# SAPIE - Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy

> SAPIE is a Bratislava-based nonprofit membership alliance connecting almost 200 innovative companies and organisations. It combines digital and AI education, policy advocacy, international missions and European projects to help businesses adopt technology and bring research to market.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** Bratislava, Slovakia
- **Founders:** Rasťo Kulich (Co-founder; chairman of the board), Anton Zajac (Co-founder; board member), Ivan Štefunko (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Membership and business networking, Hopero European Digital Innovation Hub, SAPIE Forum and Meet & Learn, Digital security guide for SMEs, Google AI Professional Certificate access
- **Notable:** Grew from 11 members in its stated 2014 establishment year to 109 in 2020 and almost 200 by 2024., Reports 19 events organised in 2025., Created an SME digital security guide with members in 2024.

## Products & services

- **Membership and business networking** — Paid membership providing project involvement, networking, policy participation and opportunities to join international missions. Published 2026 annual tiers are €500, €1,000, €2,000 and €5,000, with category eligibility.
- **Hopero European Digital Innovation Hub** — AI readiness, training, data preparation, adoption advice, funding guidance and networking for businesses and public organisations; SAPIE is a participating organisation.
- **SAPIE Forum and Meet & Learn** — Conference and expert sessions connecting businesses, technology specialists and policymakers.
- **Digital security guide for SMEs** — Guide developed with member companies, accompanied by expert interviews about security practices and risks.
- **Google AI Professional Certificate access** — Local verification partnership offering eligible organisations up to 500 free Coursera course licences for noncommercial use; July 2026 first-wave completion deadline was August 31.
- **SAPIE Open Challenge** — Matches established companies’ practical problems with students, startups and innovators for one to two months of work; results scheduled for Forum 2027.
- **CapTTict / Danube Digital Accelerator** — Cross-border academic technology transfer project in nine countries; SAPIE contributes mentoring, learning and information on Slovak innovation support.
- **EPIC-X** — Horizon Europe consortium supporting women-led deep-tech startups in 16 moderate and emerging innovator countries; 20 selected startups each offered €60,000, alongside acceleration support. SAPIE connects participants to expertise and networks.
- **HealthBridge_CE** — Seven-partner, six-country digital health project. SAPIE will connect health-tech startups with health centres in Graz and oversee three cross-border pilots.
- **Innovation missions** — International learning and business networking trips with partners, including a 2026 Boston and New York delegation of nearly 40 participants.

## Achievements

- Grew from 11 members in its stated 2014 establishment year to 109 in 2020 and almost 200 by 2024.
- Reports 19 events organised in 2025.
- Created an SME digital security guide with members in 2024.
- Organised a nearly 40-person Boston and New York mission in 2026 with Košice IT Valley.
- Signed an AWS memorandum on October 2, 2026.
- Contributed to EPIC-X, whose September 2026 Founder Showcase featured 20 startups.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — October 21 report described the completed US business mission, diaspora introductions and AWS memorandum.
- **2026-10** — October 12 announcement detailed the AWS memorandum signed October 2, including proposed training and expert consultations.
- **2026-09** — HealthBridge_CE launched with seven partners in six countries; SAPIE will oversee three cross-border pilots.
- **2026-09** — EPIC-X Grand Finale took place September 16-17 in Vilnius, with 20 startups presenting.
- **2026-09** — Open Challenge announced company-innovator matching, with registration open until November 30 and results scheduled for 2027.
- **2026-07** — Google AI Professional course access announced, including up to 500 free licences for eligible organisations.

## Links

- Website: https://sapie.sk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sapiesk/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SAPIE_SK
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sapie.sk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sapiesk/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/sapie-slovak-alliance-for-innovation-economy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22