Dear readers,

This week we take a look at how Croatia’s startup ecosystem has evolved from a small, founder-driven community into a growing regional innovation hub. Our main story looks at how Infobip, Croatia’s first unicorn, is giving back to the ecosystem through Startup Tribe, helping hundreds of startups access global networks, investors and resources.

Across the region, we cover major ecosystem moves, including Serbia’s Ominimo reaching unicorn status, Rentlio’s acquisition by Swiss hospitality technology company Travelnode, and Lasken AI’s latest funding round.

In the latest Founder Take, we discuss what helps startups win, why speed and depth are not opposites, how AI-native companies can gain an advantage, and why hiring remains the biggest challenge for founders. Plus, we look at the latest rumours shaping the region’s startup scene.

Enjoy the read!
Bojan Stojkovski
Editor-in-Chief, IT Logs

When Infobip launched in the small Istrian town of Vodnjan two decades ago, Croatia's startup ecosystem looked very different. Venture capital was scarce, accelerators were almost non-existent, and founders often relied on little more than determination, family support and a handful of early believers to get their ideas off the ground.

Today, the picture has changed dramatically. Croatia is home to globally recognised startups, venture funds are becoming increasingly active, and founders have access to a growing network of investors, incubators and international partners. Infobip is undoubtedly at the centre of that transformation - having grown from a bootstrapped startup into Croatia's first unicorn, the communications platform has increasingly shifted its focus from building its own business to helping others build theirs.

One of the clearest examples is the Infobip Startup Tribe, a global programme launched in 2021 to support early-stage technology companies with free communications credits, infrastructure, partnerships, mentoring and access to one of the world's largest startup networks. More than a perks programme, Startup Tribe illustrates Infobip's own journey and the belief that successful tech companies have a responsibility to strengthen the ecosystems that helped create them.

An unconventional path into tech

Reić's route into the startup world was anything but traditional. She studied philosophy and Croatian language and literature before beginning her career at the University of Split's international relations department. Consulting introduced her to entrepreneurship, although she admits she initially knew very little about it.

"One of my first assignments was to write a whole manual on how to manage business incubators, and I'd never even heard what a business incubator was," she tells IT Logs.

That project became an immersion into startup ecosystems. After researching thousands of pages of literature and helping launch one of Croatia's early government-backed pre-acceleration programmes, Reić found herself following developments at Shift, the Split-based technology conference that Infobip acquired in early 2021.

Within two years, she was leading the programme. Startup Tribe emerged shortly after Infobip acquired Shift, but the programme's roots stretch much further back: to Infobip's own experience as an ambitious startup growing with very limited institutional support.

Instead, entrepreneurs often depended on what founders jokingly call the "three Fs" - friends, family and fools. "Now you have the first corporate startup programme in Croatia. You don't only get credits, you also get a lot of additional benefits." she says.

Those benefits extend well beyond free access to Infobip's communications platform. Today, Startup Tribe serves as an entry point into an international network of investors, accelerators and strategic partners.

From the outset, Infobip decided not to limit the initiative to Croatia. "It was global from the start. One of our biggest partners was 500 Global. We also partnered with Techstars, Y Combinator and Sequoia. We went all in globally from the very beginning." Reić tells IT Logs.

That decision reflected both Infobip's own international DNA and the realities of modern startup building. Great companies can emerge anywhere, but they increasingly need access to global customers, investors and markets.

More than startup credits

Like many corporate startup programmes, Startup Tribe offers product credits. But Reić argues that infrastructure is only one piece of the puzzle.

The programme now works with more than 170 venture capital firms, accelerators and ecosystem partners worldwide, allowing startups to receive warm introductions when raising investment.

"We can always make warm intros to startups if they're looking to raise more money," she explains.

Participants also gain access to go-to-market support, partner discounts covering legal advice, consulting and software tools, along with benefits from programmes such as AWS Activate and GitHub for Startups.

Then there is Shift, Infobip's flagship developer conference. Every Startup Tribe member receives complimentary access, while selected startups are invited to exhibit, pitch on stage and schedule meetings directly with venture capital investors attending the event.

The company also connects founders with internal product teams whenever technical collaboration or customer feedback could accelerate development. Rather than ending after graduation, relationships often continue for years.

That long-term relationship has gradually evolved into a community rather than a traditional accelerator.

Building trust, not just companies

One of Startup Tribe's biggest achievements may not be measurable through funding rounds or customer growth. Instead, Reić points to something less tangible: trust.

For Reić, that willingness to seek feedback demonstrates that Startup Tribe has become something founders value beyond its commercial benefits. "I would say that's the best indicator that we've developed something special - a relationship of trust."

The programme also organises community gatherings and collaborates with initiatives such as Scale 2.0, developed alongside Entrepreneurs for Global Change, helping Croatian startups prepare for expansion into New York through a structured internationalisation programme.

Moreover, after five years, Startup Tribe has accumulated an increasingly impressive portfolio.

Among its alumni is fraud prevention company SEON, now considered one of Central Europe's fastest-growing technology businesses. More recent participants include Croatian startup Crumbs, creator economy platform Hypefy, AI infrastructure company Daytona, healthtech startup Megi AI and customer engagement platform Enfuse.

"We've seen some really solid growth. We have a few unicorns that have gone through the programme, lots of minicorns as well." Reić says.

Many former participants later became Infobip customers or strategic partners, creating a virtuous cycle where startups evolve alongside the company that supported them during their earliest stages.

According to Reić, Startup Tribe has also become one of the reasons why Infobip plays such a central role within the country's startup ecosystem: not simply because of its size, but because of its willingness to invest in founders.

Southeast Europe's confidence gap

Despite encouraging momentum across Croatia and Southeast Europe, Reić believes the region still faces one significant challenge. "The founders in our region are very technical, very humble," she points out.

Too often, founders remain focused exclusively on technology while underestimating the importance of storytelling and sales. "You have to be the main salesperson. You need to learn how to pitch." Reić says.

She has seen progress in recent years, pointing to younger Croatian founders who have become far more comfortable presenting ambitious global visions rather than simply demonstrating technical excellence.

Still, more work remains. "The founders are too modest, they're too stuck in their product, not seeing the broader picture." she says.

That is why Startup Tribe increasingly incorporates workshops focused on communication and investor readiness.

During Scale 2.0, Reić says founders spent hours refining not only their presentations but the way they delivered them. "We had workshops until three in the morning teaching them how to improve not only the pitch deck but their pitching."

Selling the story

For Reić, the region's biggest opportunity lies in improving storytelling. She recalls watching one founder at Malta's SuperCharger Festa deliver what she considers the best startup presentation she has ever seen.

"It doesn't matter if you're not raising money now. You need to make the connections. You need to pitch. You need to raise interest." she says.

Those relationships, she argues, often determine future funding rounds years before founders begin actively fundraising - one introduction leads to another, and one conference meeting can eventually become a customer or investor.

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