IN FIRST YEAR OF ITS OPERATION TS VENTURES FUND OF TELEKOM SRBIJA SELECTS NINE START-UPS
Belgrade, 29 December 2022 – The TS Ventures Fund of Telekom Srbija wound up its first year of operation by selecting nine start-ups, which is an excellent result for both the fund itself and the entire start-up community. At a press conference, Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lučić, and Davor Sakač, director of the TS Ventures Fund, addressed the challenges met in the first year of the Fund’s operation and the plans for the year to come. On this occasion, particularly discussed was NANOCRAFT, the sole Serbian start-up in the sphere of BIOTECH in 2022, which, by way of new technologies in medicine, will move the borders in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which was discussed by Maksim Baković, the founder of the NANOCRAFT start-up at the press conference. Professor Bojan Marković, who is also the vice-dean of the Pharmaceutical Faculty in Belgrade, addressed the importance of mutual links between science and technology.
Commenting on the results achieved in the first year of the Fund’s operation, Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lučić said: “By setting up the Ventures Fund and with a planned 25-million euros worth of budget for a five-year period, we demonstrated our resolve to invest in young people in Serbia, particularly young entrepreneurs. We wind up the first year of operation with nine selected start-ups, which is a huge success for us. The start-ups in question may change and speed up the course of the development of many crucial spheres, such as medicine and pharmacy. Among others, we supported young people who acquired their knowledge abroad, but nevertheless decided to return to Serbia and develop their business here and I believe that the support from our Fund largely contributed to their reaching that decision.”
Summing up the operating results, the director of the TS Ventures Fund, Davor Sakač, said: “We are very proud of the fact that all start-ups with which we made agreement on cooperation come from this country, or more precisely, that our people are behind these globally very prospective companies regardless of the fact that we, as a fund, are committed to investing in start-ups in the entire region. Currently, our portfolio includes: OTASync, BiteBell, ANARI AI, Brush Galaxy, 60 seconds, Shopnosis, Nanocraft and Randevue. As for the ninth start-up, our part of the deal was struck and signed. It is now up to other investors and I hope that soon we shall be able to reveal who they are.”
Maksim Baković, the founder of the NANOCRAFT start-up, explained what NANOCRAFT was, how the project was being developed and how cooperation with TS Ventures Fund had been established: “ First of all, I am very proud of the fact that Nanocraft will develop its product in the sphere of vascular biotechnology precisely in Serbia! Biochemistry and biotechnology are the spheres of which we expect the most in the 21st century and in which Serbia has much to offer. I would like to thank our partners, primarily TS Ventures Fund, and the Pharmaceutical Faculty, for having recognized the potential of this project. I am confident that with a fantastic scientific team and our business partners Nanocraft will be a success, and I hope we shall also encourage other young scientists and biochemists to launch their projects precisely in Serbia.”
Professor Bojan Marković pointed to the important role of the Pharmaceutical Faculty in the implementation of the project: “Maksim Baković recognized the Pharmaceutical Faculty of Belgrade University as a multi-disciplinary institution, where he was able to implement his project in a single place. The project is complex and the Faculty undertook to aid the implementation of this interesting and very challenging idea through three terms of reference within 18 months together with colleague Baković and with the financial backing of the Fund.”
As far as the plans for the coming year are concerned, Telekom Srbija and TS Ventures Fund officials said that in 2023 they expected further strengthening of the start-up community in Serbia and believe that many more young people will venture to launch their own businesses. Apart from continuing to support the start-ups already selected, the expert team of the Fund will make a new selection. The Fund also plans to expand the network of associates and connect with other funds both locally and globally.
