As we approach the end of the first phase of the exciting new Nuqleus generation, where more than 40 researchers are working on validating their innovative ideas, we proudly announce the phenomenal achievements of our startups from previous generations. In total, eight Nuqleus startups have managed to raise a significant 1.4 million euros in investments and grants.
Namely, the startups NADES Design, Green Energy Pal, KalphaTech, Calirad, CyberArrange, and Greener have each secured 200,000 euros in grants through the “Start-up/spin-off enterprises of young researchers” competition by the Ministry of Science and Education. These investments will be crucial for their further development, enhancement, and testing of innovative solutions, as well as for improving the entrepreneurial and management skills of team members.
Additionally, the startup Emhance previously secured an 80,000 euro investment from angel investors in the USA, and the startup Cyclops was recognized by the Fil Rouge Capital fund, receiving an investment worth 100,000 euros.
We are very proud of their successes, and below we provide more information about what exactly these outstanding startups are working on and the innovations these investments will be directed towards.

NADES Design - Designed Plant Preparations
Imagine being able to choose a plant, isolate certain precious biologically active molecules, enhance their biological activity, and ultimately incorporate these valuable molecules into your product. This is precisely what the startup NADES Design can enable through its sustainable and innovative approach to producing plant preparations that can have anti-aging, antioxidant, antitumor, and other beneficial effects. The process of forming plant preparations is based on the design of new green, or natural, NADES solvents that extract targeted molecules from plants.
NADES Design was founded by six scientists from the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology at the University of Zagreb: Prof. Dr. Ivana Radojčić Redovniković, Kristina Radošević, Marina Cvjetko Bubalo, Manuela Panić, Mia Radović, and Martina Bagović. The scientists emphasize that these solvents are 100% natural, biodegradable, environmentally friendly, non-volatile, easy to prepare, and can be used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products.

Green Energy Pal - Optimization of Electricity Costs for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Founded on a “green” idea, the startup Green Energy Pal consists of three doctoral students from the Department of High Voltage and Energy at FER: Ivan Pavić, Alen Hrga, and Ivan Sudić. Their goal is to optimize electricity costs for small and medium-sized enterprises, all in the interest of a greener planet and a better future. The three experts have developed Enpulse, a comprehensive system for measuring and controlling electricity consumption. This way, every small and medium-sized enterprise can measure how much energy it consumes on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, and the consumption data is used to monitor progress.
In the short term, Enpulse generates a strategy for achieving financial savings through optimal device management, while in the long term, it provides recommendations for further investments in green infrastructure, including information on return on investment and predicted economic benefits for the user.

KalphaTech - Simplifying and Accelerating Crystallographic Data Analysis from X-Ray Diffraction
The startup KalphaTech is developing new technologies based on physical models enhanced by artificial intelligence algorithms. The multidisciplinary KalphaTech team consists of five PhDs in chemistry, physics, and mathematics – Ivan Halasz, Tomislav Ivek, Domagoj Vlah, Edi Topić, and Stipe Lukin. Together, they automate expert knowledge and crystallographic analysis to accelerate research and development, improve quality control, and production in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnological industries.
KalphaTech products extract reliable quantitative and qualitative information, such as the number of components in a solid material, their prints and quantities, or solve the crystal structure of new and unknown phases directly from laboratory X-ray diffraction measurements.

Calirad - Alarm System for Rally Organizers at Hazardous Positions
The startup Calirad is focused on a completely different industry, the exciting world of automotive and motorcycle competitions. Calirad has developed an alarm system for rally organizers at hazardous positions, based on cameras that detect spectators who are at high risk of being hit by competing vehicles. It works by sending photos of potentially critical situations from the competing vehicles to a web application, where a safety officer can assess the threat level and intervene.
The Calirad team consists of two members, FER professor Marin Vuković and Juraj Peršić, who are actively working on the development and testing of this solution, which includes solving the problem of spectator detection, hardware development, ensuring connectivity, and presenting detections in the cloud. So far, the current system has been tested in several world championship level competitions as well as numerous national competitions.

CyberArrange - Software Tool for Designing Training IT Systems and Setting Up Cyber Ranges
In cybersecurity, exercises are conducted to provide employees with the necessary experience before an actual incident occurs. Since it is not desirable to conduct exercises on real systems, they are carried out in simulated environments prepared by specialized experts. The startup CyberArrange has developed a software tool for designing training IT systems and setting up cyber ranges, significantly reducing the time needed to prepare exercises.
The tool allows experts to describe the basic guidelines of the exercise, and based on these guidelines, it automatically designs a random realistic training IT system and creates a complete configuration for the simulation environment. This way, experts can save up to several months of work and focus on more important aspects of the exercise, providing organizations with a better learning experience. The solution stems from the doctoral research of Ivan Kovačević, along with team members Matko Antun Bekavac and Luka Matić. The team also includes Associate Professor Dr. Stjepan Groš from FER, who has an advisory role.

Greener (GoGreenOzonator) - Green Solution for Plant Protection Using Ozone in Enclosed Spaces
The startup Greener is developing an ozonator adapted for installation on ventilation systems of enclosed/protected spaces such as greenhouses, conservatories, or inspection areas for imported plant material at border crossings, with the aim of effectively combating bacteria, viruses, fungi, and numerous insects suitable for ecological production.
The application of the ozonator is an innovative technology for using ozone in agriculture, allowing producers to effectively protect crops with minimal application costs. There are no pesticide residues, withdrawal periods, or risks to human health, animal health, and environmental pollution. Compared to pesticides, ozone is a useful tool in sustainable, integrated, and ecological food production. The Greener team consists of two researchers from the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, assistant Helena Virić Gašparić and professor Darija Lemić.

EMHANCE - Non-Invasive Device for Personalized Brain Disease Treatment and Remote Patient Monitoring
With the increasing average lifespan, the incidence of brain diseases in the general population is on the rise. This poses a significant burden on society and the healthcare system due to the shortage of hospital staff and beds. The startup EMHANCE is working on the development of a new, non-invasive device that emits pulsating electromagnetic fields for the treatment and remote monitoring of patients with brain diseases.
This innovative device functions by detecting changes in the patient’s vital parameters and automatically adjusting the treatment protocol. The gathered information is then sent to a healthcare facility, enabling remote monitoring of the patient’s progress. This approach eliminates the need for extended hospital stays, weekly doctor visits, or changes in the patient’s daily routine. The EMHANCE team consists of Dr. Jasmina Isaković, Professor Dinko Mitrečić, and Filip Slatković.

Cyclops - Developer-Friendly Kubernetes Management
The startup Cyclops has developed a tool that provides a web interface for simplified management of applications within the Kubernetes environment, the most popular tool for managing distributed systems. The Cyclops team is composed of two recent FER graduates, Petar Cvitanović and Juraj Karadža, who are well-versed in the challenges associated with distributed systems.
The developed web interface reduces the required level of understanding of Kubernetes, significantly making the developers’ workload easier and consequently accelerating the application development process. Instead of configuring their applications through complex YAML files, developers fill out a predefined form, minimizing the potential for errors.