BIOEAST Pitching Event Slovenia–Croatia 2026: Open call for bioeconomy innovators
Circular Change, in collaboration with SI.BIO HUB Slovenia and BIOEAST HUB Croatia, is organising the BIOEAST Slovenia–Croatia Pitching Event 2026, bringing together promising bioeconomy startups and innovators from the region.
The event will take place on 10 September 2026 in Portorož, as part of the international conference TBMCE 2026 – Technologies & Business Models for Circular Economy.
This pitching event is part of a broader BIOEAST initiative, where national hubs across Central and Eastern Europe connect innovators with innovation experts and investors to support the growth of the bioeconomy.
Why it matters
The BIOEAST macro-region holds strong potential for bioeconomy innovation — yet access to capital, visibility and strategic partnerships remains a key bottleneck.
The Slovenia–Croatia Pitching Event aims to:
Provide a platform for startups and innovators to present their solutions to investors and innovation experts
Offer structured feedback to strengthen business cases and improve pitching skills
· Foster connections with like-minded professionals, researchers, and organisations
· Increase visibility within the BIOEAST and wider European innovation ecosystem
· Facilitate networking with potential partners, collaborators, and stakeholders
· Explore opportunities for funding and collaboration
· Support both early-stage and scaling bio-based innovations
What to expect
Selected pitchers will:
· deliver a short pitch (5 min pitch + 2 min Q&A) in front of an expert panel
· receive structured feedback to help refine the value proposition and strengthen the business case
· take part in a moderated Q&A session with experts
· join a networking session with peers, researchers, innovation experts and ecosystem actors
· increase their visibility within the European bioeconomy community
· connect with potential partners and collaboration opportunities
Who can apply
Applications are open to startups, SMEs, scale-ups, corporates, students and researchers from Slovenia and Croatia. The solution must be relevant to one of the BIOEAST thematic areas:
agroecology and sustainable yields
biobased materials
bioenergy & new value-added materials
bioeconomy education
food systems
forest value chain
freshwater-based bioeconomy.
The solution should demonstrate a clear value proposition and a strong development ambition. Applicants should be able to clearly present their idea within a short pitch format.
From local pitch to European stage
Winners of the national pitching events will have the opportunity to join the Pitch Perfect Matchmaking Event 2026 in Brussels — one of Europe’s key platforms for bioeconomy innovation visibility and investment.
Opening of applications: 1 April 2026 / Pitching event; : 10 September 2026 a
Deadline for applications: 31 May 2026
