How one Macedonian creative startup got the opportunity to present its business idea in front of the world? Well, thanks to SmartUp Social Innovation Lab and their collaboration with the Union of Macedonian Professional Associations in the Creative Industries – UMPAKI who organised the first Creative Business Cup North Macedonia this May! Worldwide in the creative and cultural industries there are thousands of startups who have a lot of opportunities and funding mechanisms to develop their ideas, but in our country this startup trend is just starting to develop. That's why for the first time SmartUp presented CBC in front of Macedonian startups.
"The Creative Business Cup is a unique international competition for innovative business ideas, products, or services from creative and cultural industries with the potential to grow globally." The journey to bring the top 10 creative Macedonian startups to the CBC consisted of three stages: an application process, an online Bootcamp Academy, and the National competition. The online Bootcamp Academy was the main development phase for building skills that helped the startups shine on their pitching day. During the week-long bootcamp, 9 speakers gave lectures on popular topics such as B2B lead generation and sales processes, access to funding, how to communicate, pitch and sell, understanding key financial parameters and securing capital, building work culture, leadership and commitment needed to succeed, as well as other topics like long-term strategy development. The winning team of the National Cup earned a spot in the Global Creative Business Academy – an exclusive accelerator programme – and represented North Macedonia at the Global Finals 2021 during the industry forum BRIGHT in Copenhagen this June. The second and third place teams received passes to attend the Global Finals 2021, where they met and connected with entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors from over 80 different countries. What should you know about the top three finalists? Let us introduce you to the winning team of the National Cup - ArchX Studio, with their project EnergyBOX - an outdoor work hub. ArchX Studio consists of architects Natali Veleska and Alen Cvetkovski, and young architects Sara Veleska and Andrej Cvetkovski. Their concept is a work corner that can be placed in public areas, equipped with internet connection and power outlets for electronic devices. EnergyBOX is energy efficient (solar-powered), easily accessible for people with disabilities, modular, easy to install, and supported by software infrastructure. The design addresses the problem of the lack of public spaces where people can work, charge devices, have stable internet access, and receive information via an app. This solution enhances public spaces and aligns with the vision of smart cities. Facebook: ArchX Studio Linkedin: ArchX Great minds create amazing ideas, so the jury had a tough decision choosing the best of the best. They were also impressed by the ideas of InRoom Preview and eBionics. InRoomPreview is a startup founded by Vasil Stojchev in 2016 and now represented by a young and passionate team working from Macedonia to offer feasible and affordable solutions to artists worldwide. After noticing the difficulty of buying artworks without visualizing them at home, Vasil created a virtualization app to solve this problem. Since then, the company has grown steadily and is now expanding into the European market. InRoom Preview is an art visualization app for mobile phones and tablets that allows users to virtually see how artwork looks in any space. Are you an artist? An art gallery? A photographer? Let everyone virtually place your art on their home walls and make purchases without hesitation. Or place your art in 20 free room setups and share it on Instagram. How does it work? Read here! Web: Home - InRoomPreview Facebook: InRoomPreview Linkedin: InRoomPreview The eBionics team's main product idea comes from their designer, Orhan. The product is a 3D-printed bionic hand (electronic prosthesis). One of the key features of this bionic arm is its low price, making it accessible to everyone who needs it, including people in less developed countries. Additionally, the arm will come in various sizes, making it upgradeable for children and teenagers whose bodies are still growing. This product is based on the principle that anyone who needs a bionic hand can download a free 3D printing model, print it, order other parts online, and assemble the hand without prior experience within 1 to 2 hours. This means there are no charges for delivery, labor, or manufacturer and supplier profit. These features make the bionic arm at least 28 times cheaper than other currently available bionic arms on the market. Web: Venus Arm - eBionics Facebook: eBionics Instagram: eBionics (@ebionics.os)
" How about you? Do you have any creative ideas for a startup? But.. you don't know how to pitch it in front of the world? Don’t worry, that's why we’ll be back with the Creative Business Cup and the Bootcamp academy again. Follow us on our social media and keep being informed on time! " www.innovationlab.mk Facebook: SmartUp — Social Innovation Lab LinkedIn: SmartUp — Social Innovation Lab Instagram: @ngosmartup
