Southeast Europe / Tech
Bulgaria’s INSAIT launches three new AI models
Institute develops new Bulgarian-language AI models it says deliver "unprecedented performance".
Serbia to launch Tesla Venture studio in January 2025
Startup “factory” intended to position Belgrade as a regional centre for entrepreneurship and start-up growth, says Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Romanian intelligence service says bot farms active ahead of presidential election
SRI rules out role of “hostile foreign actors” after speculation Russia was behind disinformation campaigns.
Telekom Srbija plans US expansion after Trump's victory
CEO Vladimir Lucic believes Trump's re-election could benefit both the Serbian economy and Telekom Srbija.
Romanian online retailer eMAG to expand into Moldova in 2025 or 2026
eMAG outlines expansion plans shortly after referendum and presidential election confirm Moldova is on EU accession path.
OCSiAI opens cutting-edge graphene nanotube facility in Serbia
Plant to be the only site globally dedicated solely to industrial-scale graphene nanotube production, supplying industries worldwide.
German Dataciders acquires Bulgarian IT services provider ROITI
Takeover of Bulgarian data and AI consultant to strengthen Dataciders' customer base in the energy and utilities market.
Telekom Srbija raises $900mn in landmark bond issuance
Telekom Srbija's debut on Dublin Stock Exchange is first time a company from the Western Balkans has entered the international financial markets via a Eurobond issuance.
Kazakhstan’s big league fintech Kaspi acquires 65% of Turkish Nasdaq peer Hepsiburada for $1.1bn
E-commerce platform’s share price jumps 40% as news of its new owner breaks.
Erdogan nephew resells 15% stake in BinBin Scooters via "matryoshka doll"-style Istanbul IPO
Transaction a reminder family of president, who is among the planet’s richest politicians, is busy in the world of trade.
Croatia startup raises €10mn to boost AI-driven adtech
All Eyes On Screens uses artificial intelligence to enhance TV and video advertising.
Albania plans AI-driven public procurement
Tirana has plans to build a new, fully transparent and 95% AI-based model for public procurement, announced Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Short seller argues Nasdaq-listed Kazakh fintech heavyweight Kaspi “misled” market over Russia links
Company says claims made in Culper Research report misrepresents its business. Share price falls 22% after release of analysis.
Serbia hikes ICT exports as Russian tech professionals boost sector
Serbia has a solid engineering tradition, but the influx of tens of thousands of Russian professionals since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war has bolstered the local ICT sector.
Bulgaria to see 9.8% increase in industrial robots in 2024, says industry association
Adoption of robots concentrated in industries spanning chemical, metals and e-commerce.
AMD expands Balkan presence with two new development centres
AMD is targeting Serbia’s strong engineering talent pool with the facilities in Belgrade and Nis.
Toyota invests in Croatian robotics firm Gideon to advance autonomous vehicles technology
Zagreb-based Gideon specialises in software for the localisation and management of autonomous mobile robots.
2,500 app-based taxis to help address Istanbul’s age-old problem of an acute lack of rides
Research shows the city's taxi fleet of around 18,000 vehicles has not changed since 1990. Yet it is calculated that at least 43,000 are needed.
Romanian DIY retailer Dedeman launches new tech project to expand IT workforce
Retailer recruiting IT professionals to optimise digital infrastructure and enhancing logistics and e-commerce processes at its 62 stores.
Montenegro arrests FutureNet co-founder Roman Ziemian over multi-million dollar scam
Ziemian is suspected of stealing $21mn from investors through the FutureNet platform.