EIT Climate-KIC

“I have worked with Mr. Attila Katona and the Center for Systems Innovation since 2018, first as Education Lead in RIS countries and later as Policy Innovation Lead at EIT Climate-KIC. Attila and his team have been key partners in co-developing and delivering our Circularity Thinking training programme, reaching hundreds of SMEs across Europe, and supporting participant certification. They also played a vital role in our Deep Demonstration on Circular Economy in Slovenia, especially in higher education. Over seven years of collaboration, they have consistently demonstrated expertise, flexibility, and reliability. I highly recommend them for educational initiatives that drive systemic change.”

- Aleksandra Goldys, Policy Innovation Lead, 2025

Allium

“As part of the winning team ALLIUM—an eco-innovation project on biocellulose packaging—I we took part in the 2024 European Citizens Hackathon Championship with over 100 other start-up ideas. Mr. Attila Katona (Center for Systems Innovation) mentored us during a 2-month incubation, bringing structure, clarity, and strategic focus to our project. His empathetic communication and practical guidance strengthened our pitch, innovation strategy, and investor narrative, contributing to our win and post-hackathon visibility. Attila’s deep expertise in innovation and start-up incubation made him an invaluable mentor and a key part of our success winning in the Cross-Cutting section.”

- Branislav Trudić, TEAM member, Founder, 2025

City Layers

At CITY LAYERS, we merge community-generated insights with open urban data. As founder and participant in the European Citizens Hackathon Championship 2024, I had the opportunity to work with Mr. Attila Katona as our team mentor, who helped sharpening our concept, business plan, and aligning it with real-world needs. Attila helped us articulate a strong narrative and develop a compelling pitch that resonated with both juries and stakeholders. The contribution of the Center for Systems Innovation and Attila played a critical role in our success during the programme as finalists and beyond, as we are at the edge of market entry.”

- Lovro Koncar-Gamulin, Founder, 2025

Abso

“Absorice joined CEU InnovationsLab directed by Andrea in 2016 when Absorice has sold its first batch of product assembled in our small rented apartment. We joined the program and probably have been the longest residents in the program where we stayed until our successful exit in 2022. Andrea helped refine our business model and supported us in entering new markets in Germany, Greece. Andrea mentored us in the most crucial moments of our business, and connected us to the right expert, mentors we needed. Her network helped us secure our first strategic investor as well.”

- Tamas nagy & Marton olah, founders, 2025

BrokerChooser

“BrokerChooser was selected into the programme by Andrea when we were still pre-revenue. We stayed for 2.5 years until we broke even and began to grow. Andrea ran a well-structured program with a strong cohort of startups and was deeply involved throughout. She opened her network to us, connecting us with BlackRock, the Dutch Embassy, and top finance experts. Her guidance during workshops and reviews helped shape our early strategy. She also played a key role in recruitment, linking us with CEU capstone students—some of whom we still work with today. Andrea’s mentorship, energy, and network were essential to our becoming a profitable global business.”

- Tibor Bedő & Gergely Korpos, founders, 2025

Lattice Homes

“LatticeShelter joined the 3-month STRT Launchpad program in 2023 with our concept for lightweight, durable refugee tents—a mission-driven idea close to our hearts. Andrea, as program director, played a key role in helping us gain the business, sales, and marketing skills needed to move from concept to commercial viability. With her guidance, we successfully pivoted toward festival tents, a product line that supports our finances while we refine production and continue working on the refugee-focused solution. The program transformed how we approach commercialization. With Andrea’s support, we built new partnerships and raised €180K within 11 months, enabling us to produce our first 40 tents for the 2025 festival season.”

- Ábel Bálint, founder, 2025