The challenge
Rijeka has a growing community of entrepreneurs with bold ideas and the drive to make them happen. Yet many of them hit the same wall early on: funding. Bank loans and investors are often out of reach at the earliest stage, and few founders know that crowdfunding can be a realistic alternative, one that brings in money while also validating the idea and building a first community of customers.

The process
In partnership with STEP RI, the University of Rijeka Science and Technology Park, we ran a crowdfunding training programme for local startups. The teams worked through the essentials of a campaign: choosing the right crowdfunding model and platform, defining target groups, shaping a compelling story and pitch, designing rewards, setting a realistic financial goal and planning communication before, during and after launch. The sessions were hands-on, so participants applied each topic directly to their own project and received feedback from our mentors along the way.

The solution
By the end of the training, the entrepreneurs had a clear understanding of how crowdfunding works and what it takes to succeed, along with the first draft of their own campaign plan. They left with practical tools, such as the CF Canvas, that they can keep using as their projects grow. Just as importantly, the programme gave STEP RI’s startup community a new financing option to consider alongside grants, loans and investment.