What Startup Büro does

Startup Büro is a Tbilisi, Georgia-based community builder organization founded in 2018 that connects entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers through events, programs, and partnerships. Its portfolio spans hackathons and bootcamps, pre-acceleration and acceleration programs, forums and conferences, trainings and workshops, demo days, and custom innovation events. Signature programs include Global Tech Weekend Tbilisi (one of the largest tech conferences in the Caucasus and Central Asia, with 3,000+ attendees in 2025), NASA Space Apps Challenge, Global Game Jam Georgia, PechaKucha Night Tbilisi, ProductTank Tbilisi, Fuckup Nights Tbilisi, Visionary Voices, AI x Blockchain Hackathon (with a $10,000 prize pool), Game Jam Georgia Cup 2026 (main-sponsored by Lenovo Georgia), and ProCredit Bank Regional Business Meetings held across four Georgian cities. The organization does not develop or sell a proprietary technology platform; its "product" is curated programming and community.

The organization operates with a lean core team of approximately 11 personnel, including a CEO (Nini Jishiashvili), Head of Marketing, Project Coordinator, and Graphic Designer, alongside a Co-founder and a five-member Executive Board. Revenue is generated almost entirely through event and program sponsorship, drawing on a network of more than 100 partners that spans Georgian financial institutions (Bank of Georgia, TBC, ProCredit, Liberty, Credo, National Bank of Georgia), international development organizations (UNDP, UN Women, EU/ENPARD, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friedrich Naumann Foundation), technology companies (Lenovo Georgia, Visa, Silknet, Cellfie), media (Forbes Georgia), and ecosystem actors (GITA, Founder Institute, Impact Hub Tbilisi, GAIA - Georgian AI Association).

Startup Büro is privately held, founder-led, and bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. It holds local-host rights for several globally branded innovation programs (NASA Space Apps Challenge, Global Game Jam, PechaKucha, ProductTank, Fuckup Nights), which provide brand credibility and international visibility while keeping operations anchored in Georgia. Its go-to-market is event- and community-led, reaching entrepreneurs, technology professionals, corporate sponsors, and international development organizations through signature events, regional conferences, social media, and partner networks.

Name

Startup Büro

Legal name

Startup Büro

Website

https://startupburo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Büro is a Tbilisi-based community builder founded in 2018 that runs hackathons, conferences, and innovation programs — including NASA Space Apps and Global Tech Weekend Tbilisi — connecting Georgian entrepreneurs, sponsors, and international partners through an event-led model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Building & Innovation Event Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Startup community building
• Innovation event management
• Entrepreneurship programs
• Hackathon organization services
• Business networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Tbilisi

HQ country

Georgia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event and Program Sponsorship: Revenue generated through partnerships with sponsors who fund hackathons, conferences, and innovation programs. Sponsors include financial institutions, technology companies, and international organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Startup Büro is a community builder organization that designs, organizes, and delivers entrepreneurship and innovation events, programs, and partnerships across Georgia. Its offerings include hackathons, bootcamps, pre-acceleration and acceleration programs, forums, conferences, trainings, workshops, demo days, and custom innovation events, funded primarily through corporate and institutional sponsorships.

