HUKI - Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije

What HUKI - Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije does

Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije (HUKI) is a Zagreb-based Croatian non-profit association paired with a private limited liability company (HUKI d.o.o. za usluge) that organizes large-scale educational events, e-learning programs, and youth entrepreneurship initiatives across Southeast Europe. The organization runs a portfolio of recurring annual conferences — including LEAP Summit, TEDxZagreb, LEAP Women, FinTech Adria, and Adriatic Innovation Island — alongside year-round programs such as Innovation Academy (high-school summer school since 2017), STEM Academy, Social Impact Award, and the UNICEF-implemented ZABUM/UPSHIFT initiative. Its core digital asset is the LEAP Academy e-learning platform, launched in 2023 with over 88 video courses and 2,000 participants, including an AI Crash Course co-developed with the American Embassy Croatia.

HUKI primarily monetizes through EU program funding — chiefly Erasmus+, the European Social Fund, and the Croatian National Foundation for Civil Society Development — supplemented by a tiered membership program (50 EUR individual, 300-1,000 EUR corporate) and event-related services. The organization functions as an implementation and delivery partner for intergovernmental and supranational bodies (European Commission, UNICEF Croatia, Croatian Central State Office for Demography and Youth), operating across at least 17 European countries through Erasmus+ KA1/KA2/KA152/KA153/KA210/KA220 projects. It reached 10,000+ direct users and 100,000+ indirect users annually as of recent reporting.

The organization's moat rests on a combination of institutional access (preferred-partner status with UNICEF and Croatian government bodies), a dense partner ecosystem of 80+ sponsors and collaborators, and an owned content/programs library in a niche where brand and EU-grant eligibility dominate procurement decisions. Key risks include dependency on cyclical EU funding, dual-entity governance complexity, and limited commercial monetization outside the grant ecosystem.

Name

HUKI - Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije

Legal name

Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije

Website

https://huki.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HUKI is a Zagreb-based Croatian non-profit organization that organizes youth entrepreneurship events, e-learning programs, and EU-funded educational projects. It serves young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs across Croatia and Europe via flagship conferences (LEAP Summit, TEDxZagreb), the LEAP Academy platform, and partnerships with UNICEF and Erasmus+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Non-Formal Education Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Leadership, Debate & Model UN Camps (EDAMALAK), Growth Mindset, Motivation & Goal-Setting Programs (EDAMAIAE)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship programs
• Non-formal education services
• Conference event management
• E-learning platform courses
• Social innovation projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. EU Project Funding: Majority of funding comes from European Union programs including Erasmus+, European Social Fund, and other EU-backed initiatives that support youth education, entrepreneurship development, and social innovation projects.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual members (50 EUR) and corporate supporters (Premium 1,000 EUR, Benefit 500 EUR, Support 300 EUR). Membership is valid for the calendar year.
3. Event Organization Services: Revenue generated from organizing professional conferences and events including LEAP Summit, TEDxZagreb, FinTech Adria, and specialized workshops for corporate and institutional clients.
4. Institutional Support: HUKI is a beneficiary of institutional support from the National Foundation for Civil Society Development (Nacionalna zaklada za razvoj civilnog društva) for stabilization and development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HUKI organizes large-scale international conferences (LEAP Summit, TEDxZagreb, FinTech Adria), delivers year-round non-formal education programs for youth entrepreneurship and social innovation, and operates the LEAP Academy e-learning platform with free courses on AI, entrepreneurship, and STEM. The organization also runs targeted youth development programs including Innovation Academy for high school students, ZABUM/UPSHIFT workshops with UNICEF, and the Social Impact Award accelerator.

