Client Overview

‍Techstars Startup Weekend is a globally recognized program designed to support early-stage startup creation through immersive, community-driven events. It’s a 54-hour sprint where developers, designers, marketers, and startup enthusiasts come together to pitch ideas, form teams, and build real prototypes. Solveo has proudly served as the community leader and organizer of Startup Weekend in Macedonia since 2018.

The Challenge

‍This edition of Startup Weekend Skopje came at a unique moment: the world was grappling with the early impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. For the first time ever, the event was hosted fully online — and the focus was clear: mobilize the local community to create digital solutions that help society adapt to the challenges of the crisis.

From organizing a fully remote event to mentoring teams on pandemic-specific ideas, this edition required a new level of adaptability — both from the organizers and the participants.

Our Approach

‍We launched Startup Weekend Skopje – Covid-19 as a fully online event. Over one weekend, 40 participants from across Macedonia joined forces in virtual rooms to build solutions that could make a real difference in a time of global uncertainty.

Eight teams were formed on Friday night after pitching their initial ideas. Over the next 54 hours, they received ongoing support from 26 dedicated mentors — experts in product development, user experience, technology, healthcare, and nonprofit strategy.

The Solveo team facilitated workshops, idea sprints, and feedback loops — all via virtual collaboration tools. Teams were guided through customer validation, rapid prototyping, and go-to-market planning.

On Sunday, five teams made it to the final round, where they pitched their solutions in front of a remote jury.

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Outcomes

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🥇 First Place: Ways2Help — a donation platform connecting those in need with those who can help. The platform enables families to access direct support through utility bill payments and monetary donations.

🥈 Second Place: Neighbours — a hyperlocal community platform enabling people to help one another through small tasks, donations, and support for the elderly and vulnerable.

🥉 Third Place: QRCrew — a digital ordering and delivery system using QR codes to connect local stores with bike couriers and customers.

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✅ Long-Term Impact

The winning team, Ways2Help, is one of the standout success stories of Startup Weekend Skopje. Since the event, the platform has made a real-world impact:

• 5,267 bills paid
  
  
• 5,226 donors engaged
  
  
• 356 families supported
  
  
• 9,565,388 MKD in total donations
  
  

In a time of crisis, this Startup Weekend proved just how powerful grassroots innovation can be — even when everyone’s working from home. Another edition, another reason to believe in the potential of local builders to solve global problems.

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