In recent years, Serbia has become an increasingly important point on the map of the European start-up scene. Encouraged by the development of technological solutions, digitalization and the support of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the start-up culture in the country records continuous growth and it can be said that it is becoming one of the backbones of the domestic economy. To a foreign citizen, this information can be of great importance. Whether you want to improve business relations with start-ups from Serbia, work in one of them, or even launch one directly from Serbia, you can expect highly developed business awareness, significant incentives from state institutions and plenty of opportunities for cooperation.

Over six thousand people are currently working in the Serbian start-up scene. The fact that this number has almost doubled in the last two years, as well as that 300 new start-ups were launched in the same period, supports the claim about the rapid development of start-up culture in our country. On this page, you can find a detailed report with the latest information on the state of the Serbian start-up ecosystem.

During the last decade, numerous Serbian start-ups have made their way from garages to large companies at the global level. One of the world's most popular mobile video games, "Top Eleven", originated in Serbia. In addition to gaming, Serbian start-ups have achieved globally striking results in the field of biotechnology. Experts from Serbia have launched a platform that allows scientists to quickly and efficiently analyse genomic data, which is of great importance for research in the field of medicine and biology. The world's most famous service for booking fishing trips is also an idea that originated and is being developed in Serbia.

There are plenty of successful examples, as it can be noted, and the formula for that success lies in the combination of the talent of people from this region and the planned incentive for start-ups at all levels.

The Government of Serbia recognized the importance of start-ups for the country's economy and took strategic steps to support their development. They include various financing models and support programs, as well as developing a network for securing investments in cooperation with the business sector. Additionally, incentive plans for tax benefits intended for those who decide to launch their start-up businesses play a significant role.

Support for entrepreneurs is also reflected through business incubators, of which there are over 40 in Serbia, and more than 50 young entrepreneurs use their services. Most of them are in Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad, where small and medium-sized enterprises of information and digital technologies dominate. In addition to incubators, a significant number of co-working spaces throughout Serbia enable entrepreneurs and experts to connect and exchange knowledge.

The support programs are also reflected in seemingly small but very valuable improvements, especially for start-ups, so that they can initially focus exclusively on business development. For example, in Serbia you can establish a company digitally, without physically visiting the Business Registers Agency and with a founding capital of 100 dinars (less than 1 euro). You can also regulate all tax obligations completely online with the possession of a qualified electronic certificate. In addition, electronic invoices are as valid as paper documents as of 2022.

In addition to the necessary state interventions that serve to facilitate and encourage the development of the start-up scene, it is important to note that domestic start-ups develop within the most fruitful and fastest growing branch of the economy - the field of information technologies. Only in 2023, the export of domestic IT amounted to about four billion dollars, which represents a growth of about 40% compared to the previous year. This implicitly means that the doors of cooperation with successful companies and the best experts are wide open for domestic start-ups. In addition, various start-up and tech conferences, competitions and workshops are organized across the country, providing opportunities for networking and learning. Most of these events are held in English, so this can be an ideal opportunity to integrate into the community.

In accordance with contemporary global trends, intensive attention is paid in Serbia to the development of female technological entrepreneurship and the equal position of the genders in IT. Last year over 3,000 women and girls went through numerous workshops and courses and were equipped with skills that allow them to enter the start-up environment more easily.

All information related to the development of start-ups can be found on the portal specialized in issues of start-up culture in Serbia, which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia. Whether you are interested in finding a reliable investment, learning all about tax benefits or finding information about all relevant events, this portal will be helpful. In addition, we highly recommend you to visit the portal of the Innovation Fund which specializes in providing support to innovation activity and managing financial resources to encourage innovation.