Nuqleus Liftoff 2026

Liftoff is built specifically for innovations rooted in substantial scientific and engineering breakthroughs, so the core pillars of the event entail:

• The Bridge between Lab and Market: Leveraging the Nuqleus program’s track record, the event showcases how academic research from the CEE region is being commercialized into world-class companies.
• The Institutional Powerhouse: Featuring rare, direct access to leaders from the EIC (European Innovation Council), EIB (European Investment Bank), and EIF (European Investment Fund) to discuss the future of European innovation policy.
• Nuqleus Demo Day: The climax of the event, where the most promising graduates of the Startup Builder program pitch to a room of elite investors.
• Capital: Connecting regional talent with global funds like Xista Ventures, Emerald Ventures, EBRD VC, and Gapminder.

Why 2026 is different? Regional sovereignty

In 2026, the theme revolves around Strategic Independence. With Europe pushing for technological sovereignty, Liftoff serves as Croatia’s answer to how the CEE region can provide the engineering talent and scientific excellence required to fuel this transition.

"The moment has come to show the best of what Croatia offers—positioning the country as an ideal base for deep tech development and attracting young scientists from the diaspora back to the CEE region." — Matija Srbić, Head of Nuqleus

Speaker Lineup

The 2026 stage features a good blend of policy makers, institution heavyweights, and industry. Here are some of the confirmed names so far:

• Marko Primorac, Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB).
• Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board of the EIC.
• Stefan Drüssler, COO of UnternehmerTUM, Europe's leading startup incubator.
• Viktor Olsson, Internationalisation Lead, KTH Innovation