Product overview

HUKI is a non-profit organization and company specializing in event management, entrepreneurship promotion, and social innovation education. The portfolio consists of flagship annual conferences (LEAP Summit, TEDxZagreb, FinTech Adria, Adriatic Innovation Island), e-learning platforms (LEAP Academy with AI Crash Course), youth empowerment programs (Innovation Academy, STEM Academy, ZABUM with UPSHIFT workshops), and entrepreneurship support initiatives (Social Impact Award, Growing Youth Potential, Fair Share Model). The core LEAP platform serves as a year-round ecosystem for young professionals, supplemented by membership services and Erasmus+ international cooperation projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEAP Summit: Two-day international multidisciplinary conference for young professionals aged 20-35 featuring world-renowned speakers on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital technology, EU Green Deal, social entrepreneurship, STEM and startups.
• LEAP Academy
• LEAP Women
• STEM Academy
• Innovation Academy
• Social Impact Award
• Transformator
• Akademija Održivosti
• Young Leaders Forum
• ZABUM
• TEDxZagreb

Products and services

• LEAP Summit Two-day annual international multidisciplinary conference for young professionals (ages 20-35) featuring world-renowned speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities on entrepreneurship, innovation, digital technology, EU Green Deal, social entrepreneurship, STEM, and startups. Documented editions span 2018 to 2025, drawing up to 3,000+ participants.
• LEAP Academy E-learning platform offering free courses, case studies, competitions, and lectures on AI, entrepreneurship, and professional development. Created in cooperation with companies and organizations; features over 88 video content pieces and 2,000+ attendees.
• LEAP Women Annual one-day specialized conference for women in STEM and entrepreneurship since 2018, featuring inspirational lectures and informal networking to encourage women as leaders and role models.
• AI Crash Course Free course on the LEAP Academy e-learning platform covering AI fundamentals, ethical principles, career development in AI, and ChatGPT usage. Developed in cooperation with the American Embassy and AI experts including Davor Runje, Marijana Šarolić Robić, and Mislav Malenica.
• Innovation Academy Annual summer school program for high school students in Croatia since 2017, covering 7 programs: Future Skills, IT Genius (basic), IT Genius (advanced), Future Leader, Future Entrepreneur, Digital Skills, and Robotics. Trains approximately 150 participants per year with 30 scholarships, totaling 500+ young people over 5 years.
• STEM Academy European Social Fund project co-financed with the Government Office for NGOs to strengthen civil society capacities for popularizing STEM among children and youth. Delivered with academic partners including Institute for the Development of Education, Faculty of Mining/Geology/Petroleum Engineering at University of Zagreb, and Algebra University.
• ZABUM Youth Innovation Program Youth engagement program implemented by HUKI on behalf of UNICEF Croatia through the Innovation Laboratory for Youth. Includes UPSHIFT workshops, hackathons for social change, Innovation Academy skills programs, meetups, and the ZABUM voice digital platform. Trains over 600 young people annually.
• Social Impact Award (SIA) Year-round entrepreneurship program enabling young people aged 14-30 to develop entrepreneurial ideas with mentoring support. Includes workshops, bootcamps, accelerator program, and central conference with awards ceremony. Provides financial support to winning teams; engages 300+ workshop participants and yields 14 innovative project ideas annually.
• FinTech Adria Specialized conference focusing on fintech and blockchain industries, featuring lectures, interactive panels, and networking for finance and blockchain technology professionals and business development.
• Adriatic Innovation Island Two-day international conference on digital transformation and human resources targeting professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, and directors. Features specialized workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and exclusive networking programs.
• TEDxZagreb Annual TEDx conference organized by HUKI in Zagreb, featuring notable speakers presenting ideas worth spreading. Documented editions include 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• Designing A Green Future Conference One-day conference on sustainable development covering green technology, green politics, circular economy, sustainable urban mobility, and digitization in agriculture.
• Fair Share Model Project European Social Fund co-financed project on social entrepreneurship education for young people. Educated 77 young people through workshops and conferences on business plan development and Fair Share model implementation. Total project value HRK 627,613.76.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering tiered enrollment for individuals (50 EUR/year, voting rights) and corporate supporters: Support tier (300 EUR, 3 employees), Benefit tier (500 EUR, 5 employees), and Premium tier (1,000 EUR, 10 employees). Membership runs on the calendar year (January 1 to December 31).
