Serbian Startup Valuator Targets DACH Region and Middle East with Smart Procurement Software That Cuts Costs by Up to 20%

While digital solutions are now embedded in nearly every aspect of business, procurement often remains a weak spot—still managed through email chains, spreadsheets, and phone calls. In this landscape of fragmented communication, time and money are frequently lost. Recognizing this challenge, Vladimir Arnautovic and Vladislav Ujic, co-founders of the Belgrade-based startup Valuator, set out to streamline procurement from the ground up.

“Even enterprise companies often leave procurement behind in their digital transformation efforts. Processes are fragmented, offers can’t be properly compared, and approvals lack transparency,” explains Arnautovic.

Valuator addresses these issues through a centralized platform that provides complete oversight—from initial request to offer evaluation and final approval. It offers a transparent audit trail, historical pricing data, and structured reporting, helping clients achieve average annual savings of around 20% and significantly improved operational efficiency.

Procurement Still Stuck in Email and Excel

The idea for Valuator was born out of real-world experience.

“While working with clients on digital transformation projects, we saw the same pattern repeatedly: sales, finance, and logistics were often digitized, but procurement was still done manually. Clients would say, ‘We’re still using email and Excel,’ usually with a sense of discomfort because they knew it wasn’t sustainable. The market offered solutions, but many were either too complex or too costly. That’s where we saw an opportunity—to create a powerful yet affordable tool that’s easy to use,” says Arnautovic.


Who Is Valuator For?

Although initially designed for broad use, experience has shown that the biggest impact is in companies with 50+ employees—organizations with established workflows but limited procurement visibility.

“In these companies, procurement is often informal, handled through emails and spreadsheets that are easy to lose track of. With Valuator, everything becomes transparent—who requested what, which offers were submitted, how the final one was chosen, and who approved it. Most importantly, this information becomes instantly accessible to decision-makers,” Arnautovic explains. “This visibility is what drives real change—enabling managers to make informed decisions rather than chase down data. The result: lower procurement costs and significantly improved control and confidence.”

Is the Market Ready?

Asked about market readiness in Serbia, Arnautovic says digital maturity varies, but awareness is growing.

“Many companies tell us: ‘We’re quite digitalized, but procurement is still old-school.’ That’s often the start of the conversation that leads to change. In mid-size and large firms, there’s a growing recognition that procurement is more than an operational task—it’s a strategic function. If not managed properly, it results in lost time, money, and opportunity,” he notes.

That’s why Valuator focuses on companies ready to partner in shaping the product. Some of its most impactful features—like historical price tracking—originated from client suggestions. These insights are now being carried into new markets, particularly Austria and the wider region, where Valuator is already engaged in pre-sales activities.


Expansion to the DACH region and the Middle East

Valuator is now preparing to scale further, with plans to introduce an AI agent for analytics and external communication, and to enter new industries through strategic partnerships.

“Our roadmap is entirely based on real user needs. The upcoming AI module will serve both as an interface for external market interaction and as a tool for internal decision-making analytics. On the market side, our focus is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and the Middle East—we’re already in conversations with clients from Dubai,” says Arnautovic. “Our modular, scalable platform allows us to quickly adapt to various regulatory and industry environments.”

Investor interest has already materialized. Valuator secured funding through the Katapult accelerator and a matching grant from Serbia’s Innovation Fund. Strategic investor ProfiLab, a leader in laboratory and medical equipment, has enabled Valuator to enter the healthcare vertical, where it's developing tailored features that can be applied across sectors.

“This model—strategic partnerships that combine domain expertise, capital, and clear business needs—is what we plan to replicate. It’s not just about investment; it’s about co-building the next generation of Valuator with partners who bring real-world insight and a shared vision,” Arnautovic concludes.

Ivana Zikic

Valuator doo Beograd

Naučno-tehnološki park Beograd

Fond za inovacionu delatnost Beograd

Valuator

Belgrade Science and Technology Park

Innovation Fund

Vladimir Arnautovic

Vladislav Ujic

procurement software