selected startups for ninja accelerator

This article was developed within the program Venture an Idea funded by the USAID.

For the second time, Serbian startups have the opportunity to receive mentoring support and direct access to potential partners and investors in Asian markets through the NINJA accelerator program. The accelerator is implemented by the ICT Hub and the Digital Serbia Initiative in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Five startups (Relio, Ops.inc, nanoWAF,  Inclusio, Trust2Me ) will receive support for expanding to international markets, with a focus on Asia, especially Japan and Southeast Asia.

'In line with the efforts of the Government of Serbia to improve the startup ecosystem, JICA is committed to supporting the economic development of Serbia and the Western Balkans through innovative projects. ' Through the NINJA program, we aim to empower Serbian startups in order to better position themselves in international markets and establish long-term partnerships with key players in Asia,' said Yoshiaki Nagata, assistant resident representative of the JICA office for the Balkans.

The NINJA (Next INnovation with Japan) program offers Serbian startups the opportunity to receive support for the internationalization of their business through ten weeks of work with international and domestic experts. This program is not only an opportunity for mentoring support but also for concrete connections with key actors of the Asian market. With thematic workshops, 1-on-1 sessions with mentors, and consultations with various experts, startups will have the opportunity to attend special events and learn more about how to expand their business to the Asian market, what are good practices, and how to do it from Serbia.
'Internationalization is a key step for all startups that strive to create success on a global scale. The second edition of the NINJA accelerator is important for our ecosystem because it aims to show startups what can be done in Asia and how to approach potential users in that market. We want to empower domestic startups to better position themselves on the global stage and build permanent ties with Asian partners, who can accelerate their development,' said Tanja Kuzman, general director of the Digital Serbia Initiative.

'We are proud that, together with JICA and the Digital Serbia Initiative, we provide startups with direct access to Asian investors and markets.' We believe that this type of international cooperation contributes to the growth of the domestic startup ecosystem. The Asian market brings a large user base with a high rate of technology adoption and provides huge opportunities for our startups from various sectors,' said Kosta Andrić, CEO of ICT Hub.

The finale of the NINJA program is the Demo Day, which will be held in February 2025, when the startups will present their projects to international investors and experts, and after that, the most successful ones will have the opportunity to visit Japan and put the acquired knowledge into practice.

The NINJA accelerator is intended for technological startups that are in the phase of scaling to foreign markets and that want to market their products in Asia as well.

The partners of this global project are ABeam Consulting Ltd. and Japanese startup incubator, Tsucrrea.

This article is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this program are the responsibility of Nova Iskra and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government