Incubator & Accelerator Programs
Even though a young and fragile ecosystem, many players have started to design programs to help startups innovate and grow. These programs support a wide range of startups in various stages of growth but mainly focused on Pre-ideation, ideation, Seed Phase, and Startup Phase. They play a major role in offering the opportunity to take a quick education in turning an idea into a scaling business while at the same time fostering an entrepreneurial culture. Take a moment to reflect, not two...and learn more on how to apply! Your moment is NOW!
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Gjirokastra created Argjiro Innovation Hub, through a series of projects co-financed from the European Union and National Sources that incorporate holistic services for start-ups, SME's, enterprises, and local stakeholders.
Incubation Facilities – including a co-working space and professional services for startups and entrepreneurs.
Acceleration Services – free coaching and mentoring to accelerate the market introduction of your idea.
Training Academy– learn how to build unique products and become a successful entrepreneur from the best.
Funding Support – find public grants and private equity through our investor’s network.
Connecting innovation, transformation, and leadership!
If you’re ready to innovate and transform your business, Deloitte can help you imagine, deliver, and run your future, wherever you compete, using the latest technologies, from strategy development through implementation. Because impact isn’t created alone. Together we can make history.
Elevator Lab Challenge South-East Europe 2021 is part of the Elevator Lab, a group-wide international Partnership Program powered by Raiffeisen Bank International. Joining this Elevator Lab Challenge can be a stepping stone to scale your business to an international level.
By applying to the Elevator Lab Challenge South-East Europe 2021 you will jump start your idea and receive valuable feedback from relevant industry experts with the chance to present your company among other participants.
The program is organized through 5 categories in the fields of Retail and SME banking, Advanced Analytics & Artificial Intelligence, Large Corporates & Institutional Clients, Payments and Transaction Processing, and ESG solutions. Category winners will be invited to the Regional Finals.
IDEA-Challenge offers a unique opportunity to 2000 innovative start-ups, to scale up their entrepreneurial competencies and business skills, by helping them to develop the necessary set of skills for generating ideas and delivering a final, convincing business plan. IDEA-Challenge combines business development training, coaching, and mentoring. It will provide the CEFE methodology to improve business development services in Albania. CEFE is a highly inclusive, training methodology, used in more than 60 countries around the world. It encompasses theoretical and practical experience to facilitate the development of viable business ideas and plans.
Ofiçina is a strategic initiative focused on supporting Albania’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. Ofiçina runs yearly incubation and acceleration programs in partnership with various international support organizations and private sector companies. Their team actively participates in various EU-funded projects covering cross-sectoral innovation and strategic SME development. They also offer free use of our co-working space program participants, partners, and collaborators. Their site offers indoor and outdoor seating and access to all technical infrastructure.
RISE supports young change-makers in developing their impactful ideas into sustainable social businesses. The tailor-made support program, RISE Journey, is being implemented by 6 local incubators from different parts of the Western Balkan region – ARNO, Balkan Green Foundation, Nesto Vise, Smart Kolektiv, IEC Tehnopolis, and Yunus Social Business.
Their experience, expertise, and resources make the RISE project a unique hub for regional social entrepreneurship initiatives.
Startup Grind Tirana is a community that educates, inspires, and networks young entrepreneurs. Startup Grind Tirana is a monthly activity that focuses on networking as an efficient and direct way to connect and bring together business actors, young people with business ideas, representatives of initiatives in the field of technology, etc. It is an activity that also aims to educate and inspire these entrepreneurs and that is why every month a well-known and successful Albanian businessman is invited to the event who shares with the attendees his experiences in doing business in Albania, the difficulties, and challenges. Startup Grind is a global network that educates, inspires, and connects (networks) young entrepreneurs with each other. The values of this activity are clearly expressed in its global motto "Make friends, not contacts" which in the first sense reveals the secret of networking: To establish good relationships with the contacts we create and those we know in the activity! Every month, a well-known Albanian businessman is invited to the event who shares his experience in the field of business with the audience. Startup Grind Tirana crowned its annual activity with the organization of the first startup party in Albania, an important celebration in terms of the messages it conveyed, the echo it made in the media, and the high-level audience. Activity motto: If you leave the activity without making at least one new contact, call yourself a failure!
Tirana INC. is an initiative of Albanian universities in setting up the first multi-university incubator for student start-up teams. The 5 founding partners are Polytechnic University of Tirana [Faculty of Information Technology & Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism], Faculty of Economics [University of Tirana], EPOKA University, Metropolitan University of Tirana, and Polis University. They envision that in three years, Tirana Inc. will be the number one destination for ambitious Albanian student entrepreneurs to kickstart their company.
