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We Won the Pitch! Origin BCI Is Heading to Budapest.

We have some incredible news to share, and we are still catching our breath.

Last week in Budapest, Origin BCI won the Innovation Champion Award at re:Marc 2026, the regional finale of one of the most ambitious impact acceleration programmes in Central and Eastern Europe. Standing on that stage and hearing our name called was the kind of moment you replay in your head for days afterward.

re:Marc brought together twelve startups from six countries, each one building something meaningful, each one solving a real problem with real heart. The level of ambition in that room was humbling. We spent the days swapping ideas with founders who think differently, who push hard, and who genuinely care about the people they build for. Several of those conversations could grow into partnerships that shape the next chapter of our journey, and we cannot wait to see where they lead.

We also had the honour of representing Romania on that stage, side by side with the brilliant team at Rongo Design. Flying our country’s flag alongside such a talented group of people was a moment of real pride for all of us.

And then came the part we still struggle to believe. Out of all twelve startups, the jury chose Origin BCI as the Innovation Champion, and with the award came a €15,000 grant. For a team that has built everything so far through bootstrapping, this support means a great deal. We will put every euro of it toward the transition from Wave, the prototype, to Wave, the finished product that will reach the people who need it.

If you have followed us for a while, you already know what that transition means to us. Wave is the first bionic hand in Europe to give real haptic touch feedback rather than simple touch notifications, wrapped in a slim, lightweight design that is fully made in Europe. Turning that into a certified medical device is a long road, and this grant helps us take the next steps with a little more confidence and a lot more momentum.

This award is so much more than a trophy. It is the culmination of months of work inside the Marc Impact Programme, a journey that pushed us to think sharper, build better, and surround ourselves with people who truly believe in the power of social innovation. To everyone behind the programme who poured in their time, knowledge, and energy, thank you. You helped build something special, and we feel it in everything we do.

Summer is only just beginning, and we have a lot of work ahead of us along with plenty of new partnerships to establish. If you want to be part of the Origin Story, or you know someone who would, reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.

Until our next update, here is a lovely article about us written by Ziarul Financiar: https://www.zf.ro/profesii/antreprenor-la-24-de-ani-luni-sustine-licenta-in-aparatura-23178688.

The journey continues. See you out there.