ESET Foundation Empowers Slovak Scientists to Turn Innovation into Business Success

The ESET Foundation launched a special grant program Challenger Science designed to help scientists in Slovakia unlock their business potential. This program featured workshops aimed at fostering entrepreneurial thinking and skills, building connections with partners and potential customers, identifying opportunities for commercialization, and preparing impactful presentations. Participants also benefited from individual mentoring and one-on-one coaching.

The program was organized in collaboration with Civitta, a renowned organization with extensive experience in startup mentoring, and supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).

Among the participants, the FunGlass team—comprising Dr. Jozef Kraxner, Dr. Martin Michálek, and Monika Šandrejová, MBA— was selected for their project ANIMATO. Their innovative initiative focused on upcycling waste glass through flame synthesis technology, which transforms all types of waste glass into high-value glass microspheres.

On December 3rd, after three months of intensive training, ten finalists showcased their projects in the public finals of the Challenger Science program. The FunGlass team delivered an outstanding performance, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to them for their excellent representation.

The expert jury awarded first place to the PoxyMed team from the Institute of Polymers at the Slovak Academy of Sciences for their technology enabling targeted drug delivery to specific sites of action.