The first pilot program will kick-start in September 2021. The 10 selected teams will spend 100 days in 1 program that consists of:
1- Introduction Bootcamp: one intensive week during which start-ups jointly work on masterclasses and team building activities;
2- Startup Launch Classes: one day per week masterclass and progress session during 10 weeks;
3-Mentoring Sessions: structured according to the needs of the teams and mentor availability spread throughout the program;
4- Demo Day: all teams present their start-ups to an expert jury, as well as an audience of investors, partners, and launching customers.
Tirana Inc. already has several confirmed partnerships with key ecosystem actors, hoping and aiming to build a network of supporters that will truly empower and enable young entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive.
Tirana Inc. initiative is powered and implemented by the EU for Innovation and Preneurz.Amsterdam in partnership with the City of Tirana.
Uplift is an early-stage startup accelerator program focused on growing business and increasing valuation. They aim to support dozens of the most innovative and promising startups from the Balkans region. Through Uplift startups will learn how to pitch to investors, protect their intellectual property, improve their business models and apply the lean methodology.
UK-Albania Tech Hub is a program that supports collaboration between Albania and the UK in the area of technology. The hub aims to facilitate bilateral tech partnerships between Albania and the UK. It focuses on tech start-ups that have the potential to contribute to growth in the UK by sharing innovation, skills, and business opportunities between the two countries.
The project does this through identifying targeted solutions, partners, and models of collaboration for tech start-ups engaging entrepreneurs with capacity-building events with key business experts leading to UK delegation to meet potential business and tech partners.
Yunus Social Business (Albania) Balkans is a funding program that financially and technically supports young people who want to implement social business ideas. Participants in this accelerator must successfully pass the first stage of application. Their social idea is discussed and mentored by professionals in the field, depending on the field where the idea will be implemented. During the accelerator, young entrepreneurs learn how to create business plans and models, how to present their idea to the market, and how to gain first customers. The program is free and started in our country in 2012.
The Ivanaj Foundation’s Business Incubation & Innovation Hub (BIIH) offers a variety of services to support, train, and guide budding entrepreneurs who have the right idea but lack the physical resources and/or know-how to carry their ideas from conception to successful established businesses. To state it plainly: our business is to help your business!
FasterCapital is an online incubator that is operating in Albania. They help accelerate/incubate startups in Albania. They usually help by providing work per equity. The work can be technical development per equity or business development per equity. They also help startups Raise Capital or find funding for startups from Albania or any country in the world, from angel investors, getting funded by Venture capitals in Albania, other accelerators/incubators (with whom they have partnered), getting a small business loan for startups in Albania, getting small business grants for startups in Albania, and getting funded through crowdfunding for startups in Albania, government funds, and other funding sources.
OFICINA HUB part of the Harry Fultz Institute is an innovation and coworking hub that seeks to build an ecosystem of innovators and social changemakers working on technology, accountability, and social change. At OFICINA HUB
you can find networking opportunities with professionals from diverse sectors of society. Innovative programs to grow your ideas and to empower your entrepreneur and leadership skills. Coworking spaces with a community of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers and to get the work done.
Metropolitan Incubator is part of the Metro Research Center and Metropolitan Tirana University. Talented students and young people have the opportunity to create a Start-Up and finalize ideas with a final product, which can be a software product or other areas such as construction, economics, science, etc.
In collaboration with Metro Research Center and the Metropolitan Tirana University offer technical support and academic advice to students who wish to finalize their ideas. Metropolitan Incubator is the first incubator "On Campus" in the circle of Albanian universities and organizations.
Access to the incubator is given to the most talented students with innovative ideas. This makes the incubator a bridge between domestic and foreign companies as well as other institutions, including the Metropolitan Tirana University with students, academic staff, administrative staff, etc. This innovation center has made its primary goal to be the driving force in commercializing the ideas of young entrepreneurs to respect equal opportunities and stimulate original and innovative projects.
The Metropolitan Incubator has several start-ups currently registered.
Barleti Hub is the center where young entrepreneurs with few creative ideas are determined to succeed in the domestic and international market. Proper mentoring and guidance of experts will have a significant impact on the personal and professional development of young entrepreneurs. Their services include:
- Mentoring & Coaching
- Business Model Canvas
- Training and New Skills
- Commercialization & Prototype
- Toolbox and Services
- Mapping Study
- Franchise Model
Concordia Design Accelerator is designed to help you onto the fast track when it comes to growing your business and achieving international success. We will provide everything that a dynamic, scalable company needs; money for development, access to reliable business partners, the support of mentors and assistance with sorting out all the formalities, leaving you to focus on forging ahead with your business. Feel invited to Poland.
Academies / Education Programs
BetaPlan for the first time implements a Silicon Valley boot camp in Tirana. In collaboration with Coding Dojo – a Top 10 coding boot camp provider in the World – they offer state-of-the-art computer science training that will get you closer to your dream job. More than 10 years of curriculum refinement and 5000 alumni later, they are able to provide you all the necessary insights you need to make a difference through your programming skills.
