Zagreb, 22.9.2015. - As the leading southeastern startup accelerator, Zagreb Entrepreneurship Incubator signed a strategic partnership with Speedinvest and Pioneers Ventures, the leading Venture Capital funds for digital Startups in the CEE region.

Zagreb Entrepreneurship Incubator (ZIP) is the first startup accelerator in Croatia, founded in 2012. with the goal of helping aspiring entrepreneurs from the region of Southeastern Europe to build their companies. Awarded as the best entrepreneurship support institution in Croatia in 2014 by the Ministry of entrepreneurship and crafts, ZIP has established itself as the strongest startup accelerator in the region.

Pioneers Ventures is a pre-seed investor empowering outstanding startups with it’s global network of corporates, industry experts and entrepreneurs. Besides the cash investment it provides startups with an extensive support program.

Speedinvest is the leading venture capital fund for early-stage technology companies in Central & Eastern Europe. They contribute seed- and growth-stage capital to the best European startups, and also provide hands-on, entrepreneurial support from its team of seasoned, successful startup founders. Through its operations in Vienna and Silicon Valley, Speedinvest is able to create global companies from the top regional talent.

In March of this years, Pioneers Ventures and Speedinvest raised €58 million in their first closing of the “Speedinvest 2” fund, in which Pioneers is a stakeholder and partner.

Mr. Mihovil Barancic (ZIP), Mr. Marius Starcke (Pioneers) and Mrs. Marie-Helene Ametsreiter (Speedinvest) signed the strategic contract which will bring the three entities into partnership motivated by empowering the startups of the Southeastern European region.

This partnership will enable startups coming from ZIP accelerator a broader exposure to much needed capital in the pre-seed (up to €125k), early stage and growth stages (up to €3 million).

Together with potential financial benefit this agreement will also bring support from successful startup founders from the Pioneers and Speedinvest network to startups of the Southeastern Europe.

Applications for the ZIP Startup program are open for regional startups until September 25th.