Masterclass – Croatia

Welcome to the ESIL Croatia Deep Tech Masterclass and introduction to the objectives of the day.

This module will introduce foundations on how to translate research results stemming out from publicly funded research into innovation projects and ultimately into deep tech ventures. At the earliest stage, STEM researchers often struggle to visualise the innovation journey and translate their research activities into a credible innovation narrative. This session will help them to address key questions such as:

• Why am I doing this research?
• Is there a need I would like to fulfil outside the lab?
• Who else do I need to involve to address this need?
• What are the key elements to be considered in an EIC and similar projects?
  • Excellence vs impact vs implementation.

The session will present cases and recommendations on how to embed exploitation and commercialisation already at the research proposal stage and how to address them during the project lifetime of research projects.

The module addresses how to embed the innovation journey directly into the proposal-writing phase, ensuring that impact, market orientation and long-term exploitation are integral parts of project design. While proposals are rich in technical content, they frequently lack a clear articulation of market relevance, impact pathways and exploitation logic. This gap results in missed opportunities within Pathfinder and Transition schemes and weak foundations for future venture creation. The session will address:

• Pathfinder vs Transition objectives and TRL positioning.
• Structuring proposals around the Impact framework.
• Designing credible impact, exploitation and validation pathways.
• Framing scientific novelty as a future market opportunity.

This session will include:

• Exercise on proposal writing.

This session will focus on the practical aspects of intellectual property strategy, technology transfer and the creation of spin-off companies from research institutions.

The module will present how to approach investors, how to build long-term relationships, and how to transform scientific narratives into compelling business opportunity stories. Once funding is secured and execution is almost completed, the innovation teams prepare themselves for the next steps needed to increase TRL and enter the market. A major bottleneck arises when public funding ends and private capital becomes essential to fuel the deeptech venture. Researchers often lack exposure to investor logic, have limited knowledge and access to Business Angel networks, and are unprepared to present their projects as investable business opportunities. This step will address:

• Preparing for post-grant funding.
• The role of BA (expertise, network and funding).
• Angel group (working with the “spin-off” from the first formal funding round) transition.

Discussants will present how research teams can structure investor-ready narratives, what milestones and KPIs investors look for, and when founders should start engaging with venture capital investors and business angels.

An opportunity for informal networking and discussion among researchers, founders, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders, accompanied by a light lunch. In parallel, in a dedicated room, an open coaching session with Andrea Di Anselmo will be available for masterclass participants. Researchers and students are invited to join freely, ask targeted questions, and receive practical feedback on their ideas, projects, and entrepreneurial paths. This parallel session is designed as an interactive and accessible coaching moment, offering tailored guidance in a more focused setting, while the broader networking lunch continues.

This module will introduce how to pitch a research result. This session will explain how to prepare for a pitch considering what investors think, which questions they ask, and how they assess opportunities in practice.

Discussants will present challenges on building a team, validating technology, raising initial capital and navigating the path from research project to venture-backed company.

Selected research teams and early-stage startups will present their projects and receive structured feedback from investors and ecosystem experts. The goal of this session is to provide practical guidance on technology positioning, market validation and investment readiness.

The module will introduce participants on concrete steps to strengthen collaboration between universities, research institutes, venture builders and investors in Croatia.

Summary of key takeaways from the Masterclass and next steps for strengthening the research-to-venture pipeline in Croatia.