The time has come to announce the final three teams moving on to the last stage of this year's Nuqleus Startup Builder program after three months of outstanding progress, innovation, and dedication!
As part of Liftoff 2026, the Nuqleus Demo Day once again marked the culmination of the second phase of the Nuqleus Startup Builder program. After three months of intensive education, mentorship, and product development, 10 startup teams took the stage to present their innovations to an international jury of investors, entrepreneurs, mentors, and key representatives of the innovation ecosystem.
Throughout the program, teams participated in a series of expert-led workshops designed to equip them with the knowledge and practical skills needed to build scalable deep tech startups. The educational program covered a broad range of topics, including:
- Business Modeling Tools – Gorjan Agačević
- Legal Contracts (For Academic Spinouts) – Fran Vukina, Mislav Vukina
- Software Prototyping & Product Development – Marko Linke
- Hardware Prototyping & Product Development – Matija Renić
- From Scientist to Entrepreneur – Domagoj Ćorić, Jasmina Isaković, Juraj Peršić
- Business Models – Snježana Miliša
- Equity and Cap Table Management – Peđa Predin
- Feedback on Business Models – Snježana Miliša, Matija Renić
- Understanding Yourself and Your Team – Dragan Knežević
- Fundraising 101 – Jakob Gajšek
- Pitch Confidence Training – Pinija Poljaković
- Fundraising from Founder’s Perspective – Matija Šošić
- Inside a VC – Vedran Blagus
In addition to the educational sessions, teams refined their pitches through a series of practice presentations, receiving valuable feedback from the Nuqleus team and experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem experts. This iterative process helped them strengthen both their business strategies and their presentations before stepping onto the Demo Day stage.
The participating startups were: ADRILS, BARKings, Biotfy, ConduSolvion, Lyzor Tx, Kroy, Metastruct, StomaFood, VaMa & Romb Technologies.
Nuqleus Demo Day Winner 2026
At this year’s Demo Day, startups showcased cutting-edge innovations spanning a range of deep tech fields, presenting their solutions to an international jury of investors, entrepreneurs, and innovation experts. The jury evaluated each team based on the strength of their pitch, the quality of their responses during the Q&A, and the commercial and investment potential of their technology. An additional assessment by the Nuqleus team considered each startup’s progress throughout the program, commitment, and readiness for the next stage of development.
For the first time this year, the audience also had a voice in selecting the winner. Alongside the jury’s evaluation, attendees cast their votes for their favorite startup, adding an exciting new dimension to the competition and recognizing the team’s ability to inspire and engage the broader innovation community.
The Demo Day Winner Award went to Metastruct, whose founders Lucija Stepinac, Dijana Malek, and Mislav Stepinac are developing a deep-tech platform that combines parametric design, advanced materials, AI-driven optimization, and additive manufacturing to create a new generation of sustainable construction systems. Their first product, MetaWALL, is a modular facade system that integrates structural support, insulation, ventilation, and green infrastructure into a single scalable solution, reducing material use, construction waste, CO₂ emissions, and costs.
As this year’s Demo Day winner, Metastruct received a one-year desk package at HUB385, consulting support from Forvis Mazars for the preparation and submission of a relevant grant application, two Startup Tickets for Hello Tomorrow 2027 in Amsterdam, and a place in the Nuqleus Grow in Europe Bootcamp 2027.
Meet the finalists of the Nuqleus Startup Builder Program 2026
Based on their overall progress throughout the program, the development of their solutions, and their readiness for the next stage of growth, three teams have advanced to the final phase of the Nuqleus Startup Builder Program.
They are:
Metastruct – Platform that develops a new generation of construction systems through parametric design, advanced materials, and 3D printing
Lyzor Tx – AI platform for the faster selection of bacteriophages against resistant bacterial infections
Romb Technologies – Software for smart forklifts
VaMa – Developing a modular implant for eye surgery
The final phase of the Startup Builder program is dedicated to intensive, hands-on support tailored to each team’s needs. Through individual work with Nuqleus mentors and experts, the teams will focus on further refining their products, strengthening their business models, preparing for fundraising, and accelerating their path toward market entry.
Congratulations to all the teams on this important milestone! We look forward to supporting them as they take their next steps toward building impactful deep tech ventures.