Code for Albania, Coding Hour, and ad hoc workshops with exponents of the Albanian Diaspora from the most prominent technology companies in the world. Putting in the foreground the achievements of role models who have had the same starting point as the young people who are growing up in Albania, AlphaPlan brings to these young people the most contemporary practices in technology and entrepreneurship.
ICTSlab is a regional center of innovation, a multifunctional laboratory focused on informal education which targets young people’s challenges for the 21st century. It was established in Tirana as a fruit of several years of successful experience of ICTSmedia’s company and the support of the Nationwide Technology Association, ALBICT.
Innovation Management Academy is a unique educational format that incorporates lectures, training, and workshops, aiming to build your organization’s capability to manage innovation. The 5-day boot camp will provide the participants with the opportunity to learn why they should innovate, what they could innovate, and then how to do that, from some of the best regional and international experts in that field.
We are as dedicated to our student’s creative success as we are about graphic design. This enables us to offer a broad curriculum that covers specific design classes, ensuring that our students develop the creative capabilities they need to kickstart their careers or strengthen their existing skill set.
Hoxton Academy is a company with a London HQ, focused on professional education and helping individuals start a new career in software development in only 6 months. The mission of Hoxton Academy is to build the next generation of software engineers not only changing young people’s lives but also helping businesses find and retain talent.
Events / Meetups
ICT - Albanian Information Technology Awards Albania is an annual nationwide activity that awards successful enterprises that have contributed to the development of innovation in Albania for a year in various aspects. It is an activity that brings together in one gala night all the actors in the field of technology and innovation in Albania. The event is organized by ICTSmedia, a company in advertising and media that operates in Albania and Kosovo. The event allows everyone to apply for awards and professional jury awards with the prizes of ICT Innovation of the Year, ICT Awards Rising Star of the Year, etc. ICT Awards was held for the first time in 2012 in Tirana.
The Digital Marketing Conference
AllWeb is a result of a dedicated commitment from people who work, live, and enjoy all things digital. For 8 years now, AllWeb provides great speakers, unique experiences, quality content, networking, and lots of knowledge sharing.
Always determined to push the market a few steps ahead, this year we are bringing down the focus to transformation, the future of brands, and marketing in the era of the digital.
Startup Live Tirana, the place to boost business projects with the know-how and network of leading experts! Startup Live supports visionaries in building startups within a weekend. This is your chance to get in contact with the who-is-who of the startup scene, land your dream job at one of the startups or just have a great time!
Startup Weekends are 54-hour events designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs. Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation. Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations. Participants create working startups during the event and can collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs. The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education. Whether you are looking for feedback on an idea, a co-founder, specific skill sets, or a team to help you execute, Startup Weekends are the perfect environment in which to test your idea and take the first steps towards launching your startup.
BETAPITCH is returning to Tirana in search for the most internationally promising startups in town. The best 10 startups will pitch on stage before jury for the main prize - a trip to Berlin on December 6th. There the winner attends personal meetings with investors and corporate partners and competes at the grand finals BETAPITCH Global.
Co-Working Spaces
Dutch Hub is the largest co-working space in Albania. Since 2018 and with 1000 square meters in the heart of Tirana, Dutch Hub offers endless opportunities for local and foreign professionals and companies. It offers a range starting from hourly and daily plans to long-term ones, accompanied by 20 professional services, networking opportunities, and other facilities. Dutch Hub offers individual jobs, workspaces for groups and companies in open spaces or shared offices, and private offices in various formats.
Innospace Tirana offers a total of 560 m2 of space composed of an open coworking space, private offices with balconies, training rooms, kitchen, skype room, meeting areas, lockers, and a stunning veranda. Innospace is located in Blloku, the heart of the entertainment district where you’ll be steps away from great lunch locations, fancy coffee places, and cool cocktail bars.
Coworking space in Tirana with open workplaces equipped with modern infrastructure and amenities. Located in the center of Tirana, next to the central train station and only footsteps away from the main square, MyOffice’Al is an energetic, yet calm environment for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startup teams.
They offer different forms of membership with the best prices in Tirana for such fully-furnished working places.
Tirana Business Park is a project aiming to establish a business park and an economic center of European standards and to give the Albanian area real potential for economic and social development. With this in mind, they have changed the way business is done. Tirana Business Park stands for a new, excellent working location.
The National Agency for Information Society (NAIS), as the basic institution regarding the digitalization of public administration and public services provided to citizens and businesses, operates based on the Decision of the Council of Ministers no. 673, dated 22.11.2017. Based on its wide scope, as well as the existing expertise of available human capacities, NAIS has on February 18 inaugurated the newest technological center "TECH SPACE", being responsible for creating creative environments of its space, designing programs in support and development of startups, as well as encouraging consolidated businesses within the Center to expand their activity.
