The five-day Startup Camp for students, organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis in collaboration with the Faculty of Economics of the University of Montenegro, concluded last night with team presentations before an expert jury during Demo Day.
Over the course of five days, 17 students from six faculties developed their ideas with the help of mentors through workshops, practical tasks, and team activities. In addition to the educational component, the Camp was also an opportunity for participants to get to know each other through hiking tours, movie nights, and evening gatherings, which further fostered team spirit and the exchange of experiences.
During Demo Day, five teams presented their business ideas to a jury composed of Djorđije Malović, Executive Director of IEC Tehnopolis, Sasa Ivanovic, Program Manager at the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, and Radivoje Drobnjak, Program Activities Manager at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.
The first-place team developed Eco Pot, a biodegradable flower pot made from eggshells, corn waste, and pine resin, aimed at reducing waste and naturally enriching soil after decomposition. “It doesn’t matter who won — the most valuable things we’re taking from the Camp are new knowledge, friendships, and maybe even the foundations for a shared business journey,” said team member Janko Kankaras. The team was awarded a prize of €2,000.
Second place and a prize of €1,000 went to the team behind the startup idea Emoti, whose representative Andrija Calasan highlighted the great atmosphere and organization: “I met amazing people, we quickly bonded, helped each other, had common goals, and there was no competition or tension at all,” he said. His team presented an app that helps users recognize and better understand their emotions.
The Barco team, which took third place and received a special prize from the Vučje Tourist Center, developed a smart device that allows real-time monitoring of a dog’s health, activity, and location. “I’m especially glad I made new friendships and learned so much — even though the concept of a startup was new to us all, we managed to develop great ideas in the end,” said team member Andrej Planic.
A total of five teams presented well-developed ideas – the Fantastic Trio team created Easy Note, a smart electronic note-taking device that allows students and pupils to easily save and access their data; while the Friendy team worked on an app designed to help Erasmus students connect and overcome feelings of loneliness.
As a true reflection of the spirit of collaboration that marked the entire Camp, the winning teams decided to share their prize fund with all participants – demonstrating that mutual support and cooperation were valued above competition.
The goal of this Camp was not just education, but also to create a stimulating and supportive environment where students feel free to learn, develop ideas, experiment, ask questions, connect with others, and grow — both as individuals and as part of a community. The Student Startup Camp once again demonstrated how important it is to create space for young people that motivates them to channel their potential into innovation, entrepreneurship, and collective development.
