Phase I • Education
Startup Academy
October – December 2026
Voluntary and open to anyone who wants to learn.
New season • 2026/27
Startup Academy
Listen. Learn. Connect.
Entrepreneurial Nest StartUp Program 2026/27 — five TED-style talks with successful entrepreneurs. The next one is on Tuesday, 17 November.
Entrepreneurial Nest, UDG
Tuesday17 Novat 15:15
A new year, a new concept
One season, two separate paths
Phase II • Competition
Competition programme
Applications from December, work February – May
For everyone who wants to turn their idea into a startup.
You can just listen and learn. You can also build. You choose how far you go.
What’s new this year
- 01
Two clearly separate phases
Education for everyone first, then competition for those who want to build.
- 02
TED-style talks, not biographies
Each speaker opens one topic of building a startup through their own experience.
- 03
A community that lasts
From the talks we build a startup community that meets all year round.
- 04
Work at the Nest every week
Teams meet once a week, for several hours, with mentors.
- 05
A direct path to Berza
No separate call — teams from the programme submit their ideas to Berza, the Entrepreneurial Ideas Exchange.
- 06
A path to the international stage
The best teams go further, to GEN-E and international competitions.
Phase I • October – December 2026
The Academy at a glance
Voluntary and open to anyone who wants to learn.
- 5TED-style talks with successful entrepreneurs
- 12key elements of building a startup
- 0prerequisites: no idea, team or experience needed
- 01
Voluntary and open to all
Education on the fundamental startup topics, through the stories of the best. No commitment and no idea to submit.
- 02
Format: talk + Q&A + networking
45 minutes of a focused talk, then questions and time with the speaker.
- 03
You join the community
Everyone who takes part joins the Nest startup community and hears about new opportunities first.
- 04
A challenge for the best
Short, voluntary tasks after the talks to put what you learned into practice.
Talks
Five talks with successful entrepreneurs
TED-style talks, not biographies: each speaker opens one topic of building a startup through their own experience.
Talk 01 Held on 3 Nov
Idea or problem: how to recognise what’s worth building?
Branko Džakula · Founder: Skenify, Secfix, iPets, The Security Company
Talk 02Tuesday, 17 Nov • 15:15 • Entrepreneurial Nest
Tuesday17 Novat 15:15
Next talk
Speaker
Anton Jurovicki
CEO and co-founder: Coinis, OpenClips
Topic coming soon
Talk 45 min • Q&A • Networking
Talk 03December 2026
Topic coming soon
Speaker
Bojan Milenković
Startup and innovation expert
Talk 45 min • Q&A • Networking
Talk 04Date coming soon
Topic coming soon
Speaker
Darko “Skočko” Ivanović
CEO, The Badger Crew; Digital Den
Talk 45 min • Q&A • Networking
Talk 05Coming soon
Coming soon
Topic and speaker coming soon
We announce it at least 7 days ahead.
Join the newsletterExact dates are announced at least 7 days before each talk.
A challenge for the best
A challenge for the best
After every talk — a short, optional task for those who want more.
- 01
You listen
You come to the talk and ask questions.
- 02
You solve
You get a short task tied to the topic of the talk.
- 03
You stand out
We pick the best solutions and present them to the community.
- 04
You get invited
A personal invitation to form a team for the competition.
The challenge is voluntary — the talks are open to everyone, whether or not you solve the tasks.
Phase II • December 2026 – May 2027
Competition programme
Build. Test. Pitch.
The competition is open to everyone.
Who can apply?
- All students who have an idea or want to develop one
- Including those who didn’t attend the Academy
- Teams, and individuals looking for a team
The Academy advantage
- They already know the steps of building a startup
- They know the speakers, mentors and community
- The best get in touch with speakers and companies
The road to Berza — no separate call
- 1Jan – Feb
Applications
Ideas and teams
- 2Feb – Apr
Development
Work with mentors
- 3April
TOP 10
Finalists selected
- 4May
Berza
National competition
- 5Next
GEN-E
The international stage
Before: a separate call for Berza. Now: one path.
Teams that complete the two-month development phase submit their ideas straight to Berza, the Entrepreneurial Ideas Exchange — ready, with mentor support and a tested idea.
What teams get
- 01
Mentoring
Experienced mentors guide the team from idea to pitch.
- 02
A developed product
From the idea to a first MVP and testing with users.
- 03
Pitching experience
Presenting to a jury, investors and an audience.
- 04
Funding to build it
A chance to win money to develop your idea.
- 05
International competitions
The best teams present their ideas beyond Montenegro.
Details on prizes, eligibility and international competitions will be published with the call for teams.
Gallery
The vibe at our events
Talks, workshops and questions from the floor — photos from earlier events of UDG’s entrepreneurship platform.
Tuesday17 Novat 15:15
See you at the next talk?
Bring a friend too.
Announcements and registration for each talk come at least 7 days ahead — follow the Nest so you don’t miss a date.
Next talk
Tuesday, 17 November at 15:15
Other talks are announced at least 7 days ahead
Where
Entrepreneurial Nest, University of Donja Gorica
Oktoih 1, 81000 Podgorica
Organiser
Who’s behind it?
The Entrepreneurial Nest is part of the University of Donja Gorica’s entrepreneurial platform. The platform brings together a broad network of entrepreneurial initiatives with the University of Donja Gorica (UDG) at its centre — around it are the Student Business Center, which supports young entrepreneurs, and the alumni club Medožuč, which connects former and current students.