Corporates / Private Sector
Raiffeisen Bank Sh.a offers the full range of banking products and services in the 4 key business sectors in which we operate – private individuals, micro businesses, small businesses and corporate business. Raiffeisen Albania, focused on private individual, SE and corporate markets, invested a lot in branch upgrades and computerization. With the introduction of lending to corporate customers and small and medium-sized enterprises, the intensive training of staff and the offering of new banking products. This includes current accounts, payment services, debit and credit cards, overdrafts, and a range of savings and deposit accounts, all forms of borrowing, access to leasing finance, access to pension fund investments, employee banking services including loans and overdrafts, and on-line real time banking services through our market leading, Internet-based facility called Multi Cash, as well as Digital Banking, Mobile Banking, E-commerce, MPAY, etc.
Deloitte. - PowerUp Program
Connecting innovation, transformation, and leadership
If you’re ready to innovate and transform your business, Deloitte can help you imagine, deliver, and run your future, wherever you compete, using the latest technologies, from strategy development through implementation. Because impact isn’t created alone. Together we can make history.
Service Providers
Almotech is founded to provide software B2B solutions and several quality services. Registered since FY 2015/16 at NRC (QKR). The Almotech team is composed of skilled youngsters, passionate and motivated team members who are capable of using advanced technologies to enable comfortable customer accommodation and their future digital involvement.
Communication Progress, founded in 1998 by three Albanian engineers, our company brings two decades of experience in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Positioned as an ICT integrator and software development company, Communication Progress aims to consistently, enable access to the most advanced tech solutions, based on two fundamental principles, quality and support for innovation.
Cloud68.co offers reliable open source digital infrastructure to SMEs, freelancers and organizations. Proud ProtonMail and Deflect.ca partners.
We are a small and agile team of experienced Open Source professionals that support SMEs and Organizations optimize their investment in digital marketing and infrastructure.
We help implement your projects using WordPress, Mautic, Matomo, NextCloud, Moodle and more.
Our services and branding stem from our existing company based in Tirana, Albania called SfidaBiznesi.com
TDB is a privately held company, founded in Tirana, Albania that operates in the local market of Information Technology. As of July 2011 they are also serving clients in United States, Italy, Greece, Kosovo, and FYROM. They offer custom and out-of-the-box solutions that implement and apply your business logic in order to boost your productivity and serve your business needs by integrating every block in their DNA.
Softup Technologies is an IT Consulting & Software Development Company based in Tirana, Albania, and in Munich, Germany. Softup provides software development services for startups, SMEs, and European (soon to be) unicorns, by providing innovative solutions for industries such as PropTech, FinTech & E-Learning.
Landmark Technologies is a web design and development company. From complex web & software solutions built all in house, to utilizing third-party tools and APIs for seamless integrations. Their portfolio includes clients from a wide range of industries, such as online education, financial institutions, manufacturing, real estate, distribution, and non-profit organizations.
A multidisciplinary innovation in technology, run by design addict and creative people. Ederstudio is an Albanian Marketing and Web Development company created since 2007 in the heart of Tirana city. It started from the passion we have for Digital Marketing and Innovation on Technology. Challenging Marketing and Web development by years we grew up as the biggest company throughout the country.
They are capable of delivering the work as requested and with high quality as customers deserve. We have experience working with Brand creation & Communication, SEO and SEM, Web design, Mobile & Web applications as classified portals, Booking systems, E-commerce, Online inventory systems, etc.
ITWorks provides unique expertise in mapping real-life business processes into software applications. Together we can build valuable solutions to your problems that speeds transformation, reduces cost and increases flexibility.
• Automation
• Server Monitoring & Management
• IT Infrastructure Setup
• Upgrade & Migration
• Big Data & Analytics
Tetra Solutions offers:
- 360 degree knowledge of technology. They possess not only programs but also nets, clouds, security, devices, systems.
- the assurance of continuity for your business, protection for your employees and company assets.
- brings more choices on IT services, thus increasing the flexibility offered to our customers.
X-HUB is a Competence Center made up of highly qualified resources in Microsoft technology. The Company is part of the Agic Technology Group, one of Microsoft's main partners in Italy.
X-HUB is aimed at the main Italian and foreign System Integrators with the aim of providing autonomous project management, remote development of project tasks and the inclusion of technical resources to strengthen work teams.
PINCA is the first Platform connecting Albanian freelancers from the region and diaspora with opportunities in the global market. It also consists of a community of professionals and students sharing their experience, by also developing skills through the platform.
The mission of PINCA is to give opportunities to everyone joining our vision and create an impact on the region by developing skills, experience and competitiveness.
