Balkan Business Brief

Balkan Business Brief

No card, no cash? No problem, Flash!

After a long career in the banking sector and an awareness of the digitization process taking place in the industry, Milica Gazivoda   Milena Plamenac Natasa Popivoda , from Montenegro concluded that the market was ready for a banking revolution and the transformation of traditional payment, which led to the creation of  Flash - Banking reinvented .

Flash is an innovative ecosystem that connects users, banks, and merchants in a single network, enabling fast, simple, and cheap payment transactions. The mobile application, on which the solution is based, allows users to manage all their bank accounts in one place, pay at any merchant, online or offline, transfer money, request money, or share an account with anyone using only their phone number. The solution also allows banks to offer new services to clients with significantly lower costs compared to previous solutions. It also brings benefits to traders, such as real-time balancing of transactions with the bank and an integral loyalty program tailored to their needs. During the creation of Flash, special emphasis was placed on security and defining the system architecture according to the guidelines of the European Commission, the so-called Regulatory Technical Standards. Flash is fully adapted to the current legal norms in Montenegro, and further implementation in other markets aligns with the regulations of the European Union and the guidelines given in the PSD2 directive.

According to the enthusiastic team, the process of developing a business idea was challenging, requiring hard work and sacrifices, but at the same time, interesting and inspiring. By participating in competitions for startups, Flash achieved more than commendable results, such as interest, mentoring, and financial support. The most significant results from the competition include the first places won on Sparks.me and BoostMeUp. The goal of the Flash team is for the application to be present on the Montenegrin market in the second quarter of this year, while full use of the application is expected in the third quarter. In addition to full implementation on the Montenegrin market, the team will continue to work in parallel on entering foreign markets and establishing cooperation with potential partners.  Milica Gazivoda Milena Plamenac , and  Natasa Popivoda  are convinced that with the gradual expansion of the application, it will come to life on a global level, and this will be one of a series of startup stories that Montenegro can be proud of.

Check out their LinkedIn account –  Flash - Banking reinvented – Banking reinvented or their website  https://payflash.me/ and find more about the benefits of this solution!

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Labena Ventures, a key player in biotech and pharma startup acceleration in Central and Eastern Europe

Exciting news for startups in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare! Companies from this field will soon have the opportunity to participate in the first regional accelerator, Labena Ventures. The innovative accelerator, based in Slovenia, will operate in Eastern and Central Europe, connecting personnel with key skills and knowledge in this area. By providing access to financing and networking opportunities with other funds in Europe and the USA, Labena Ventures will be an invaluable resource for startups seeking to grow and thrive in these highly competitive fields. 

What's even more impressive is the breadth of countries included in this accelerator's reach. Along with the countries of the Western Balkans - Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo - the fund also encompasses Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. That's a potential market of over 110 million people, ripe for innovation, contribution, and support. Labena Ventures' mission is clear: to provide startups in biotech, pharma, and healthcare with the resources they need to succeed. With a special focus on companies that can offer innovative solutions on an international level, Labena Ventures is poised to be a game-changer in these crucial industries. If you're a startup in these fields, don't miss this opportunity to take your ideas to the next level with Labena Ventures.

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The aftermath of Silicon Valley Bank's Collapse on the startup industry

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, a financial institution focused on the startup and technology industry, will have consequences on a global level, and its impact will also be felt in the domestic startup ecosystem in Croatia. Media reports indicate that around a dozen Croatian startups held accounts with Silicon Valley Bank, and their future financing prospects are now uncertain. The magnitude of this disturbance is best illustrated by the bank's total assets of 209 billion and 175 billion in uninsured assets, 93% of which were uninsured. Moreover, more than 50% of startups in the US and 30% in the UK and Europe received funding from Silicon Valley Bank. To complicate matters further, investments in technology startups in Croatia have significantly slowed down in the last quarter of the previous year, which could hinder the raising of capital for startups in Series B and C. Additionally, the fall in the valuation and worth of technology companies has made investors more cautious, adding to the overall problem.

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