Startup Club Skopje: connecting North Macedonia’s startup ecosystem

In 2025, SCS has been positioned as a connective infrastructure, linking entrepreneurs, investors, institutions, students, and regional partners into a more coherent and accessible ecosystem.

From community hub to ecosystem builder

Startup Club Skopje was created as a community where founders, mentors, investors, and other stakeholders in the startup ecosystem could gather, exchange ideas, and collaborate.

In addition to providing the space, SCS also designs programs, partnerships, and content to address specific ecosystem gaps: a lack of early-stage guidance, limited exposure to investors, narrow founder visibility, and fragmented collaboration among ecosystem actors.

Startup Club Skopje was founded by Sasho Jovanovski, a serial entrepreneur and investor. Before launching SCS, he founded a marketing agency in 2016 and later opened Srekja Bar (now a part of SCS) in 2021.

Practical background and experience shaped Sasho’s approach and the SCS's modus operandi. Instead of theoretical support, SCS is focused on exposure, peer learning, and access—elements often missing for early-stage founders.

Supporting founders where it matters most

At the core of Startup Club Skopje activities is direct support to entrepreneurs. The flagship three-month incubation program, “Imam Idea” (“I Have an Idea”), is designed for founders at the earliest stages of their entrepreneurial journey. By combining mentorship (by experienced founders), access to co-working space, and exposure to investors, the program gives participants both structure and credibility.

In parallel, SCS has invested in knowledge dissemination through content initiatives such as Startup Revolution (a podcast series featuring experienced entrepreneurs) and The Freelancers Hangout (a podcast about the freelance economy). These podcasts serve different segments of the ecosystem but share a common goal: reducing information asymmetry.

Together, these projects extend SCS’s impact outside physical space, making entrepreneurial knowledge available to a wider audience.

Extending impact through regional and international partnerships

Aware that ecosystem development does not stop at national borders, Startup Club Skopje actively pursued international partnerships.

The team expanded regional presence through collaborations with PODIM Conference in Slovenia and Foundation 787’s Business Angel Summit (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where they produced podcast episodes featuring founders, investors, and ecosystem builders.

On top of that, SCS also benefited from Swiss EP support. Sasho shares:

Swiss EP recognized our work in the ecosystem and the impact of our incubator program. Later, Swiss EP became a partner of the Startup Revolution AI Summit, helping us bring speakers and connecting us with key ecosystem stakeholders across North Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Serbia. Their regional perspective added real value to our growth and collaboration.

Partnerships with Endeavor Bulgaria, Garaza by Tenderly, Balkan Digital, and BizzBee Solutions further strengthened SCS's capacities for cross-border collaboration, knowledge exchange, and access to regional networks.

Startup Revolution AI Summit: a regional signal

The Startup Revolution AI Summit, held from November 27–30, 2025, served as a significant milestone for SCS. It was a signal: North Macedonia is ready to engage in regional conversations about advanced technologies and future-oriented entrepreneurship.

Sasho shares a key takeaway from the Summit:

The biggest takeaway is reflected in the name itself—Revolution. We managed to bring together the entire ecosystem in one place, not only from the region but also from around the world. There was a clear need for such a large-scale event, and in its first year, we welcomed more than 1,200 attendees from over 30 countries.

Swiss EP supported the Summit with international expertise provided by Serena Leka, Peter Bruner, Zaid Nabulsi, Kevin Chavanne, Günce Önür, and Ufuk Batum. Their participation added global perspectives on innovation, technology, and ecosystem development. Additionally, Swiss EP team member Blagica Eftimova shared insights on the main stage of the importance of measurement and data in ecosystem building.

Looking ahead

At this stage of North Macedonia’s ecosystem development, organizations like Startup Club Skopje play a role that goes beyond programming or community building. As the ecosystem moves toward structure and regional integration, it requires trusted mediators that consistently connect founders with capital, knowledge, and markets.

By reducing fragmentation, creating visible entry points for early-stage entrepreneurs, and strengthening cross-border linkages, SCS helps turn individual startup efforts into a more coordinated and scalable system. In ecosystems of this size and maturity, such connective infrastructure is not complementary—it is foundational for sustained progress.
Sasho confirms that they are here to stay:

Our plans for 2026 are ambitious. The summit will return to Skopje from October 01–04 and will be our main focus for the year, with a vision to make it at least twice as big as the previous edition. Beyond the summit, we will continue strengthening the ecosystem through our incubator programs, partnerships, and community-building initiatives that connect startups across the region.

We’re looking forward to seeing the SCS team in action and to supporting their efforts where needed.