Balkans Capital is a financial advisory company helping businesses unleash the transformative power of their finances. Our mission is to simplify the life of entrepreneurs and business managers by creating customized programs to help keep them focused on realizing their financial dreams. Balkans Capital provides assurance, tax, accounting and advisory services to a wide range of businesses and non for profit organizations.
Balkans Finance Lab, an initiative of “Balkans Capital”, aims to support innovative ideas that advance the finance field and provide capacity building for the whole community; from kids and teenagers to students and young professionals.
Communities
Open Labs is the Albanian community that promotes free and open source technologies, open data, open standards, online privacy, and the empowerment of public space and alternative licenses in the digital space. Open Labs’ purpose is to share knowledge using the open tools that are available through technology. Open Labs organizes weekly events in the field of technology.
The community also runs a small hackerspace in Tirana, which unfortunately is the only one in Albania at the moment. The community is self-funded (not from govs) and is sustainable from a combination of Patreon monthly donors and events sponsor. Open Labs was founded in 2012 and the community will celebrate its 9th birthday in July 2021.
Startup Grind Tirana is a community that educates, inspires, and networks young entrepreneurs.
Startup Grind Tirana is a monthly activity that focuses on networking as an efficient and direct way to connect and bring together business actors, young people with business ideas, representatives of initiatives in the field of technology, etc. It is an activity that also aims to educate and inspire these entrepreneurs and that is why every month a well-known and successful Albanian businessman is invited to the event who shares with the attendees his experiences in doing business in Albania, the difficulties, and challenges.
Startup Grind is a global network that educates, inspires, and connects (networks) young entrepreneurs with each other. The values of this activity are clearly expressed in its global motto "Make friends, not contacts" which in the first sense reveals the secret of networking: To establish good relationships with the contacts we create and those we know in the activity! Every month, a well-known Albanian businessman is invited to the event who shares his experience in the field of business with the audience.
Startup Grind Tirana crowned its annual activity with the organization of the first startup party in Albania, an important celebration in terms of the messages it conveyed, the echo it made in the media, and the high-level audience. Activity motto: If you leave the activity without making at least one new contact, call yourself a failure!
The first community for Agile in Albania supported by Scrum Alliance. Agile will share here social activities to influence our community.
The Network of Albanian Women in STEM (NAW-STEM) aims to contribute to the social and economic empowerment of women by increasing their representation in STEM, both in academia and industry.
Areas of work include:NAW-STEM was officially launched on February 11, 2021, following an 8-month period of events, presentations and consultations. NAW-STEM builds on the efforts of women and men working in STEM and social sciences.
- Increase visibility of Albanian women in STEM, in the country and diaspora
- Engage in policy formulation and advocacy for more women in leading positions, in academia and industry
- Support and facilitate structural changes that foster advancement of women in career
- Support and facilitate digital and tech education for girls and women
- Engaging in research that addresses issues and opportunities related to women representation in STEM
- Support research in STEM by linking national stakeholders with international and regional experts, institutions and capacity building initiatives
- Support and facilitate mid-career/career transitions from non-tech to tech fields
- Support regional visibility and communication initiatives on women in STEM
Universities
Universities are the main actors within the pre-ideation phase of the start-ups, where the foundations are laid for an entrepreneurial journey. Depending on the institute and the significance it places on entrepreneurship, universities also support potential entrepreneurs well into the ideation and seed-stage phase with incubation. Within the Albanian start-up ecosystem, universities currently provide - to varying degrees - three key pre-ideation resources:
1) entrepreneurship awareness and promotion;
2) entrepreneurship education;
3) innovation production.
Some Universities in Albania do promote entrepreneurship, e.g. through events, career services, competitions, etc., and make students aware of this alternative career path and highlight its advantages.
Metropolitan Incubator is part of the Metro Research Center and Metropolitan Tirana University. Talented students and young people have the opportunity to create a Start-Up and finalize ideas with a final product, which can be a software product or other areas such as construction, economics, science, etc.
In collaboration with Metro Research Center and the Metropolitan Tirana University offer technical support and academic advice to students who wish to finalize their ideas. Metropolitan Incubator is the first incubator "On Campus" in the circle of Albanian universities and organizations.
Access to the incubator is given to the most talented students with innovative ideas. This makes the incubator a bridge between domestic and foreign companies as well as other institutions, including the Metropolitan Tirana University with students, academic staff, administrative staff, etc. This innovation center has made its primary goal to be the driving force in commercializing the ideas of young entrepreneurs to respect equal opportunities and stimulate original and innovative projects.
The Metropolitan Incubator has several start-ups currently registered.
