Belgrade to get its first startup “factory” – Tesla Venture Studio

Starting from January next year, Belgrade will open the Tesla Venture Studio, a platform aimed at creating and scaling startups, which will also serve as a regional hub. This announcement was made at a press conference held during the Web Summit in Lisbon by Marko Cadez, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS).

The establishment of Tesla Venture Studio in Belgrade is a result of the rapid growth of Serbia’s startup ecosystem, Cadez said to reporters, adding that the CCIS supports innovations and innovative companies not only in Serbia but also in the wider region, the CCIS announced.

According to Cadez, much has changed in Serbia over the past 10 years, with Serbian companies now offering the world cutting-edge solutions used in a variety of industries, from automotive to IT.

Microsoft’s AI Azure was developed in a Belgrade-based R&D center, and the smart driving camera systems used by major brands like Volvo are actually produced by Serbian tech company RT-RK from Novi Sad, Cadez added.

– Serbia has many talented engineers, and we see the potential and opportunity to establish a venture studio here that will function as a startup factory. We want to create a system that will make Belgrade a center for startup development for the entire region and, with our partners, expand this to Europe – said Katarina Galic, founder and CEO of XIergy SusTech Powerhouse.

The Tesla Venture Studio team will include Antonia Norman, former CEO and board member of Virgin Unite Africa. Speaking at the press conference, Norman said she had the privilege of working with various startups and entrepreneurs across the globe, from Africa and the U.S. to Amsterdam and Turkey, but she sees a unique energy in Serbia when it comes to startups.

Privredna komora Srbije

RT-RK d.o.o. Novi Sad

Chamber of Commerce of Serbia

RT RK from Novi Sad

XIergy SusTech Powerhouse

Virgin Unite Africa

Tesla Venture Studio

Antonia Norman

Marko Čadež

Katarina Galić

startup factory