Innovation stems from a great idea and boldness in the mission to bravely turn a concept into reality. Montenegro’s startup community demonstrates enormous potential, and the right place for its development is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis in Nikšić. Together with partners through the BoostMeUp program, Tehnopolis continues to provide support—an essential factor for success in innovation.
As part of the pre-acceleration program, which includes Montenegro’s first telecom operator, One, ten teams are currently developing their ideas.
Wine & AI, Starko, and SafeBox are three standout projects making an impact in various areas of life and business.
Wine & AI – Technology Connecting People and Wine
The Mediterranean and fine wine have always been connected. Montenegro, with its wines, offers quality that not only entices tourists to visit and take home cherished memories but also makes wine one of the country’s most significant agricultural exports.
In a country where wine is produced with knowledge and passion, clearly recognized by connoisseurs and enthusiasts, Wine & AI offers a platform connecting them with producers.
“Our team is working on developing the digital platform ‘Vino i ja’ (Wine and Me), which connects winemakers and wine lovers through an innovative marketing and technological transformation of the wine industry. Our mission is to evoke emotions and simplify wine selection for consumers by using creative content and advanced technologies such as QR codes, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, creating an unbreakable bond between producers and consumers,” said Dzemal Lekic on behalf of the startup.
Lekić explained that the BoostMeUp program provides significant assistance, particularly in mentorship and financial support, helping them develop a demo version of the platform.
“This will allow us to validate the idea more quickly and open doors to further development and market entry. In this context, the participation of company One has been crucial, offering expertise and potentially serving as a bridge to future platform users,” Lekic added, noting this will facilitate the product launch and accelerate their journey to the first customers.
“Our next goal is to launch domestically and expand to neighboring markets, aiming to become a key player in the digitalization of the wine industry in the region,” he concluded.
Starko – A Tool to Simplify Business Organization
“With Starko, project management is simplified through a tool that helps you organize your work, teams, and clients,” promises this team of innovators specializing in project and ticket management.
“Our startup enables small, medium, and large enterprises to streamline their operations, from managing teams, files, and projects to tickets and tasks,” said Pavle Cvorovic on behalf of his team.
“Product and customer support tools have created a gap between products and users, and our goal is to change that. We aim to simplify the process and make you feel like you’re working alongside your users to improve your product,” said his colleague Stefan Vukmanovic.
The Starko team emphasized that BoostMeUp has been most helpful in communicating problems and solutions.
“This has been invaluable in sales and will be crucial in securing future investments and connecting with corporations and larger companies,” they explained, adding that the company One has significantly helped shape the product itself.
“Their experience and expertise have helped us understand how teams in large corporations can use our product. We aspire to develop and integrate additional AI layers into our application, making it even more useful,” they concluded with plans for the future.
SafeBox – A Secure Box Contributing to Montenegrin Tourism
Montenegro is a destination chosen by tourists for its breathtaking nature, from its mountains to its stunning southern beaches, considered some of the most beautiful they’ve visited. However, their overall experience depends on various factors, including good air connectivity, hotel offerings, and infrastructure.
Still, as the SafeBox team points out, as a tourist destination, Montenegro must also focus on the small details that elevate the experience. Their idea is one such detail.
“We designed a safe place where tourists and locals can store their personal belongings while spending time on the beach. This is our initial idea, but it easily finds applications in other locations like shopping malls, airports, ski resorts, and more,” said Jovan Djuric, presenting his team’s idea.
Discussing the startup’s development, Đurić said that mentors from the company One were active participants in the BoostMeUp program. Their expertise and professionalism particularly helped in developing the hardware component.
“Although we have experts on our team, we needed advice for scalability, which the professionals at One provided. Their insights were truly invaluable,” he emphasized, noting that the initial implementation will focus on several Montenegrin beaches, with potential expansion along the entire coastline—and why not beyond.
The BoostMeUp program is led by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis, with partners including the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, the University of Montenegro, ICT Hub Belgrade, One Montenegro, the Electric Power Industry of Montenegro, and the Eco Fund. The program is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation and the Governmentof Montenegro.