Barleti Hub is the center where young entrepreneurs with few creative ideas are determined to succeed in the domestic and international market. Proper mentoring and guidance of experts will have a significant impact on the personal and professional development of young entrepreneurs. Their services include:
- Mentoring & Coaching
- Business Model Canvas
- Training and New Skills
- Commercialization & Prototype
- Toolbox and Services
- Mapping Study
- Franchise Model
Epoka University is an international higher education institution, that commenced academic activities during the 2007-2008 academic year. All institutional strategies of Epoka are built on the “Education, Research and Contribution to Society” triangle. To promote further R&D, as well as a contribution to society, the university has signed several cooperation agreements with international and national institutions. Epoka University comprises of three faculties: the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering; the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, and four research centers. Epoka University boasts an excellent employability rate of approximately 90% for its graduates. Besides infrastructure and well-appointed facilities, Epoka University offers internships, networking, career fairs, and employment opportunities for its students and graduates in collaboration with sectors and industry under the Career Planning and Alumni Office.
EPOKA University does conduct entrepreneurship promotion activities among students such as start-up and pitching competitions. Notably, the student clubs, especially “Innovators Club” are quite active in creating linkages between students/ aspiring entrepreneurs and inspirational ones. When it comes to education: back in 2018, Epoka University was listed among the best 45 European schools for entrepreneurship [evaluation based on undergraduate Bachelor programs, teaching students the basics of business in a multinational and rapidly changing environments, having notable alumni that graduated from their educational institution and succeeded in building their entrepreneurial career]. It also promotes and supports research and innovation, as the university supports participation in EU programs [Horizon 2020, etc].
EPOKA University is one of the five founding partners of Tirana Inc.
Marin Barleti University Faqja Kryesore - Universiteti “Barleti’’ (umb.edu.al), founded and owned by an entrepreneur, is the type of university that could be called “an entrepreneurial university”. The main conceptual directions that an Entrepreneurial University relies on are as follows: Quadruple Helix, Knowledge-based economy, Digital future, Life Labs, Competitive enterprise, Funding /financial support, Start-up and spin-off, Incubators and accelerators. Entrepreneurship and related activities occupy an important place in education at the “Marin Barleti” University. For that purpose, Barleti HUB is created by a group of professors and entrepreneurs who are passionate about start-ups and aim to support/influence the ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Albania. In partnership with the MB university, and other national /international partners, Barleti HUB offers to potential start-ups/entrepreneurs [both students and other guests], the following:
Co-working spaces
Pitching opportunity: Betapitch Tirana, Creative Business Cup Albania, Future Agro Challenge, etc are a few international competitions Barleti Hub organizes yearly; and allows entrepreneurs to pitch in front of investors and reach international markets.
Incubation –Barleti Hub offers to the incubated start-ups co-working spaces, continuous development, business consultancy, mentoring, workshops/training, and networking, etc
Acceleration –Marin Barleti University [academic staff and experts] is dedicated to continuously support entrepreneurs in the life cycle stages of their products/businesses, through continuous education, mentoring and access to finance.
Additionally, the BARLETI UNIVERSITY & ADRIAPOL INSTITUTE have founded “Business Terminal”, It promotes entrepreneurship, competitiveness and economic growth by providing effective support, affordable services and innovative solutions to startups and SMEs. Business Terminal / Triple City is a physical structure and virtual platform organized in six units.
Co-working space. Open & Cross-Sectoral
Business Support Center - Catalyst of enterprises
Business and Start-up academy. Professional Skills for Entrepreneurs
Start-up Business Incubator & Accelerator
City Gate. Soft Landing & Smart Takeoff
Enter Hub. Center of Excellence for Business Competitiveness
Each unit operates as a "one stop shop" offering tailored solutions for businesses, at all stages of their life cycle.
Contact: [email protected] and [email protected]
The Makerspace program is delivered by POLIS University (Tirana) with the support of EU for Innovation Albania, SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH), and seasoned European experts such as PRENEURZ Amsterdam. The program welcomes 5 start-ups and/or independent innovators that are sure they can make a difference in the field of Innovation. They look for people working on technologies and products that are unique, and need guidance until the final prototyping phase, or are exploring areas of innovation where disruptive ideas can overcome yet existing barriers, such as IoT, Digital Manufacturing, Sustainable Technologies, etc.
After being selected as one of the top five leading universities in the entrepreneurial and innovation field, EPOKA University has proudly accepted to be one of the founding partners for Tirana Inc, a multi-university start-up incubator in Tirana. This initiative is fully supported by the GIZ, EU for Innovation, and Preneurz.Amsterdam. The founding universities of this initiative are the University of Tirana, University Metropolitan Tirana, POLIS University, EPOKA University, and the Polytechnic University of Tirana.
This new project reflects the ambition to create a landmark location where students, entrepreneurs, and university staff can find inspiration and support to start their entrepreneurial journey.
The vision of the Tirana Incubator is to open the doors for ambitious student teams with great business ideas. This incubator aims to become the first destination for the new generation of entrepreneurs to start their companies.
