Why North Macedonia isn’t (and shouldn’t be) Silicon Valley

As of 2025, North Macedonia is home to over 500 startups, with 73 of them having collectively raised $57.7 million in venture funding. The given data and growing number of startups reflect the determination of founders and entrepreneurs that often rely less on formal programs and more on authentic connections, or plainly said, networking. Most of the time, this effort lies at the center of this ecosystem’s growth, connecting together diverse ideas and founder experiences that later merge into viable ventures.

To make the networking happen though, you need to make the right setup and setting. Having co-working spaces or events is great, but it may not be enough. One needs to create an atmosphere where people come together genuinely, sharing knowledge, failures, and successes. This often unfolds over casual coffee chats, in the sparks of collaboration after a pitch, and through the steady guidance of mentors helping founders navigate uncharted territory.

Together, these spaces and relationships create a blueprint for an ecosystem that is not imported or copy-pasted from elsewhere, but rooted in local mindset, customs, ethics and way of life.

Sparking a startup revolution

For Sasho Jovanovski, owning a café was always the dream. But throughout the years, his vision for his beloved Srekja Bar grew far beyond lattes and merch shelves. He first realised this when he began spending time with other entrepreneurs and innovators at Seavus, which was one of the biggest IT companies in North Macedonia at the time and ran its own incubator.

“When I was at Seavus Incubator, I didn’t even know what a startup or an incubator was. I learned so much there – it changed me deeply and directed my entrepreneurial career,” Sasho recalls.

His first steps as an entrepreneur came from diverse hustles and ventures, from running discotheques and clubs to creating websites such as lapaj.mk, a Groupon-style platform selling coupons for food and drinks. However, after joining the Seavus Incubator, Sasho also started to learn about the power of networking.

“It wasn’t the programs, but the people. Within those 500 square meters, you’d sit down for a chat and ideas would come. That’s how we founded our marketing agency back then – just from talking with people over coffee.” he says.

This spirit drove Srekja Bar’s transformation into a coworking hub in 2018 aboard one of the infamous “Skopje 2014” boats moored on the river Vardar. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sasho was forced to abandon that dream. Yet his ambition never faded, and meanwhile, it led him to build Startup Club Skopje – a graffiti-filled space where freelancers, founders, and young entrepreneurs could come together to connect, work, and learn.

“You have to make many mistakes and make a few steps back, in order to move forward. Failure is the best lesson and the best motivator to know how to develop the ideal business model,” he reflects, noting how the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to rethink everything, from the boat café concept to today’s hybrid coworking bar with a podcast studio.

Today, Startup Club Skopje hosts pitch competitions, freelancer meetups, educational events, and networking gatherings to give emerging entrepreneurs access to the right information at the right time.

Sasho explains:

I always looked for people to work with me, researched how such hubs operate, but you always have to feel it firsthand. That’s what we did in Seavus – we’d keep food there, we shared the kitchen, and felt like we were at home. That’s what I wanted for Startup Club Skopje as well – a place where young people feel at home, meet the right people, and get the right ideas.

One of the next ideas is to open similar clubs in other cities, spreading knowledge and creating a new generation of entrepreneurs. As he puts it, “Startups build startups, and it’s very valuable to have the experience of someone who has already walked that path."

Furthermore, Sasho also sees that while there is money for investing and business angels ready to support startups, the ecosystem still needs better infrastructure to make that flow easier and more effective.

That’s why he is also keen on organizing a flagship conference called Startup Revolution Summit in November - one that would serve to create something big that originates from North Macedonia and contributes significantly to the ecosystem both locally and across Europe.

“As I see it, we’re already making a real difference. I know what all the work we’re doing means for the country and beyond that, for Europe. When programmers and IT companies connect with the right people, they bring new ideas and innovations. That’s how real contribution happens. The key is experience – the business climate is here, and the new generations just need the right guidance from the right people.” Sasho emphasizes.

A reality show with a real impact

Sanja Mitrovska, founder and CEO of The Founder Games, realised early on that building a startup ecosystem meant shifting from simply connecting startups with investors to actually preparing startups to become investment-ready.

Her own startup, Networker, evolved from an investment matchmaking platform into a venture studio that builds startups from the ground up, helping founders validate their ideas, refine their products, and develop the mindset needed to succeed in global markets.

