Start To Play

Our mission is to support Serbian startups by enabling them to showcase themselves on the global stage through prestigious events such as Web Summit in Lisbon.

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

After last year’s Serbian Dinner 🇷🇸 (400+ guests), we go bigger in 2025!

🥘 Balkan Dinner & 💡60sec Pitch | Nov11 | Restaurant Kais | 450 seats

🎊 Websummit Party | Nov12 | Urban Club 🪩 | 1,800+ guests

📱 BalkanUp App 🌍 Info soon: https://t.co/aASsQqcUuC

@balkanup_org

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

🚀 Exciting news! Our new brand @balkanup_org is uniting startups across the Balkans with events, competitions & conferences!

Follow us on our new X page:
🔗 https://t.co/SThUo7IjNp

@balkanup_org

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

🚀 Official Aftermovie: #Serbia at Web Summit 2024 – A Journey of Innovation & Growth! 🇷🇸

Our official aftermovie (45 min) captures the essence of our presence 👉 Watch Now https://t.co/aPULeXTDXF
@Privrednakomora @cadezmarko @drjelenabegovic

#WebSummit2024 #SerbiaAtWebSummit

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Thank You to Our Volunteers!

Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers for making #WebSummit 2024 a success! Your hard work and passion showcased #Serbia’s innovation and spirit on the global stage. Together, we achieved greatness!

#WebSummit2024 #SerbiaInnovation #EXPO2027

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Merry Christmas!

To our friends celebrating today, we wish you a joyful Christmas filled with love and cherished moments with your loved ones. May this holiday season bring warmth and happiness to your hearts and homes.
Here's to a bright and prosperous New Year together! 🎄✨

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

@MMatthcw, President of BlackRock Speaks London, delivered an insightful TED Talk style session on one of the most crucial topics for tech founders: navigating the lifecycle and planning the perfect exit strategy. 🚀

💡 Understand the startup lifecycle
📈 Plan your exit early

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Driving #Serbia's Future with Female Founders

Mrs. Tamara Vučić inspired at the Politics Summit, showcasing Serbia’s growth through innovation & female leadership.
💡 Startup strategy & goals
💼 Women’s rising influence in innovation
🌍 #EXPO2027: A stage for Serbia’s potential

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

A panel featuring @drjelenabegovic, Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Natali Delić, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer at Telekom Serbia, and Katarina M.V. Galić, Founder and CEO of X|ergy SusTech Powerhouse.
#Serbia-rising star on the global stage

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Participating in the panel Creating an Economy of Balance at @websummit, Mr. Marko Čadež, President of @Privrednakomora discussed strategies, best practices, and challenges in building and maintaining a thriving technological ecosystem. 🌍🚀

#WebSummit2024 #Innovation

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Investment Cocktail: Where Vision Meets Opportunity

An extraordinary evening brought together almost 80 investors and business leaders from 15 countries, exploring Serbia's growing potential and innovation-driven future. Interest in #Serbia as an investment hub continues to grow

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

✨ #Serbia made its mark at Lisbon #WebSummit 2024 in the most unforgettable way—through culture, connections, and unforgettable moments of togetherness!

400 attendees came together for a vibrant evening of culture, connections, and traditional flavors at the Balkan Dinner 🇷🇸

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

✨ A night to remember at the Serbian Embassy Welcome Cocktail! 🥂 @SRBinPortugal

For Serbian startups, the #WebSummit Lisbon started with recognition of their achievements!

Celebrating the top 24 Serbian startups who received certificates for their exceptional achievements 🚀

[dejan0milosevic @dejan0milosevic]

@starttoplay_rs

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

Serbia in Action! 🇷🇸

Relive the highlights of #WebSummit From innovative startups to inspiring teamwork, #Serbia left its mark on the global stage. 🌍
🎬 Watch the energy, passion, and collaboration that made this journey unforgettable! Let’s keep building the future together🚀

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to our success at Lisbon #WebSummit! Serbia showed the world what collaboration and innovation look like.

🌟 60 startups showcased their groundbreaking ideas
👥 400 participants connected and shared their vision
🎙️ Many TED Talks

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

71,528 attendees #WebSummit, but everyone knows who stole the show! 🔥🇷🇸
Next year, we’re coming back even better and ready to set new standards! 💪
Thank you to everyone who was part of this unforgettable experience and shared positive energy with us. 🚀

#Serbia #StartToPlay

[Matthew Mukalere @MMatthcw]

From London to Lisbon: Building Bridges Between African & Serbian Startups at Web Summit 🌍🇷🇸

Today I celebrated my 28th birthday after delivering two milestone talks:
1️⃣ "From £0 to £2.75M Exit: The Story Behind My Startup Exit"
2️⃣ "Parallel Worlds: Why Balkan & African Startup Ecosystems Are More Similar Than You Think"

What started as speaking sessions transformed into something bigger. Serbian founders weren't just listening - they were connecting dots within the Balkans that I've been seeing in Africa for years:
1️⃣ Both the the Balkans and Africa have a challenging history.
2️⃣ Both startup ecosystems face international scaling challenges.
3️⃣ Both regions have untapped talent pools.
4️⃣ Both have growing yet underutilised diaspora networks.
5️⃣ And so much more...

The response? A few Serbian investors and founders are now planning an Africa tech tour with me to explore opportunities for collaboration! (DM me if you're keen to explore or invest in Africa too)

I learned so much about Serbia and the Balkans during this trip that I wouldn't have learned had I not come!

It even gave me a few ideas for next steps:
1️⃣ Help Balkan startups tap into African markets, and vice versa!
2️⃣ Connect African and Balkan startups to each others talent pools.
3️⃣ Build a founder exchange program between Belgrade and key African tech hubs.

This birthday gift was NOT on my wishlist, but it might be the best one yet! - A chance to bridge two of the world's most exciting emerging tech ecosystems.

To the Serbian startup community: Your warmth and vision have blown me away. This is just the beginning!

Thank you Start To Play and to everyone I interacted with 🙏🏾❤️

Africa x Balkans collaboration loading... ⏳

#WebSummit #Startups #Tech #Balkans #Serbia #Africa #CrossBorderInnovation #Birthday

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

🌟 #Serbia Among Top 7 @WebSummit ! 🌟

We are proud to announce that @beeamond , @vinavermedical, and https://t.co/Oa70netgO1 have been selected to pitch at @StartupPortugal 's Global Sprint Event during the Lisbon 2024 #WebSummit!

#Innovation #GlobalSprint #PitchEvent

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

We are proud to announce an inspiring panel discussion on Tesla Venture Studio’s bold vision for transforming the world of venture capital.

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from industry leaders on what could be the next big idea in venture capital! #WebSummit #Serbia

[Start To Play @starttoplay_rs]

🎤🌍 Serbia Pitch at the @WebSummit Lisbon 2024

We are thrilled to announce that our investors and judges have selected the following exceptional startups to participate in the 🇷🇸 Serbia Pitch Event.

Congratulations to these selected #startups!
#WebSummit
#VentureCapital