Five startups had the opportunity to present their innovations to domestic and foreign investors and companies at the Demo Day, the culminating event of the second edition of the NINJA accelerator program in Serbia. The program, organized by the ICT Hub and the Digital Serbia Initiative in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), enabled participating startups—Relio, nanoWAF, OPS.inc, Trust2Me, and Inclusio—to receive support in expanding their businesses internationally.
Throughout the 10-week program, these startups worked with both local and international experts, receiving professional mentoring, attending thematic workshops, and establishing connections with key players in the Asian market. The most successful startups were given the opportunity to visit Japan and Singapore, where they could apply their newfound knowledge and continue building relationships with the Asian market.
At the Demo Day, several key figures emphasized the growth opportunities for Serbian companies in Asia. Japan’s Ambassador to Serbia, Akira Imamura, Serbia’s Ambassador to Japan, Aleksandra Kovač, and Hajime Fukuda, the JICA office’s chief representative for the Balkans, discussed the potential for Serbian startups to access the Asian market. Tanja Kuzman, general director of the Digital Serbia Initiative, and Kosta Andrić, executive director of ICT HUB, also highlighted the significance of these opportunities for growth and internationalization.
Ambassador Aleksandra Kovač stated, “We believe that the second phase of the NINJA accelerator program represents an important step in promoting the development of Serbia’s startup ecosystem and providing concrete opportunities for growth and access to international markets, particularly in Asia. This initiative will strengthen business exchanges and partnerships between Japan and Serbia in various sectors of shared interest.”
Tanja Kuzman further emphasized the potential for Serbian startups to achieve global success but noted that international support, such as that provided by the NINJA program, is crucial in helping them reach their goals.
This global initiative is supported by ABeam Consulting Ltd. and the Japanese startup incubator Tsucrea, both of which provide mentorship and strategic connections to the Japanese market, further aiding the startups’ growth and expansion plans.
