Belgrade-based startup Solagro wins first PowerUp! contest in Serbia

(Solagro interactive recycling press) The startup project Solagro, which deals in facilitating the recycling process, has won the first PowerUp! contest held in Serbia on May 22, organized by Startit and the European company InnoEnergy, which connects startups in the field of energy and supports their development.

The winner from Serbia, Solagro Smart Recycling, an interactive system for facilitation of recycling, will have the opportunity to take part in the regional contest in Prague and win the EUR 30,000 award and an investment of EUR 150,000.

The second place belongs to Freon Frog for its system for detection, storage and re-use of F gases, whereas a startup which presented a device for the use of wind power, featuring an international patent, placed third.

The manager of InnoEnergy Serbia, Strahinja Krstic, said that various projects in the fields of energy and clean energy of the most successful local startups had been presented at the first PowerUp! contest in Serbia.

– We saw a platform for an easier procurement of electrical energy, a device conserving electrical energy, as well as an advanced version of a windmill, and the common factor is that these are all energy projects – Krstic said.

He pointed out that Serbia was the only country outside the EU which has an official partnership with InnoEnergy and Startit, which, as he says, has been operating in the fields of technology, education and entrepreneurship in Serbia for several years now.

– In addition to the money, what’s important for the winner is that it now has access to the InnoEnergy network and contacts with companies in the field of energy and sustainable development which can considerably help startups accelerate their growth – Krstic emphasized.

Other contestants include Energy Premier, with an online platform for contracts on supply of electrical energy, and Smartico, with a device providing an advanced look into the consumption of electricity.

There was also Smart Load Balancing, with a device for balancing the management of electricity consumption in systems powered by solar energy, as well as NF Concept, with a model of project management in the construction industry with a focus on implementing clean technologies.

In the final, which is to take place on June 19 in Prague, the Solagro team, consisting of Nemanja Janjic, Marko Kalicanin and Djordje Djordjevic, will be competing with the winners from 14 countries, the best of the total of 299 projects applied at the fourth regional PowerUp! contest.

In addition to the said investment and the monetary award, the finalists will also compete for access to the Highway accelerator, which helps transform startups into successful companies.

Let us remind that Solagro was shortlisted for Aurea 2018 award for the investment of the year in Serbia, handed out by our portal.