STup! is Split’s international competition for university startups. Organized by SPI (Student Business Incubator), it was a very successful event in 2019. Due to the global situation in 2020, organizers had to cancel the event.
However, that bump in the road didn’t take the wind out of their sails, so at the moment they are working hard to bring the event to fruition in 2021.

As adaptable as any startup, STup! organizers are aiming for a hybrid event this year – held either online or on-site.

The event will be held on the 18th and 19th of June 2021 in Split, Croatia. Participants can choose if they want to travel to Split and participate on-site, or if they would prefer to participate online via Zoom. Applications for competition participation are open until April 15th, 2021, and can be submitted via the online form on the STup! website.

The initial idea behind this competition was to provide support for student startups and enable young entrepreneurs to present their projects on an international scene.

The successful event that was held in 2019 gathered many student startups, as well as notable judges and speakers with the common goal of promoting startups and entrepreneurship.

Student startups that took part in the event in 2019 had the opportunity to present their ideas to potential investors, as well as learn from entrepreneurs and experts who were there to support them and provide guidance through STup! Conference program.

The competition format consisted of two days. The first day had four pitch rounds. All selected startups presented their project in a five-minute pitch and then had to answer a series of jury questions within a second five-minute period.
The second day of the competition was reserved for six finalists chosen the previous day. They went through another round of five-minute pitches accompanied by jury questions, and then the winner was announced.

During the application process for this competition, any potential participants have to submit their startup presentation together with the application. The startup focus has to fit one of STup!-2021 categories listed on the event website.

After the application process concludes, the selected university startups will be notified by May 15th, 2021 via email with further instructions from the organizers.

The crucial aspect of STup! that sets it apart from other startup competitions is that participation is reserved exclusively for student startups. Student startups are startups in the early phase of their development connected with a University or have at least one team member who still studies at a University. Because STup! is a student startup competition, all applicants must meet these criteria.

We hope this short overview of Split’s international student startup competition has intrigued you enough to be excited about its 2021 edition. In the meantime, we wish the team behind STup!-2021 lots of success in organizing this event. They plan to gather 30 selected startups, so we invite you to apply, as we’re sure it’s going to be another great experience for everyone involved!