"When my wife Marija was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after giving birth, and the disease progressed quite rapidly, she began exploring how she could further support her recovery at home. That's how the idea for Neuroblast was born," said Marko Grujić, speaking during the European Opportunities Week.
Patients with neurodegenerative diseases must adhere to specific therapies, but maintaining continuity is often a challenge. Marija wondered whether something similar to clinical rehabilitation could be recreated at home. Together with her husband, she co-founded Neuroblast, a company that developed a specialized device enabling patients to exercise through video games, without needing to visit specialized centers.
"Neuroblast started developing at home, and as an IT professional, it wasn't difficult for me to create the first prototypes. Our product includes a controller that tracks the movements of limbs and the torso. This enables balance training, which is extremely important for these patients, while the video games are developed in-house. We even have a small gaming studio dedicated to designing games specifically tailored to our controllers. We believe rehabilitation through video games is much more effective because users become fully immersed - so much so that they forget they are exercising. The patient aims to develop movements and new neural pathways. If the exercises are not engaging enough, there is a high risk they will lose motivation and abandon therapy. Today, even our son tests games designed for children, so we can truly say this is a family story, and Neuroblast is our life project," Grujić explained.
According to him, Neuroblast may be one of the most humane startups, but it would never have come to life without support from European funding - specifically through the Innovation Fund's Katapult program.
"In the beginning, there were only three of us; today we have 12 employees and our own production. Within three years, we expanded beyond Serbia. In the first year alone, we secured initial funding, then went through an EBRD program, won an innovation fund competition in the United Arab Emirates, and we are the only startup from Serbia featured on Microsoft’s website as a ‘good practice’. Our product is complete, currently used in four clinics in Serbia, and is now being sold for home rehabilitation," Grujić said, adding that they have obtained certifications for the European market.
The Katapult program provided them with mentorship, connections, and invaluable knowledge for a small startup from Serbia.
"We met numerous mentors with whom we still collaborate today. Katapult is not just an accelerator - it is a network of people and support that truly makes a difference. We are soon opening another company in Delaware, something we wouldn’t have done without meeting other startups that had already gone through similar experiences. We advise each other on market experiences, both domestically and internationally. Ultimately, we want Neuroblast to represent Serbia in the best possible way in the European Union and worldwide," Grujić concluded.
Katapult support
"What does it take for an idea - whether it’s a concept on paper, a laboratory experiment, or even perfectly written code - to become a successful company with tangible results, not only on the local market, but also profitable and competitive? We can agree that team compatibility, resources and capital, as well as market access, are essential. But we can also agree that institutional support is crucial at the very beginning. That is where the strength of innovation lies. Over the past 15 years since its establishment, the Innovation Fund has supported a large number of projects, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. So far, we have developed more than 10 support programs, through which we have backed over 500 startups and innovative projects," said Dušan Karan from the Katapult program.
As he added, it is important to emphasize that this support would not be as impactful without partners from the European Union.
"It is not only financial support, but also systemic support that transfers experience, knowledge, and trust - making a key contribution to strengthening the overall innovation ecosystem in Serbia. As a result of this long-term commitment and cooperation, we have created a program - an accelerator for startups that are already stable and capable of generating revenue. Such companies can receive up to €300,000 in non-dilutive funding, along with a comprehensive mentorship program and support for internationalization and expansion into the European Union market. This program is part of the larger SAIGE project, implemented with the participation of the World Bank, with €6 million allocated from the Serbian budget. The program has been running for five years, and around 90 startups have been supported through five cycles so far," he stated.
(EUpravo zato)