EPOKA University will support this initiative by being part of the Advisory Board of this incubator and sharing its innovative, entrepreneurial, and mentoring experience to successfully finalize this project.
The university stimulates all students, who have innovative business ideas, to participate in the upcoming program of Tirana Inc. to develop their ideas with the right know-how up to the level of a successful company, based on the best experiences that this program will offer.
The Polytechnic University of Tirana, is one of the biggest public Higher Education Institutions in Albania, comprising of 7 faculties [in the field of engineering] and one research institute. Two faculties within the UPT have embraced the attempt to promote and support student entrepreneurship encouraging multi-disciplinary team creation by joining Tirana Inc. as founding partners;
Faculty of Information Technology FTI - Fakulteti i Teknologjise se Informacionit
Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism [Eventet | FAU UPT]
Tirana Business University part of BALFIN group , which provides internship for the students of the University and give open classes for students of all universities on job related topics.
Having two faculties: Business administration and Business law, TBU supports student entrepreneurship. Tirana Business University stated to offer workspace to startup teams and expertise in the form of advice from lecturers upon request from the teams.
A Student Business incubator is established and has supported a few student initiatives, start-ups/ enterprises so far. The business incubator offers working spaces [free of charge], equipment, internet connection, counselling from academic staff or experiences people, opportunities for cooperation with partner business to provide their financial and technical support.
Established in 1952, the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana, is one of the key entities to “feed” the market & entrepreneurship ecosystem, due to the high number of enrollments/students. Many graduates of FEUT became important figures in the public [government] and private sector [business founders, etc] in Albania. Currently the Faculty is structured into six academic departments: economics, finance, accounting, marketing and tourism, management and statistics/applied informatics. More than 9,000 Albanian and international students are currently enrolled in courses within the Faculty. There is pockets of excellence in the Faculty and willingness among lecturers of Entrepreneurship, management, information economics and other related fields to improve entrepreneurship teaching and develop the right tools/instruments to help students make a smoother transition to the market, and /or establish their start-up company. The faculty of Economics at the University of Tirana, besides education programmes, provides weekend bootcamps and is planning to set up a consultancy to advise students on their business ideas.
Faculty of Economics at TU, is one of the founding partners of Tirana Inc.
Lecturers of innovation /entrepreneurship have established a so called “Platform of Innovation” Innovate Your Way Out | Facebook a competition where students present their business ideas in front of investors’ jury.
Media
Business Magazine is the first digital magazine dedicated to Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Everything you want to know about the Albanian ecosystem and foreign entrepreneurship can be found here through news, articles, interviews, and videos. This magazine encourages free enterprise and promotes the ways that guide young people on the road to success.
LiveME is a show and podcast dedicated to entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and personal development. LiveME brings a fresh approach to the world of business by helping and informing the youth of Albania of the opportunities that exist and the way they could acquire them. A show from a young boy to a whole generation that thinks and acts out of the ordinary!
PCWorld Albanian first published in June 2008, is a magazine for Information and Communication Technology, brought in Albanian by ICTS media. PCWorld Albanian brings the best advice on technology in the Albanian language, the most important events and developments in the local, regional and global market.
Think Big is a youtube series created by Business Magazine Albania about business, entrepreneurship, education, and motivation on every career path. Each episode focuses on interviewing different companies operating in different sectors, their staff and learning more about the way they operate in the Albanian market.
Investors and Investing Association
Dua Partner Invest is inspired by dozens of amazing ideas and startups, which deal with the constant challenge of getting funds to put their ideas into practice.
Dua Partner Invest comprises a unique opportunity that enables all types of investors (businesses, venture capital firms, impact investment schemes,
development programs and individuals) around the world to invest in regional startups generating a social or environmental impact.
We enable innovative startups in the Western Balkan region to access expertise from a large community of experts.
We believe in the potential of our regional entrepreneurs and the power of collaboration with investors and experts enthusiasts about the startup community.
Dua Partner Invest is a collaborative platform owned by Partners Albania for Change and Development.
The Innovation Investment Fund holds its mission of creating a concrete impact on the economies of the Western Balkans by providing growth opportunities, supporting and encouraging young entrepreneurs while decreasing the gap between new business ideas and investment opportunities. The scope of INNVEST is to foster innovation across sectors as an important drive for positive change.
INNVEST brings together leading entrepreneurs, investors, prime investors, policymakers and merges a vast pool of ideas from across the innovative spectrum to address national and regional economic challenges.
Vestbee is a leading European online matchmaking platform for startups and scaleups supported by the global community of VC funds, corporates, business angels and accelerators such as Amazon, Microsoft, Huawei, Stripe, HubSpot, InnoEnergy, Engie, Credo Ventures, TMT Investments, Eleven Ventures.
