcas – Education | Technology
  • PaySky – FinTech | Payment | App | Mobile
  • Paymob | Fintech | Digital Payment
  • Pravica – Blockchain | communications
  • plug n grow | Agri Tech | Sustainable Food Production | Green
  • Raseedi  -  Cost optimization solution | B2B
  • Raye7 - Carpooling | App | Mobile 
  • Tagaddod - CleanTech | Waste Management | B2B
  • TileGreen | Recycling | Tile Production | Green
  • Trella - Transportation | Freight | App | Mobile
  • Tawfiqia.com – Automotive | App | Mobile
  • Teradix - Procurement software | SaaS
  • Traxl | e-Logistics | Shipping
  • Valify - RegTech | Digital identity 
  • Waslabrowser - Digital web service | Mobile wallet 
  • Youspital – Healthcare | App | Mobile 

Georgia

  • Theneo -  AI | Generate Stripe-like API docs | API Management | B2B
  • B2CGE - Ecommerce Enabler | No-code e-commerce solution for creation of online store |Platform

Greece

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kosovo

  • Ambra - SaaS | Productivity | Task Management
  • Codon.app - MedTech | SaaS Platform | Cloud-based
  • Labbox - EduTech | Hardware | Software
  • OnAir Media – Creative Industry | Online media | Software
  • Paysera - FinTech| Multi-option Account | e-Payment
  • Symbolt - AdTech | Marketing | SaaS
  • Blitz Media - Online Publishing | Affiliate Marketing | Software

Lebanon

  • FabricAID - Clothing | Recycling | Sustainability
  • Fly Foot - Virtual Reality | Sports
  • Geek Express - EdTech | STEM education 
  • Paw Pots - E-commerce | Animal food 
  • Schedex - Cloud Technology | Employee management
  • B.O.T – Data management and analytics I Service provider
  • Ecomz – Website builder I E-commerce
  • IN2 – Sports management I SaaS
  • Nadeera Technologies –  Waste management I App I Mobile
  • Shelvz – Retail Execution Management I SaaS
  • Wakilni – Courier Service I Logistics I App I Mobile
  • Zuno Games - HRTech | Game-based Learning I AI | SaaS

Moldova

 

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

  • Weego - Transport-Tech | Transportation| App
  • WafR - FMCG | Commerce | App | Mobile
  • AIOX Labs - Health-tech | Software Development | AI Technologies
  • MADRAFLIX PRIVE - Edu-Tech | Video platform
  • Pip Pip Yalah - Transport-Tech | C2C carpooling solution | App

North Macedonia

  • Adeva IT – On-Demand Staffing | Contractors Management Platform | B2B
  • FitKit - HealthTech | Mobile | App
  • Stornest – Security | Data Protection 
  • Pixyle - Visual AI | Fashion e-Commerce | B2B | SaaS
  • QPick - RetailTech | Customer Engagement | SaaS
  • MED-REP - Pharma e-Marketing | MedTech | B2B | SaaS

Romania

  • Bright Spaces - Prop-tech I SaaS  
  • easySales - Software Development I Sales automation I SaaS
  • Jobful - HR-Tech I HR gamification I SaaS  

Serbia

  • Anora - MedTech | Hardware | IoT 

  • Bitebell Technologies - FoodTech I Delivery Automation I SaaS 
  • Blinking - RegTech | Digital IDentity and Onboarding Solution | KYC & AML | SaaS | B2B
  • Boostowski -  HR | Retail | Mobile | App
  • Campster - EduTech | B2C | B2C2B
  • Digital Worx – Maintenance Management | Software 
  • Finspot - FinTech | SME Lending
  • Fuller Vision - Autofocal® Glasses for Advanced Presbyopia | HealthTech | Wearable | AI | ML 
  • HireApp - On-demand Staffing | SaaS | AI
  • Joberty -  Jobs | HRTech | Community | Marketplace
  • Loop - HRTech | Job Portal | OnDemand-service 
  • Mily Technologies - LogTech | Delivery Analytics Platform | SaaS
  • Renwai - Entech|Data Science|SaaS
  • Tapni - Digital business card I NFC I E-commerce I SaaS I B2B
  • YoloBook - Photo Printing App | E-commerce

