The Adria ScaleUp Initiative officially launched today at the ESG Adria Summit 2025 in Porto Montenegro, marking a pivotal step toward strengthening regional cooperation and accelerating the growth of scale-up ventures in the Western Balkans and beyond.
This exclusive roundtable brought together over 40 influential voices from across the startup and innovation ecosystem — including participants from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Albania, as well as professionals from Europe and the United States.
The session focused on:
- Building frameworks that support startups transitioning into scaleups
- Addressing investment challenges across the region
- Strengthening cross-border collaboration
- Introducing the Adriatic ScaleUp Initiative and its mission
Moderated by Nina Nikolić, Co-Founder of the Western Balkans Startup Alliance (WBSA), the discussion featured insights from:
- Uranik Begu, Director for CEE, Plug and Play Tech Center
- Biljana Braithwaite, CEO, Sustineri Partners
The energy in the room was solution-oriented and bold, underscoring a shared vision to make the Adria region a thriving hub for scalable innovation.
“This initiative reflects the momentum we’re seeing across our ecosystems,” said Nikolić. “We’re not just talking about growth — we’re building the structures that enable it.”
WBSA extends a sincere thank you to everyone who contributed their insights, support, and passion for making the region a place where innovation can grow — and scale.
