Two Serbian Start-Ups Triumph in International Competition for European Innovators

Two Serbian start-ups, Noxatest and Neo Pill, have achieved remarkable success in the renowned international competition, EIT Jumpstarter 2023, each triumphing in the EIT Food and EIT Health categories, respectively.

Noxatest is pioneering a diagnostic panel for bacterial diagnosis in livestock, while Neo Pill is developing an innovative cleaning method for dental braces.

– We are grateful to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology for recognising our solution as this year`s category winner and to the facilitators and mentors for their great leadership and help. We would like to encourage more new teams to experience this and to apply for this type of programme in the future. EIT Community`s support is viewed as a valuable asset on our journey to achieve this goal. This award is giving us strength and self-confidence, as well as the courage to go further and to be better over time, and importantly, to attract investors – said Noxatest team representatives.

They also added that the next steps for Noxatest are to work on protecting our patent and copyright, to obtain laboratory test certification, and to reach our first customers.

Moreover, Neo Pill, achieving the highest score among all the Western Balkan countries` teams from the competition’s jury, was also honoured with a special prize as the best Western Balkan team.

– There is much more than the award itself, as it is the recognition of our project from the EIT Community that means a lot. Also, the support of the EIT Community in developing our startup is huge and can take us to the top. The EIT Jumpstarter programme taught us the basic, but also the most important steps for setting up a healthy lean startup, how to be fast and how to be the first on the market. Perhaps the most important of all is how crucial the team and communication are for success and reaching the goal – added Neo Pill`s team.

As for the next steps, Neo Pill pointed out that they continue our cooperation with EIT Health InnoStars through partnership and subsequent programmes and, as a result, they expect that the product will find its way to users around the world very soon and that the startup will become an established and recognised company.

Over a hundred innovators gathered on November 30, 2023, in Athens for the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final this year. They showcased more than fifty deep-tech innovations in nine categories, and the expert Jury awarded 27 that can help Europe tackle some of the most pressing challenges.

The EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final is the annual EIT Community celebration of new start-ups created and the birth of innovations made in Europe. This year, a total of 52 teams showcased their ideas in nine categories – digital, food, health, energy, manufacturing, raw materials, urban mobility, New European Bauhaus and Rebuild Ukraine. All innovators joined online and in-person on 30 November from countries located in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, including Western Balkans, the Baltics and Ukraine.

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:

– The EIT Jumpstarter acceleration programme has been helping early-stage innovators develop their business ideas and launch new products on the market. I warmly congratulate all winners on their award, but also all participants. Your ideas will help us build a better, greener future. It`s particularly heartening to see the remarkable commitment of many innovators from Ukraine. The increasing engagement from the Western Balkans is also encouraging, as it aligns with our aim to bolster and unify the European innovation ecosystem.

We`re delighted to announce the distinguished winners of the rest seven categories at the EIT Jumpstarter, each receiving a first prize of EUR 10,000.

EIT Digital: WatchBuilt from Latvia, developing a comprehensive tool for capturing, processing, and reporting information.
EIT Raw Materials: Matvision from Belgium, offering smart sorting systems for the recycling industry.
EIT Urban Mobility: MeGoElectric from Ukraine, manufacturing affordable light- and medium-duty electric trucks for companies.
InnoEnergy: Powea from Türkiye, a smart charging AI that schedules the charging times of electric vehicles to off-peak grid hours, reducing CO2 emissions.
New European Bauhaus: Seenergy from Portugal, creating innovative products that integrate generative energy systems into everyday furniture and household items.
EIT Manufacturing: Fibereuse Tech from Italy, transforming waste into new, high-value products and eliminating landfill.

In a first-time category at EIT Jumpstarter, `Rebuild Ukraine`, the top prize went to the Ukrainian team GAPPO. They provide an AgriTech B2B SaaS solution, aligned with Global G.A.P. standards, that aids in digitalising operational reporting and compliance procedures.

EIT Jumpstarter`s mission is to strengthen entrepreneurship culture, support start-up creation, and contribute to building a diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem with regular cross-thematic and cross-regional collaboration. The programme is powered by seven of EIT`s Knowledge and Innovation Communities: EIT Digital, EIT Food, EIT Health, EIT InnoEnergy, EIT Manufacturing, EIT RawMaterials and EIT Urban Mobility. Essentially, the programme aims to equip young innovators with the tools and knowledge to transform their early-stage ideas, secure the necessary funding, and, ultimately, build self-sustaining and profitable ventures.

Since the pre-accelerator`s initiation by three EIT communities in 2017, the programme has championed the rise of a new generation of European innovators. Today, start-ups that have emerged from EIT Jumpstarter and pursued further development employ around 1,000 individuals.

From 2017 to 2022, start-ups that graduated from EIT Jumpstarter and persevered to develop profitable businesses have successfully attracted an impressive 56 million euros in prizes, grants, and investments.

Starting with an inaugural joint call, 210 teams progressed to the programme`s first phase this year: the Online Bootcamps. This encompassed online courses, mentorship, and coaching. Subsequently, 90 teams advanced to local joint training, they are creating their first business plans, and then 54 teams are making their way to the Grand Finals. At least half of the finalist teams are expected to establish a company.

Those intrigued by the European start-up ecosystem are invited to explore the EIT website. Pre-registration for the EIT Jumpstarter 2024 is now available at https://eitjumpstarter.eu/pre-register-for-eit-jumpstater-2024. Participation in the programme comes without any fees.

Full TOP3 winners list:

NOXATEST DOO KAĆ

European Union

European Institute of Innovation and Technology

EIT

Noxatest

Neo Pill

WatchBuilt

Matvision

MeGoElectric

Powea

Seenergy

GAPPO

Fibereuse Tech

EIT Jumpstarter 2023

EIT Food

EIT Health InnoStars

EIT InnoEnergy

EIT Manufacturing

EIT Raw Materials

EIT Urban Mobility

EIT Digital

EIT Health

Iliana Ivanova

Athens

braces

bacteria

patents

copyright

laboratory testing

certificates

urban mobility

grants