Tunisia

Türkiye

  • Evreka - SaaS | Waste Management                                 
  • REM Arastirma HIZ. BIL. SAN. TIC. A.S. - Retail | AI | Information Technology                                                   
  •  Smart Pulse Tekonoloji A.S. - Information Technology | Automated Energy Trading | PaaS                                 
  • OMMA - Marketing  | SaaS | Cloud-based                     
  • Scotty Kurye Dağıtım ve Teknolojileri A.Ş. - E-commerce | Logistics                                                                         
  • PulpoAR - Information Technology | Retail | Augmented Shopping Technology                                                       
  • Veloxia Technology - Information Technology | Entertainment Distribution                                               
  • Ango AI - Information Technology | AI 

Ukraine

  • Fuelfinance - FinTech | Cloud-based financial department | SaaS
  • Vanongo - Mobility | Last-mile logistics | AI | B2B
  • Awesomic - Design Platform | B2B | SaaS

Start-ups of Belarusian origin

Our Green Star Venture portfolio showcases high-impact green start-ups who are making a difference and supporting sustainable and resilient economies.

Some of these include:

Jordan

Tunisia

Startup Innovation Challenge in response to the coronavirus

The EBRD has financed and advised high-potential start-ups in its countries of operation through various advisory and investment vehicles including Star Venture ProgrammeEarly-Stage Innovation Facility, and Venture Capital Investment Programme.

Building on its experience and know-how in the start-up space, the EBRD launched its first online competition for high-potential start-ups that have innovated their business models in response to the coronavirus. Innovative early-stage enterprises that have the technology and the potential to scale were eligble for the following offer:

Offer

  • A total of USD 500,000 of mixed cash rewards and vouchers for 5 selected startups to cover the costs within the framework of the Star Venture programme including business diagnostics, tailored one-on-one technical advisory, mentoring, access to international investors, etc. To learn more about Star Venture's services, please refer to the videos/articles under Star Venture News here

Results:

Top 5 Winners

•           Otsimo (Türkiye) -  EdTech

•            Fazla Gıda (Türkiye) - Technology | Food

•            1Trolley (Egypt) - E-commerce

•            Plant an App (Romania) - IT | Low-Code

•            EMBIO Diagnostics (Cyprus) - Biotechnology

Eligible companies for partial support

The Start-up Innovation Challenge was supported with donor funds from the Republic of Korea, and in Egypt by the EBRD’s Small Business Impact Fund (Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, TaiwanBusiness - EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund and the United States).

Green Cities Start-up Innovation Challenge

In partnership with the EBRD's pioneering urban sustainability programme, EBRD Green Cities and with support from the TaiwanBusiness - EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund, Star Venture is launching an Innovation Challenge for start-ups across the Bank's countries of operations.

Cities, which account for 70 per cent of energy use and 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, present an enormous environmental challenge. But they are equally an important source of innovation and the starting point for adressing climate change.

Competition overview

Are you a start-up that is working to accelerate the decarbonisation of cities? Are you deploying clean energy solutions or services that improve energy efficiency in urban areas?

The Green Cities Start-up Innovation Challenge is calling all high-potential start-ups from the EBRD's countries of operations that are contributing to energy resilience and security in urban environments. Winners will receive dedicated support from the Star Venture programme with scaling up their products and services, and growing their business.

Reward

Winning companies will join a cohort of dynamic venture teams in an intensive and tailored 18-month support programme.

Start-ups will benefit from systematic business diagnostics workshops, customised consulting projects, online/in-person mentoring sessions, as well as access to finance and global networks of business partners and high-level executives, potential customers, entrepreneurs and international soft landings.

The type and area of support will depend on the competencies and needs of the individual enterprises.

The total value of the advisory service project is EUR 100,000, out of which EUR 15,000 can support service expenses that fall outside of the scope of the Star Venture offer. 

 

Timeline

After an initial pre-screening, applicants will be shortlisted and the innovators who made the cut will be invited to pitch their products and/or services to a jury of reputable, international professionals specialised in urban sustainability, energy.

An award ceremony will be organized in November to announce the winners and promote the winning innovations amongst EBRD Green Cities and key stakeholders. 

Eligibility criteria

  • Have operations and physical presence in the EBRD’s countries of operations (30 countries, listed here).
  • Have less that EUR 1 million in turnover.
  • Have less than 5 years of operations.
  • Have an innovative, technology-based solution or business model with a Technological Readiness Level (TRL) between 7 and 9, as used by the European Union programme Horizon 2020.
  • Be committed to continuous engagement throughout the entire duration of the 18-month programme.

