Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has long been known for its engineering talent. Yet, despite a steady flow of innovation, the region often struggles to turn technical brilliance into global market dominance. In February, the unlockit conference in Belgrade aims to change that narrative by focusing on the missing piece of the puzzle: the art of scaling.
Leading this charge is Tanja Kuzman, the Director of the Digital Serbia Initiative (DSI). Since taking the helm in late 2024, Kuzman has been observing a region at a crossroads. When asked to describe the current state of the regional tech scene in just two words, her answer is somewhat expected: “Underrated potential.”
Closing the knowledge gap about scaling
The challenge for CEE founders is rarely about the code; it is about the “go-to-market” expertise. According to Kuzman, the data shows that while progress is steady, the gap between CEE and more developed ecosystems isn’t closing fast enough.
“The region has enormous technological potential, yet continues to lack the sales, marketing, and go-to-market expertise needed to win globally,” Kuzman explains. She notes that many teams fall into the trap of building for local or regional markets first. This approach often leads to a mismatch with global customer expectations, creating a ceiling that is difficult to break through later.
The unlockit conference is designed as a curated platform to bridge this gap. Rather than focusing on theory, the event brings together individuals who have already navigated the journey from a local startup to a global exit.
Learning from proven experience
The speaker lineup for February is a deliberate selection of “operators”. It includes figures like Damir Sabol, whose app Photomath reached 500 million downloads before being acquired by Google, and Branko Milutinović, the CEO of Nordeus, a company that proved a global gaming giant could be built entirely from Belgrade.
There is also Nick Velkovski, CEO of HeyReach, one of Europe’s fastest-growing SaaS startups, who will share lessons from independently scaling the company to $10 million ARR. Mirko Novaković, CEO and founder of Dash0, previously founder of Instana (acquired by IBM for $500 million) and codecentric, is also bringing extensive experience in building globally scalable products.
For Kuzman, bringing in leaders with millions of users and successful exits was essential. “We set the bar high because we wanted to create real value for every person attending,” she says. “They can speak credibly about product-market fit, building and growing sales teams, fundraising, failures, and resilience — and not just in theory.”
By showcasing these success stories, DSI is attempting to set new benchmarks for regional ambition.
“It signals that global success is not only possible, it’s expected.”
The “Unlock Code” for global growth
When asked what the secret to success is for a CEE startup looking to scale, Kuzman identifies a specific “unlock code.” She sees the process revolving around three core pillars:
-
- Building products with international customer expectations in mind, from the Day 0.
- Understanding the user’s problem inside and out.
- Hiring “A-game” individuals early in the process.
This focus on quality and global readiness is also what international investors are looking for.
Here it is important to mention the conference will host VC funds managing over €500 million in capital. Kuzman observes that while investment levels in the region are showing slight growth, investors are keen to see whether the region’s immense potential can be converted into multiple global success stories.
“What they really want is to spot early signals of global growth so they can make timely investments. From our perspective, it’s also crucial for startups to understand how investment criteria are evolving and why securing funding is becoming increasingly challenging.”
What to expect at unlockit
The unlockit conference is structured to be more than just a series of talks, although it will gather 800 participants and 100+ speakers. Expect a high-energy gathering for founders, investors, and corporate leaders, says Kuzman. Main event start on February 19th at Sava Center in Belgrade, featuring two tracks.
The Growth Track focuses on the mechanics of scaling and global expansion, while the Inspiration Track is designed for young innovators and students to see how ideas transform into global products.
On February 20th, the 2nd day, there will be a shift toward practical, action-oriented sessions. These workshops will cover specific strategies in Sales Excellence, Marketing Growth, Fundraising, and AI applications.
Registration is now open via www.unlockit.org, including access to free segments of the program.
Toward 2026 and beyond
As DSI looks toward 2026, Kuzman notes its mission remains the same: creating a “10x positive impact” on the digital ecosystem. Beyond the conference, the organization is working on reshaping education and accelerating the transfer of knowledge to help local startups become “soonicorns”.
“In 2026, we will focus on accelerating the transfer of sales and marketing knowledge for global growth.”
For Belgrade, the “unlockit” conference is just the beginning of a larger effort to ensure that the region’s “underrated potential” finally gets the global recognition, and market share, it deserves.
