Her dedication to the project and strong attitude led her from a practical "outsider" status to victory in ZICER's Start-up Factory 2022 competition.
U okviru nastave na izbornom kolegiju Start-up menadžment profesorice, mr. sc. Gordane Ćorić, gostovala je studentica Sveučilišta VERN’ i start-up poduzetnica Dora Maroš.
Given the recent defense of her thesis and the advanced stage of development of her start-up project Pirya, this was a great opportunity for students to learn what is needed for a successful entrepreneurial journey, how education affects broadening perspectives on market potential, and how to use alternative sources of financing in project development.
She reminded the students that her project was originally called Just H2O ( which we wrote about op.a. ) and was a sustainable and efficient designer water filter made of natural materials. She told how it later became Pirya through interesting situations from which the students could recognize what it means that a start-up must be agile, technologically oriented, innovative, scalable, lean and with the potential for growth and sustainability.
She also shared her personal experiences on how she dealt with uncertainty and the search for a quality team, as well as the search for alternative sources of financing. She also talked about the supports she used (ZICER, mentorships, competitions, venture capital funds, testing vouchers, etc.), the mistakes she learned from, the current business model, and plans for sustainability and scaling. In short, an inspiring story of perseverance and dedication that took her from a practical "outsider" status to victory in ZICER's Start-up Factory 2022 competition, which was a kind of springboard for her.
Students expressed their interest in the lecture through numerous questions and suggestions, as well as contacts with potential Croatian and regional subcontractors who could meet high standards in the production of water filters (e.g. parts made of surgical steel, the highest quality wood, etc.).
Finally, Dora announced that she will soon defend her thesis on alternative sources of financing for start-ups in Croatia, which is based on her personal experiences in the development of Pirya. She added that she also plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign in September via Kickstarter, with the goal of raising funds and testing the market interest and potential of the product.
Good luck Dora!