Selection criteria

We're looking for candidates who are developing and deploying products and services that can accelerate the decarbonisation of cities and foster energy resilience in the urban sphere through for instance:

  • Improved energy managementProducts and services aiming at improving the management of energy resources at the city level. These solutions are keys to improving the energy efficiency of the grid, reducing losses and, furthermore, integrating renewable energies in the grid, amongst other benefits. Better energy management can also result in improved customer experience and awareness.
  • Greater energy inclusion - Products and services aimed at improving everyone's access to clean energy technologies and services. Improving the access to, and the affordability of, clean energy technologies and services.
  • Cleaner and secure energyTechnological products or components aimed at accelerating the deployment of clean energy solutions and/or supporting the development or deployment of sustainable and viable alternatives to gas for heating.

Applicant companies will have to demonstrate that their innovation does not solely target decarbonisation but can accelerate decarbonisation in cities and support, thus, achieving greater energy security.  

Following a competitive selection process, we are thrilled to announce AgVenture's winning start-ups and runners-up:

Winners: 

  • Kumulus (Tunisia) - Water-tech | Security
  • Biftek (Turkey): Agri Tech | Beef Tech | Green
  • Smapp Lab (Hungary): Agri Tech | Insect Monitoring 


Runners Up

  • Cuppfee (Bulgaria): Zero-Waste | Sustainable Food Production | Green
  • Ondo (Bulgaria): Smart Farming Solution | Automation system
  • Seabex (Tunisia): Farming solutions | AI-based platform 

*****************************

EBRD AgVenture is a competition supporting innovative early-stage agribusiness technology ventures. Eligible agri-tech start-ups are those that operate in the economies where EBRD invests and that address one of three key themes:

  • food, production and efficiency;
  • greening the agri-sector; and
  • improving value chain inclusion.

EBRD AgVenture will assist these start-ups to enhance their competitiveness and growth, which will contribute to the major problems faced by food systems today including but not limited to food security, rising input costs, intensified climate change, and fair inclusion of minorities, and small businesses in global value chains.

What we offer

The competition winners and runners up will receive the follow:

  • a tailored advisory service through the dedicated EBRD Star Venture experience in value of EUR 80,000 for winners and EUR 50,000 for runner-ups. This includes:
    • A systematic business diagnostics workshop
    • Customised consulting support
    • Online/in-person mentoring sessions
    • Access to finance/market
  • a 10,000 EUR grant for additional services
  • visibility at global forums
  • links to EBRD and other networks

All short-listed start-ups will be offered a business-matching to Taipei China, and visibility opportunities.

Are you eligible?

  • Your enterprise’s main areas of activity falls under the agri-tech sector and have an aim to improve:
    • Food, primary production and efficiency, including digital solutions that improve primary or food production, and aim to address food security issues.
       
    • Greening of the agri-food sector, including reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, climate resilience, or resource efficiency related to food, water and agri-waste.
       
    • Value chain inclusion in the agri-food sector, including linking companies of all sizes into value chains, and creating economic opportunities for women, rural, youth and other minority groups in the agri-food sector.
       
  • You must have the majority of operations in the EBRD Countries of Operation and should have implemented, or should be implementing or should have reached a formal agreement in order to implement the product/service in the EBRD countries. Alternatively, start-ups should have the majority of its product/service implementation of their product/service in an EBRD Country of Operation, and should have some operations in the EBRD Countries of Operations.
  • You have an annual turnover of up to €1 million
  • You have been in business for less than 5 years

See Guidelines for further information on eligibility.

How to apply

We are currently receiving applications for this programme. Please refer to the application guidelines and form below. 

Interested start-ups are welcome to apply here.

See our Guidelines for more information about the competition.

Timeline (for 2022 intake)

  • Launch event: 1 Feb 2023
  • Start up Application deadline: 10 March 2023
  • Preliminary selection notification: 15 March 2023,
  • Shortlist announcement: 22 March 2023
  • Pitching sessions: 11th & 12th April 2023 from 12:00 - 15:00
  • Announcement of winners: end of April
  • Business matching in Taipei China for all shortlisted companies: between May 2023 – September 2023.
  • For winners and runner ups, 1:1 Advisory/Star Venture support focusing on scaling: April 2023 – Sep 2024.

The Deadline to submit your application is 10 March 2023 at 23:59 GMT.

 

Star Venture News