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Help us take Customer Engagement to new heights

We’re looking for startups that leverage the latest technology to help increase customer engagement.

Customer Engagement

Our business partners:

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Enhance Your Customer Engagement solution with StartSmart CEE’s Acceleration Program

Customer engagement is one of the biggest challenges for any business. 

 

At our Acceleration Program, we’re looking for startups looking for ways to boost sales, activate customers more efficiently, and build lasting relationships by seamlessly integrating and synchronizing interactions across various touchpoints. 

 

During the Program, you’ll work alongside one of our corporate partners on building your proof of concept and scaling your idea. 

 

You’ll also get access to resources, R&D support, networking opportunities, and expertise you need to turn your idea into a business and establish its market position.

Apply now

Why join our Customer Engagement Acceleration Program?

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Get Mentored

Work alongside business professionals and industry experts. Get marketing, business, and tech insights and advice and leverage it to scale your business faster.

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Test Your Idea At Scale

Leverage your partner’s vast resources to test how your innovation performs in a real business scenario.

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Access Critical Data

Get access to a wealth of customer engagement and behavior data from your accelerator partner. Use it to optimize and improve your product.

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Get Development Support

Tap into your corporate partner’s R&D resources and get the support you need to speed up the development of your solution.

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Give Your Startup a Credibility Boost

Work alongside the biggest names in your industry. “Borrow” their brand credibility and build a trust-worthy brand even before your product hits the market.

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Grow Without Losing Equity

Join a StartSmart CEE Startup Acceleration Program, access a wealth of resources, and grow your startup while keeping 100% ownership over your startup.

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Get up to €90,000 Non-Equity Grant

Receive funding for testing and technology development, in partnership with our corporate sponsors. *This grant is available for a limited number of startups meeting the formal requirements.

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Commercialize Your Idea

Get a chance to get your first high-value client even before you finish the accelerator.

Our Corporate Partners

Maspex

Maspex is the biggest private food company in Poland and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. It was established over 30 years ago and produces a wide range of products, including drinks, food, and spirits, which are available in 70 countries around the world. The company has a portfolio of 70 brands and offers over 4000 products made in 18 modern production plants located in Poland and abroad. These plants have over 160 production lines and annually produce more than 2.2 billion liters of juices, nectars, and beverages, 280,000 tonnes of pasta, cereal, and instant products, 180,000 tonnes of jams and preserves, and 155 million liters of alcohol. The company focuses on organic growth and acquisitions, having conducted 21 acquisitions to date, including 12 foreign companies. In 2023, Maspex generated sales revenues of 4 billion EUR.

Effectiveness of marketing and sales: How to leverage the latest technologies to increase reach, engage customers, and enhance the effectiveness of promotional and sales activities, with a special focus on social media and other customer outreach channels.
Digitalization and AI Utilization in Business Processes: How to utilize advanced information technologies and artificial intelligence to optimize business processes. The goal is to increase efficiency and competitiveness through automation and process improvement.
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PZU

The PZU Group is the largest financial institution in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The company is trusted by over 22 million customers in five countries. Operating in the areas of insurance, banking, investments, and healthcare, PZU manages nearly PLN 470 billion in assets. Implementing innovations is a crucial aspect of the PZU Ready for Startups program.

 

The company aims not only to respond to developments in insurtech but also to stay ahead of these trends. PZU is looking for startups operating in various areas, particularly in insurtech, advanced analytics solutions, digitalization, and new customer interactions.

 



How to simplify the insurance sales process?
How to help distribution partners sell and work more easily?
How to make the interaction with the insurer faster for the customer and build a positive experience, while complying with regulations?
How can the insurer support drivers (including professional drivers) in all aspects of taking care of safety (including sobriety verification, readiness to drive)?
What innovative services (Value Added Services) are offered to both B2B and B2C customers to support them in their daily lives?

Who should apply?

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Your Idea Is Original and Innovative

There are thousands of startups operating in the customer engagement industry. What makes your idea different from all those looking to scale?

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Your Idea Answers Our Partner’s Needs

Your idea should address one of our corporate partner’s key challenges (and be able to potentially solve it).

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Prove the Potential of Your Idea

To get admitted, your idea needs to have market traction or at least a functioning, testable prototype.

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You’re Looking to Commercialize Your Idea

You’re open to bringing the idea to market by entering a commercialization agreement with your corporate partner.

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Recruitment is closed!

Recruitment for the Spring 2024 edition is closed, subscribe to our newsletter to get notified about the start of the next Acceleration and other opportunities.

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    Help Our Corporate Partner Skyrocket their Customer Engagement

    High customer engagement is the key to building long-term brand loyalty and increasing sales.

     

    At StartSmart CEE (formerly MIT Enterprise Forum CEE), we’re working with established businesses that are looking for innovative startups that can help them solve their customer engagement challenges. 

     

    If you have an innovative idea that can help our partners improve their customer engagement in areas that are critical to them – apply today to CEE’s only MIT-affiliated Startup Acceleration Program.

    Apply now

    Application Guide

    Download our Application Guide and learn all you need about the admission process. 

     

    Find out the exact requirements you need to fulfill, including key application dates and essential documents.

    Download Application Guide Download

    Rules & Regulations

    Access the rules and guidelines governing our Startup Accelerator Programs. Find out whether your startup satisfies the necessary formal requirements to participate.

    Check the Regulations Document Check out

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    Grow your Customer Engagement Innovation with StartSmart CEE Acceleration Program

    Years of experience and 300 success stories have taught us a lot about scaling startups. 

     

    Apply today to one of our Acceleration Programs, let us help you scale yours, and become our next success story!

    Apply now