Izdanje Srbija
Serbische Ausgabe
Izdanje BiH
Izdanje Crna Gora
News
Source:
Beta |
Tuesday,
14.04.2026.|
15:33
LinkedIn
Email
Copy linkDomestic startups’ ambitions growing – A quarter aim for investments over EUR 1 million
The Digital Serbia Initiative has announced that its research has shown that the ambitions of the domestic startup ecosystem are growing and that global growth is the next necessary step.
The results of the Startup Scanner 2026 research are that 72.1% of startups plan to raise external investment this year, and 25.4% aim for a round above EUR 1 million, which is three times more than the year before (7.6%).
Access to smart capital is also growing - business angels financed 23.1% of startups, and incubators and accelerators financed 23.8%. So far, 29.9% of startups have raised external investment, and 9.5% of them are recording monthly revenue growth of more than 10%. More than a third of startups (36.7%) are not yet generating revenue, while 77.6% have revenues of less than EUR 150,000 per year. Only 3.4% of the startups exceeded the million-euro threshold.
Grants and non-repayable funds were used by 59.2% of startups, and 61.9% relied exclusively on their own funds and/or grants, without including smart capital.
Among startups without monthly income, 77.4% plan to continue to be financed primarily from grants in 2026. According to the research results, startups that combine grants with investor capital and market traction show significantly better commercial results.
Founders in the domestic ecosystem are on average 38 years old, and 88.9% of them have a higher education. The share of female founders increased from 17.8% to 21.5%.
There has also been a rise in returnees from abroad, now accounting for 18.5% of founders, as well as an increase in those with experience in management, marketing and sales - 68% of startups have at least one non-technical founder, up from 62.6%.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are embedded in the products of 51% of startups, an increase of 10% in one year. Additionally, only 44.4% of founders work exclusively on their startup, compared to 60.1% a year earlier, partly reflecting the financial realities that most startups still find themselves in.
Serbia remains the most frequently active market (40.8% of startups) and primary destination (25.9%), while 69.4% of startups plan to expand into new markets in 2026.
Europe is the target for 98% of those planning internationalization, and the US for 59.8% of startups. Data shows that startups that build a product for the global market from the very beginning have a significantly higher chance of attracting investment and rapid growth.
Startups in Serbia continue to cite access to financing (60.5%) and user and customer acquisition (37.4%) as key challenges. When it comes to employment, the most needed position remains sales - cited by 48.3% of startups.
– After six years, the Startup Scanner clearly shows an ecosystem that is developing in two directions at the same time - an ecosystem that is growing in the context of ambitions, but still faces the challenge of turning those ambitions into concrete results. Founders are more educated, more internationally oriented and more ready to attract capital than ever – said Tanja Kuzman, Director of the Digital Serbia Initiative.
She added that the key challenge of the Serbian startup ecosystem remained the same - to bridge the gap between what the founders strove for and what the operational reality showed at that moment.
– For this, we need an even greater presence of smart capital, a stronger commercial focus, and a support system that directs startups towards the market, instead of dependence on grants – Kuzman pointed out.
The results of the Startup Scanner 2026 research are that 72.1% of startups plan to raise external investment this year, and 25.4% aim for a round above EUR 1 million, which is three times more than the year before (7.6%).
Access to smart capital is also growing - business angels financed 23.1% of startups, and incubators and accelerators financed 23.8%. So far, 29.9% of startups have raised external investment, and 9.5% of them are recording monthly revenue growth of more than 10%. More than a third of startups (36.7%) are not yet generating revenue, while 77.6% have revenues of less than EUR 150,000 per year. Only 3.4% of the startups exceeded the million-euro threshold.
Grants and non-repayable funds were used by 59.2% of startups, and 61.9% relied exclusively on their own funds and/or grants, without including smart capital.
Among startups without monthly income, 77.4% plan to continue to be financed primarily from grants in 2026. According to the research results, startups that combine grants with investor capital and market traction show significantly better commercial results.
Founders in the domestic ecosystem are on average 38 years old, and 88.9% of them have a higher education. The share of female founders increased from 17.8% to 21.5%.
There has also been a rise in returnees from abroad, now accounting for 18.5% of founders, as well as an increase in those with experience in management, marketing and sales - 68% of startups have at least one non-technical founder, up from 62.6%.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are embedded in the products of 51% of startups, an increase of 10% in one year. Additionally, only 44.4% of founders work exclusively on their startup, compared to 60.1% a year earlier, partly reflecting the financial realities that most startups still find themselves in.
Serbia remains the most frequently active market (40.8% of startups) and primary destination (25.9%), while 69.4% of startups plan to expand into new markets in 2026.
Europe is the target for 98% of those planning internationalization, and the US for 59.8% of startups. Data shows that startups that build a product for the global market from the very beginning have a significantly higher chance of attracting investment and rapid growth.
Startups in Serbia continue to cite access to financing (60.5%) and user and customer acquisition (37.4%) as key challenges. When it comes to employment, the most needed position remains sales - cited by 48.3% of startups.
– After six years, the Startup Scanner clearly shows an ecosystem that is developing in two directions at the same time - an ecosystem that is growing in the context of ambitions, but still faces the challenge of turning those ambitions into concrete results. Founders are more educated, more internationally oriented and more ready to attract capital than ever – said Tanja Kuzman, Director of the Digital Serbia Initiative.
She added that the key challenge of the Serbian startup ecosystem remained the same - to bridge the gap between what the founders strove for and what the operational reality showed at that moment.
– For this, we need an even greater presence of smart capital, a stronger commercial focus, and a support system that directs startups towards the market, instead of dependence on grants – Kuzman pointed out.
Only logged-in users can comment.
