
Venture Factory » About » The University Business Incubator
The University Business Incubator - the University of Maribor’s deep-tech startup accelerator
Venture Factory runs the University Business Incubator program, which is an important element of the University of Maribor’s innovation ecosystem. It aims to promote and support the entrepreneurial activities of the university’s students, researchers and professors, as well as other innovative individuals.

It provides excellent programs and services for successful commercialization through the creation and development of new start-up companies and through open innovation collaboration with established companies. Venture Factory, within the Innovum consortium, runs entrepreneurship and innovation programs, builds entrepreneurial skills, supports the process of building entrepreneurial teams, the validation of business ideas and the building of new start-ups with a particular focus on deep tech spin-outs.
The University Business Incubator offers free services under the Innovative Environment Entities Program of the Public Agency SPIRIT – SIO – Tovarna podjemov 2020-22. Within the framework of the program, it provides support for the start-up, growth and development of companies. Activities are carried out for the following target groups:
- Innovative potential entrepreneurs;
- New and existing innovative start-ups;
- Fast-growing scale-up companies with global growth potential.
Support is provided through promotional and motivational events, information and advice, thematic workshops, mentoring and counseling.
Startup Müsli event: From Hell to Heaven – Business as Usual
The different content clusters are implemented in specific phases of the idea/business development and are divided into the following:
- Phase 1 is the support of the business idea process. In this phase we help the target groups to validate the business idea and create a plan for its implementation.
- Phase 2 is the phase of supporting the growth and development of the start-up. We focus on helping businesses overcome their challenges and move forward.
- Phase 3 is the phase where we support the growth and development of fast-growing scale-up companies. This phase is only for fast-growing companies with a market-validated business model and high growth potential.
The University Business Incubator has a fully renovated and modern space for the efficient development of start-ups. The contemporary working environment stimulates creativity, encourages collaboration and enables individuals and groups to develop innovative ideas effectively. We have 500 m2 of space where entrepreneurial teams can find their workspace. The workspaces are equipped with furniture and high-speed internet access. Corporate teams or companies can also use a shared multimedia classroom, conference room and kitchen.
Would you like to join us?
Send us an email: info@venturefactory.org.
The program is co-financed from the Slovene Enterprise Fund and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. This is implemented on the basis of the Content Support for Funds Recipients (SMEs) Programme in the 2018-2023 period, under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020.