We held the 4th edition of our Deep-Tech Talks on Tuesday, February 17th, in collaboration with the British Embassy Zagreb, at the inspiring HUB385 space. The room was filled to capacity, and the energy from the very start showed just how strong the interest in deep-tech topics in Croatia has become.
This time, we brought together a diverse and dynamic community, from startup founders, investors, and members of the academic community to industry experts and everyone actively following the development of the tech ecosystem. At the heart of the evening was one big question: can Physical AI and ClimateTech become Croatia’s next tech verticals, and do we have all the necessary conditions to develop them right here?
Approaching the topic from different angles
We approached the topic from Croatian, European, and UK perspectives, connecting local opportunities with global trends. Our guest from the United Kingdom, Taku Sato, PhD (Inventya Ltd.), shared clear and concrete insights on where the UK currently stands in deep tech development and what it truly takes to make a breakthrough.
“What Croatia already has, and many are still trying to build, is a compact and connected ecosystem where academia, startups, and investors genuinely meet and collaborate. This density of relationships accelerates knowledge transfer, shortens the path from research to market, and enables faster testing of new solutions. It’s a strong foundation for building new tech verticals.”
– Taku Sato, PhD, Inventya Ltd.
The strong local momentum was further highlighted by our Nuqleus alumni. Vanja Jurišić from Fibryion and Filip Zorić from Crobotic Solutions demonstrated that innovations in advanced materials, robotics, and AI applications already have a solid footing in Croatia. The energy, ambition, and concrete products are all already here.
We wrapped up the evening with a panel discussion joined by Juraj Radić from Gideon, further connecting perspectives from industry, entrepreneurship, and technology. Moderator Deni Nurkić guided the conversation through key questions: do we have the knowledge? Yes. Do we have the talent? Absolutely. Do we have the opportunity? More than ever.
From VC funds and investors, to members of the academic community, startup founders, and curious minds from the wider ecosystem, the audience reflected exactly the level of interdisciplinary collaboration needed to develop new tech verticals. The energy in the room made it clear that interest, expertise, and ambition are already here.
Can Physical AI and ClimateTech become Croatia’s next big tech stories? We believe they can. The talent is here, the first success stories are emerging, and the community is ready to build for the long term.
Connecting ecosystems
A big thank you to the British Embassy in Croatia for their partnership and support in organizing this event, which also served as the closing activity of our joint project, “Connecting UK and Croatian Ecosystems.” Through this collaboration, we further strengthened the connection between the UK and Croatian innovation ecosystems, creating space for new opportunities and future collaborations.