• Young Leaders Forum Multi-day conference for young top talents providing networking opportunities with other emerging leaders, held at notable venues. Documented editions include 2022 and 2023.
• Project Days Conference Annual professional conference focused on project management trends, bringing together project management professionals. Documented 2024 edition.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ young people trained through Innovation Academy over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNICEF CroatiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing UNICEF's ZABUM program including UPSHIFT workshops, hackathons for social change, and youth activism platforms. Over 600 young people participate annually in ZABUM activities.
• Shokkin Group (Estonia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational training partner for Erasmus+ projects on youth entrepreneurship, providing trainers and methodologies for entrepreneurship education programs.
• Agere Aude (Poland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in international entrepreneurship training 'Be Enterprising' within Erasmus+ KA1 program for youth from 6 countries.
• Contextos (Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Erasmus+ projects focused on entrepreneurship education and youth development.
• Jubuk (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in international youth entrepreneurship training within Erasmus+ program.
• Central State Office for Demography and Youth (Croatia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing Social Impact Award program in cooperation with the Croatian government body for youth issues.
• Institute for the Development of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in STEM Academy project for popularization of STEM among children and youth.
• Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of ZagrebcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in STEM Academy project for STEM popularization.
• Algebra University (Croatia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in STEM Academy project and other educational initiatives.
• American Embassy CroatiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed AI Crash Course on LEAP Academy platform with experts from the American Embassy.
• Positive Samobor AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for international Erasmus+ training at Greenville Eco Farm in Samobor.
• Active Bulgarian SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization for ConnAction training on mindfulness and body movement methodology for youth workers.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Social Impact Award: Vienna-based parent organization of the Social Impact Award program that HUKI operates as SIA Croatia. Directly comparable as a youth social entrepreneurship accelerator with mentoring, bootcamps and seed funding, operating the same franchise across multiple European countries.
• AIESEC: Global youth leadership network offering programs in entrepreneurship, leadership and cross-cultural experiences. Highly comparable in target audience (students/young professionals), non-formal education model, and international mobility partnerships.
• Impact Hub Zagreb: Part of the Impact Hub global network operating an entrepreneurship and innovation community in Zagreb. Comparable as a Croatia-based entrepreneurship ecosystem builder targeting social entrepreneurs and early-stage founders.
• Slush: Helsinki-based founder event organizer that HUKI has directly emulated via Zagreb SLUSH'D. Comparable as an entrepreneurship event brand for founders, investors and operators targeting youth and early-stage startups.
• Junior Achievement Croatia: Croatian chapter of JA Worldwide providing entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy programs for youth. Closely matches HUKI's youth entrepreneurship education mission in the same Croatian market.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network supporting social entrepreneurs. Comparable to HUKI's Social Impact Award and social entrepreneurship programming at a much larger scale across multiple countries.
• JA Europe: Regional umbrella for Junior Achievement in Europe. Comparable as a youth entrepreneurship education provider at pan-European scale, addressing overlapping curricular goals with HUKI's LEAP, Innovation Academy and SIA programs.
• UNICEF Croatia (ZABUM): HUKI is the implementing partner of UNICEF Croatia's ZABUM / UPSHIFT youth program. Comparable as a youth empowerment platform targeting the same Croatian adolescents through innovation labs and hackathons.
• TED Conferences (TEDx): Parent organization of the TEDx licensee program that HUKI operates as TEDxZagreb. Comparable as a global ideas-conference brand with locally licensed events following a common format.

Others

• ERSTE Foundation: Austrian foundation funding social entrepreneurship and youth programs across CEE/SEE. Highly comparable as a regional funder/operator in the same social entrepreneurship and youth activation ecosystem that HUKI participates in through Erasmus+ and ESF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HUKI - Hrvatski ured za kreativnost i inovacije