The Croatian Startup Community Gathered at the First Startup BBQ

On Saturday, April 12, the courtyard of Fabrika in Zagreb became a gathering place for the Croatian startup community, hosting the first Startup BBQ, an informal event that brought together over 200 startup founders, investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, mentors, accelerators, and other key players in the local tech scene in a relaxed atmosphere.

The event was organized by BIRD Incubator (Solvership), Nuqleus, and Bornfight, with the aim of creating a space for relaxed networking, sharing experiences, and building collaboration within the growing startup community.

The atmosphere was casual, and the content of the Startup BBQ was deeply relevant for all those building and supporting the local startup ecosystem. The program opened with a panel discussion ‘Behind the Scenes: The Movers and Shakers of Croatia’s Startup Ecosystem’, where Luka Glavaš (Flaster), Ante Bilić (SQ Capital), Matija Srbić (Nuqleus), Vid Zavalić (BIRD Incubator), and Ivor Bihar (Bornfight and Determ) shared their experiences and insights, moderated by Bernard Ivezić (Unicorn Underground and HISPACE).

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This was followed by an honest and dynamic fireside chat ‘The Art of Screwing Up (And Surviving)’ in which Marijan Bračić (Legit) shared his entrepreneurial journey, including mistakes, setbacks, and valuable lessons, in a conversation with Ivanom Brezakom Brkanom (Netokracija). The audience heard firsthand what survival and growth after failure looks like – experiences that often remain untold but are crucial for the development of every startup.

The socializing continued at a great pace – with sunshine, barbecue, music, and numerous opportunities for relaxed networking. The event was held in partnership with HUB385 and supported by sponsors Erste, SQ Capital, Silicon Gardens, Feelsgood Capital, Biljni liker Barun, and Pipi. The media partner for the event was Netokracija.

Given the great interest and enthusiasm of the participants, the organizers announce that this is just the first edition, with the ambition for the Startup BBQ to become a traditional gathering of the community.

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