Startups can join Vestbee free of charge and count on the help of experts in building profiles that will attract investors, moreover, they gain access to Discount Marketplace with special deals, free credits and discounts on business tools. Besides, in order to boost CEE companies’ growth, Vestbee organizes innovation challenges such as the European Startup Challenge, AWS AI Challenge and CEE Startups Of The Month series.
Vestbee also runs a Blog where you can find valuable content on topics related to fundraising and business development as well as startup funding rounds summaries, reports, Q&A with leading VC funds and accelerators and much more!
Governments and Non-Profits
Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA) is an institution that is part of the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The focus of the Agency is on enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector, strengthening the export potential of the country, and promoting/supporting foreign direct investment in Albania, as well as promoting the country's tourism potential.
As part of EU for Innovation’s objectives to strengthen capacities for innovation as well as build better links with industry, the Connect IT program is partnering academia with private enterprises and matching industry challenges with student teams that are up to the task to solve those challenges. By selecting students from relevant programs across all high education institutions, and then matching them to companies, the program aims to identify and later promote potential start-up spinoffs. The student teams may be the first breed of companies that arise from demand-driven interventions like this.
CBS is well known for implementing development projects in Albania with spillover effects in the Western Balkans. It provides consultancy and implements solutions for local entrepreneurs, organizations, donors, and financial institutions by providing valuable and effective services, hence generating economic growth in developing economic sectors.
EU for Innovation program in Albania is funded by the European Union with additional support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) as well as the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) the project aims to strengthen the eco-system for innovation and start-up promotion in Albania.
GIZ supports people in acquiring specialist knowledge, skills, and management expertise. They help organizations, public authorities, and private businesses to optimize their organizational, managerial, and production processes. They advise governments on how to achieve objectives and implement nationwide change processes by incorporating them into legislation and strategies. The political and social framework plays a crucial role in ensuring reforms are effective and sustainable.
TUMO is a new kind of educational experience at the intersection of technology and design. At TUMO, teens take charge of their learning, gaining cutting edge skills in the fields that matter today. Teens combine self-learning activities, workshops and learning labs, picking and choosing from whatever piques their interest.
The Swiss Entrepreneurship Program facilitates the strengthening of emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems to create a thriving, more equitable world for all. They connect local ecosystem organizations and entrepreneurs with experienced international entrepreneurs to share their knowledge, expertise, and connections. Together we work to help reach the goals local partners have set for themselves and thus, strengthen the performance of the startup ecosystems overall.
Protik is a successful model of public private partnership, as a neutral, not for profit organization that offers a distinct comparative advantage in the Albanian market.
Protik opened doors in October 2012 with the mission of catalyzing the development of the ICT sector in Albania.
It plays a central role in stimulating the growth of the ICT sector in Albania. The resource center helps create a better ICT business environment by improving standards and educational opportunities, as well as advocate with its partners to ensure that the sector attracts new businesses and investments.
Protik is a consortium of businesses, non for profit and government entities that promote the skills needed to compete in an innovation – driven economy.
PROTIK has the following goals:
FOSTER INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
STIMULATING DEMAND FOR ICT PRODUCTS
PROMOTING NETWORKING AND PARTNERSHIPS
BUILDING COMMUNITIES
The Embassy of Sweden’s work is focused on supporting Albania in its EU integration process. The main priorities are economic development, democracy and human rights, and environmental and climate change issues. Sweden has a feminist foreign policy and therefore they emphasize the strengthening of women’s rights, resources, and representation in everything they do.
Partners Albania is an independent Albanian NGO established in 2001, working to support civil society and facilitate inter-sector cooperation in order to strengthen democratic institutions and advance economic development.
Partners Albania is a member of Partners Network, a partnership of 19 independent, local organizations in Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East working for peaceful and democratic change.
Partners Albania is also a member of several European and regional networks such as Euclid , BCSDN, ECAS, DIESIS, ANNA LINDH, WINGS etc.
Digital Tirana is an online platform of the Municipality of Tirana. Created in 2021, this platform brings together a range of private and public sector elements to support startups, entrepreneurs, ecosystem actors as well as provide comprehensive information on digital nomads.
Digital Tirana is an online platform of the Municipality of Tirana. Created in 2021, this platform brings together a range of private and public sector elements to support startups, entrepreneurs, ecosystem actors as well as provide comprehensive information on digital nomads.
Startups
Being a startup means taking the risk of your idea and continuing to “make the world a better place”, Although Tirana is not Silicon Valley and startups have started to show themselves just a few years ago, the city still offers a reasonable number of events, meeting events and information points. The community is very energetic and it is guided by local players which have a great reputation in Tirana. Also, new players come up every day and this is the reason we strongly believe in a bright future for the startup and entrepreneurial community in Albania.