Ten startups in Startup World Cup Serbia regional final, winner to head to San Francisco

The regional final of the Startup World Cup Serbia 2026 competition will take place on Monday, September 28, starting at 11:00 AM at the Zepter Hotel in Belgrade, with ten startups from Serbia and the region competing for a spot at the global final in San Francisco.

The event is organized by the Kragujevac-based company Recikom MM Innovation, acting as the competition’s regional partner under a license from the Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Pegasus Tech Ventures.

The winner of the regional final will earn the opportunity to represent Serbia and the region at the global final in San Francisco, where, according to the organizers, more than 100 regional winners from around the world will compete for a grand investment prize of one million dollars.

Startup World Cup is a global competition for startups that links regional contests to a culminating event in San Francisco.

The organizers note that the Belgrade event is led by Miljan Ilic, founder and CEO of Recikom MM Innovation, who was selected as one of the top 10 global mentors for the 2026 Startup World Cup out of a pool of 303 mentors.

– The Startup World Cup serves as a tangible bridge between our regional innovation ecosystem and leading global investors. Our goal is to open the door to global capital for founders from our region, provide them with international visibility, and firmly establish Serbia as a key innovation and investment hub in this part of Europe – said Ilic.

The finalists will be selected by an expert jury comprising Stole Zmejkoski, Ambassador and COO of Zepter International, Dr. Marija Gacic, Acting Director of the Science and Technology Park Kragujevac, Nedeljko Milosavljevic, Co-Director of Founder Institute Serbia and Labena Ventures, and Djordje Filipovic, Founder and CEO of 30Hills.

The organizers expect the final to be attended by representatives from science and technology parks, embassies, investment funds, and the regional business community.

The regional final will take place on September 28 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Zepter Hotel, located at 10 Terazije Street in Belgrade.

RECIKOM MM INNOVATION d.o.o. Kragujevac

Recikom MM Innovation Kragujevac

VC fond Pegasus Tech Ventures

Zepter hotel Beograd

Miljan Ilić

Startup World Cup Serbia 2026

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