Product overview

Startup Büro is a community builder that offers a portfolio of event-based innovation programs and services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Hackathons & Bootcamps, Pre-acceleration & Acceleration Programs, Forums & Conferences, Trainings & Workshops, Demo Days & Innovation Showcases, and Custom Innovation Events. The signature event programs include Fuckup Nights Tbilisi (storytelling events), PechaKucha Night Tbilisi (20x20 presentation format), Global Game Jam Georgia and Game Jam Georgia Cup (game development competitions), NASA Space Apps Challenge (global hackathon), Visionary Voices (speaker series), ProductTank Tbilisi (product management meetups), Global Tech Weekend Tbilisi (technology conference), AI × Blockchain Hackathon, and ProCredit Bank Regional Business Meetings. These programs work together to connect entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers across Georgia through events, programs, and partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hackathons & Bootcamps Collaborative programs that bring creative minds together to solve real challenges and build new ideas through intensive hackathon formats and bootcamp experiences, targeting entrepreneurs, developers, students, and technology enthusiasts.
• Pre-acceleration & Acceleration Programs Structured programs that help startups validate, develop, and scale their businesses through organized acceleration pathways, designed for early-stage startup founders.
• Forums & Conferences High-impact events such as Global Tech Weekend Tbilisi that connect entrepreneurs, experts, investors, and industry leaders for knowledge sharing and networking.
• Trainings & Workshops Practical learning experiences led by experienced professionals and innovators to build skills and capabilities, targeting technology professionals and entrepreneurs.
• Demo Days & Innovation Showcases Platforms where startups present their ideas, products, and progress to key audiences including investors and potential partners.
• Custom Innovation Events Tailored hackathons, ideation sessions, design sprints, and innovation programs built around specific partner goals, delivered to corporate and institutional clients.
• NASA Space Apps Challenge Tbilisi Local Tbilisi edition of NASA's annual global hackathon, the world's largest annual hackathon, where innovators use NASA's open data to solve real-world challenges over a two-day intensive format.
• Fuckup Nights Tbilisi Tbilisi edition of the global Fuckup Nights storytelling event series, where entrepreneurs and professionals share honest stories of failure, resilience, and the lessons behind difficult decisions.
• PechaKucha Night Tbilisi Tbilisi edition of the global PechaKucha format in which speakers deliver 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each, focused on authentic leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
• Global Game Jam Georgia Georgia edition of the world's largest game creation event, in which developers and creatives build games in 48 hours around a global theme.
• Visionary Voices A platform for live conversations with innovators and leaders, sharing ideas that inspire and drive change through engaging dialogues.
• ProductTank Tbilisi A meetup series connecting product professionals to exchange ideas, share practical experience, and discuss the future of product development.
• Global Tech Weekend Tbilisi One of the largest technology conferences in the Caucasus and Central Asia, bringing together attendees, participating companies, and international speakers under a unified innovation theme.
• AI × Blockchain Hackathon A 48-hour innovation challenge focused on emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Consumer Technology, Entertainment Technologies, and Tokenized Real Estate, with a $10,000 prize pool.
• Game Jam Georgia Cup Georgia's largest game development championship that brings together game developers, designers, artists, and programmers for a competition culminating in live grand finals at Tbilisi Tech Park.
• ProCredit Bank Regional Business Meetings Regional business conference series held in Batumi, Kutaisi, Telavi, and Zugdidi, bringing together entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry experts to discuss regional economic development and SME support.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Gagra VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of AI x Blockchain Hackathon 2025. Provided $10,000 prize pool and follow-on investment opportunity for winning teams. Partnership focused on emerging technology innovation in Georgia.
• Lenovo GeorgiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain sponsor of Game Jam Georgia Cup 2026. Provided sponsorship enabling competition winner to attend Poznań Game Arena 2026. Key technology partner for game development initiatives.
• Forbes GeorgiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPowered PechaKucha Night Tbilisi Vol. 23 as part of Forbes Women Conference 2026. Strategic media partnership providing brand visibility and credibility.
• ProCredit BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganized Regional Business Meetings 2025 across Batumi, Kutaisi, Telavi, and Zugdidi. Partnership focused on regional economic development and SME support.
• Bank of Georgia BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner supporting entrepreneurship ecosystem development in Georgia.
• TBC for BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting innovation programs and startup ecosystem development.
• National Bank of GeorgiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner supporting financial innovation and startup ecosystem development.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development partner supporting innovation and entrepreneurship programs.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting women in entrepreneurship and leadership initiatives.
• EU / ENPARDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union agricultural and rural development program partner supporting entrepreneurship in Georgia.
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner supporting innovation and development initiatives.
• Friedrich Naumann Foundation for FreedomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational foundation partner supporting freedom and entrepreneurship initiatives. Over three years of cooperation valuing planning, execution, and innovation.
• Georgian National University SEUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for NASA Space Apps Challenge Tbilisi 2025 and AI x Blockchain Hackathon 2025.
• Tbilisi Tech ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Game Jam Georgia Cup 2026 grand final.
• D Block SpacesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Fuckup Nights Tbilisi Vol. 35.
• Wine FactoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for PechaKucha Night Tbilisi Vol. 23.
• GITAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgian Innovation and Technology Agency partner supporting innovation ecosystem.
• Founder InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal startup accelerator network partner.
• Impact Hub TbilisiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-working and innovation ecosystem partner in Tbilisi.
• GAIA - Georgian AI AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI community partner supporting artificial intelligence initiatives.
• VisaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial technology partner supporting innovation programs.
• Liberty BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking partner supporting SME ecosystem development.
• Credo BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking partner supporting entrepreneur and SME initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: One of the largest global accelerators running programs across multiple continents with extensive mentor and investor networks — a broader incumbent with overlapping entrepreneur-support capabilities.
• 500 Global (500 Startups): Global venture firm and accelerator that runs programs, invests in early-stage startups, and supports emerging market ecosystems — broader portfolio but overlapping entrepreneur-development mission.

Direct peers

• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneurship support organization that selects, mentors, and scales founders through curated programs — comparable mission and event-driven ecosystem building in emerging markets.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating in 100+ cities with structured programs for early-stage founders. Startup Büro is already a FI partner; FI's portfolio of accelerator programs is a close functional match.
• Startup Grind: Global community for entrepreneurs with local chapters that run events, mentorship, and programming to support startup ecosystems — directly analogous to Startup Büro's franchise-style community model.
• Impact Hub Network: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs offering co-working, programs, and community for entrepreneurs — closely aligned with Startup Büro's community-builder identity and the Tbilisi Impact Hub partnership.
• Impact Hub Tbilisi: Tbilisi-based co-working and innovation hub that, like Startup Büro, supports Georgian entrepreneurs through community programming, events, and partnership-driven initiatives. They are already a direct collaboration partner.
• Techstars Startup Weekend: Global hackathon-style events where entrepreneurs build startups over 54 hours — directly comparable to Startup Büro's hackathon and bootcamp portfolio in format and target audience.

Others

• GITA (Georgian Innovation and Technology Agency): Georgian government agency supporting innovation and technology development — already a Startup Büro partner; functions as a public-sector complement that channels funding and programs through organizations like Startup Büro.

Emerging players

• Fledge: Conscious company accelerator supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs through structured programs and network access — comparable to Startup Büro's accelerator and hackathon programming for mission-driven founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/startupburo.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startupburo
• Instagraminstagram.com/startup_buro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Startup Büro