Twelve Early-Stage Startups Presented Their Ideas to Investors and Jury Panel
At the final Demo Day of the 2026 BIRD Pre-Incubation Program, 12 startup teams pitched their ideas to investors, partners, and an expert jury. The top prize went to Vatro-dron, a startup developing a fire-resistant drone platform designed to support emergency response services.
The Demo Day, held at BIRD Incubator in Zagreb, marked the conclusion of the seven-week pre-incubation program aimed at startups in the earliest stages of development. During the event, 12 startup teams showcased their projects before a jury, investors, and ecosystem partners.
The winning team, Vatro-dron, is developing a high-heat and fire-resistant drone capable of providing autonomous firefighting assistance and logistical support in hazardous, hard-to-reach locations.
“Our biggest challenge was validating that we were building a solution that truly addresses the needs of firefighters and emergency responders, and then turning that idea into a tangible product,” said Antun Matijašec, founder of Vatro-dron. “However, the real challenges are still ahead of us. This fall, we will enter the incubation program, and our goal is to arrive with a fully functional and thoroughly tested MVP.”
The expert jury also selected the second- and third-place teams. Sumato secured second place with its smart home retrofit technology, which upgrades existing switches and power outlets without requiring rewiring. Third place went to CargoGO, a digital marketplace often described as the “BlaBlaCar for freight,” connecting companies with available transportation capacity and helping reduce logistics costs.
As the overall winner, Vatro-dron received direct entry into BIRD’s incubation program, valued at €30,000, along with a full scholarship to the ABC BootCamps program and coverage of €350 in administrative costs.
Second-place Sumato and third-place CargoGO were awarded scholarships for ABC BootCamps, covering 50% and 30% of tuition fees, respectively.
The jury panel consisted of Ante Bilić (SQ Capital), Monika Mikac (NVision), Marina Marinčić (Kaufland Croatia) as this year’s program sponsor representative, Sandro Sertić (ABC BootCamps), and Sven Harjaček (BIRD Incubator).
Following the official presentations, participants had the opportunity to network and connect informally in the Kaufland Lounge Zone.
The pre-incubation program runs for seven weeks and is designed for teams in the earliest idea stage. It includes workshops, mentorship, and preparation for pitching to investors. Demo Day marked the completion of this year’s program cycle and provided participating teams with an opportunity to present their solutions to the broader startup community.
Applications for the 2026 incubation program will open in August 2026.
