Eureka Technology Innovation & Investment (Eureka TechIN) and Zagreb School of Economics and Management (ZSEM)Competition

€27,500 Eureka Innovation Competition

Oct 19, 2026 23:59:00 Europe/Zagreb

Opportunity type

Competition

Funding

No Funding

Location

Global

Deadline

Oct 19, 2026 23:59:00 Europe/Zagreb

About this opportunity

Eureka TechIN, a Melbourne-based technology investment platform, and the Zagreb School of Economics and Management run this international pitch competition for startup ideas and early ventures. Individuals and teams from anywhere submit a project in one of eight technology fields, selected projects pitch to an expert jury at the semi-finals, and finalists present in person in Zagreb on 17 November 2026, where six projects share prizes of up to 10,000 euros.

What you get:

First prize: 10,000 euros for one project (Eureka Award for Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
Second prize: 5,000 euros each for two projects
Third prize: 2,500 euros each for three projects
Expert jury feedback, mentoring and networking with investors and industry leaders
International promotion for your project

What you'll do:

Submit a project summary of up to 1,000 words plus a business plan in one of eight fields: green and renewable energy, smart manufacturing, health tech, biotech and bioengineering, agri-food, digital technologies, AI and computing power, or data centres
If selected, pitch to an expert jury at the semi-finals on 26 and 27 October 2026
If you reach the final, present your project in person in Zagreb on 17 November 2026

Key dates:

Applications opened 20 July 2026
Applications closed 18 September 2026 for applicants who need a visa to travel to Croatia
Applications close 19 October 2026 for applicants who do not need a visa for Croatia
Semi-finals 26 and 27 October 2026
Final and winners announced 17 November 2026, Zagreb

More information:

Full competition rules, the brochure and a PDF copy of the application form are on the ZSEM event page
If the online form will not open, the PDF form can be completed and emailed to techin@eurekaintl.com.au
Prizes are gross amounts: Croatian tax is withheld before payment, and winners must supply payment and tax documents by the organiser's deadline or lose the prize
Project contact at ZSEM: Dr. Ivija Bernatovic, Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Who can apply

Open to individuals and teams from all over the world, regardless of previous experience or academic status
You can apply alone, with a team, or ask to be placed in a team
Your project must fall in one of the eight competition fields
Applications only through the official online form, with a project description, thematic area, team details, contact information and a business plan
Finalists must present their projects in person in Zagreb, Croatia
If you need a visa to enter Croatia, the deadline was 18 September 2026 and has passed; 19 October applies only to applicants who do not need a visa

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

We could not fully verify this organization or all of its details. Check it independently on the official website before you apply, and never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

LOT Verification ScoreFair

Cross-checked 8 of 12 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Co-hosted by ZSEM, an accredited business school, on its own site with full rules, brochure and a named project lead
+Long-running: Eureka TechIN states nine editions since 2017, and ZSEM shows photos from the 2025 edition
+No application fee anywhere in the rules, brochure, form or either organiser page
+Open worldwide to individuals and teams with no age, experience or academic-status requirement
+Prize amounts and positions published identically on ZSEM and Eureka TechIN pages, with the tax treatment spelled out in the rules
+Participants keep all intellectual property in their projects

Worth checking yourself

!Applicants who need a visa to enter Croatia had to apply by 18 September 2026; that deadline has passed, so check your passport's visa requirement for Croatia before applying
!Finalists must present in person in Zagreb on 17 November 2026, and no page mentions travel, accommodation or visa support; budget for your own trip
!Whether the 26 and 27 October semi-finals are in person or online is not stated
!No closing time is published for 19 October; apply well before the end of the day, Croatian time
!Prizes are gross: Croatian tax is withheld, and only six of the entered projects win money
!Lead organiser is the investment arm of a commercial business group, not the EUREKA intergovernmental R&D network
!The brochure calls this the 8th edition while the web pages say 9th; minor, but the documents are not fully consistent

Sources checked

OPopportunitytracker.ugOfficialZSzsem.hrApplyZSzsem.hrApplyZSzsem.hrApplyZSzsem.hrApplyZSzsem.hrApplyEUeurekatechin.com.auOfficialEUeurekatechin.com.auOfficialEUeurekatechin.com.auOfficialFOforms.gleOfficial

LOT finds and checks opportunities from public sources. Always confirm details on the organiser’s own page before applying.