“Networker was founded six years ago. Back then, we thought the hardest part would be connecting investors with startups. But within the first three months, we realised we were wasting our time. It turned out that our startup ecosystem had enough money, but it lacked ideas ready for investment.” Sanja says.

That realization led to Networker becoming a venture studio. Using Google’s Design Sprint methodology, the team helps founders transform ideas into validated prototypes in just five days. “In those five days, the product changes completely. That’s the success of a startup – to realise yourself what you need to change in your product to solve your users’ problems.” she explains.

The most visible part of this mission is The Founder Games, a reality show and accelerator that runs across the region, from Poland to Turkey, that now works with over 40 startups and has two reality show seasons behind it, each showcasing the journeys of local and international founders.

“In the first season, which included only Macedonian startups, we wanted to see which founders had products and the ability to learn and listen. The entertainment aspect helps new and aspiring startups, both domestic and regional, to continue down this path.” Sanja says.

But the show’s purpose goes deeper. “Startups aren’t just about having an idea. The Fund for Innovation and Technological Development popularised the startup world here, but it also spread the message that anyone can have a startup. Copy-pasting ideas from Serbia can happen, but it’s not enough. We want this type of entrepreneurship to be taken seriously.” she adds.

For Sanja, creating successful examples that stem from the local community takes time:

I personally lacked such examples and international connections – not so much with investors, but with the right people who could later connect me further. It’s not all about money; it’s about meeting the right people in the industry.

Her next goal is to build a credible network of mentors and partners not only in North Macedonia, but also across the region and eventually launch an investment fund. “We’re building this from the ground up, and having our own investment fund will come naturally as the next step.”

The IT community’s hacker home

Beyond founders and startups, the IT community itself needs a place to grow. For that, there is Base42 – North Macedonia’s only hackerspace supporting every facet of the local IT scene. The origin of Base42 is quite a story - it all started when the team at Skopje-based software company CodeChem gave up on using their steep garage as a parking space after too many scraped mirrors and lost battles with the slope. Instead of letting it go to waste, they turned it into a creative hub for IT enthusiasts.

The space today brings together diverse groups and initiatives: BeerJS, PyData, AWS Macedonia, CyberSecurity - Beyond The Machines, UXplore, PHP Skopje, Angular Macedonia, Donate a Computer, and gaming collectives like DnD and Pagoda.

The idea behind Base42 has been around for years though, gaining momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a group of engineers who live and breathe technology. Built on volunteer effort, it continues to evolve as new ideas emerge, its community manager Pavlina Buchevska explains.

“Communities are living organisms – they’re constantly forming and changing, and so is Base42,” says Pavlina, adding that these communities and people are the driving force that shapes the place.“It belongs to them. The past year saw Base42 host major events such as What The Stack, UXplore, and Global Azure Day, with large attendance numbers proving how needed these initiatives are.” Pavlina recalls.

The past few years have also seen Base42 host everything from monthly meetups, hackathons, and bootcamps to informal knowledge-sharing sessions. It’s also home to many open source projects, with the space providing tools like a server rack, 3D printers, microcontrollers, and more, allowing people to explore and learn without needing to invest in their own equipment.

Additionally, reflecting on the deeper meaning of community in tech, Pavlina also challenges the common perception of IT as an isolated profession:

Although in recent years IT professions have become associated with individualism and working alone behind a computer, personal and societal growth only happens when there is a sense of belonging – when people help each other and support one another. Only then can we develop good engineers and entrepreneurs, leading to success for the entire industry.”

Looking ahead, Base42 plans more game development meetups, electronics tool expansions, and the upcoming What The Stack conference in September, featuring over dozens of speakers.

“Partnership collaboration is essential. Base42 is always open to new people, communities, and partner companies. Anyone who feels connected to our concept is welcome, and we would love to grow as much as possible.” Pavlina adds.

The ideal startup future doesn’t look like Silicon Valley

North Macedonia’s startup future won’t look like Silicon Valley’s – nor should it. It will look like Srekja’s bar tables covered in laptops and espresso cups, where ideas flow as freely as the coffee, and where freelancers find unexpected co-founders at the next table.

It will look like the bright studio lights on The Founder Games stage, illuminating founders as they pitch not just for funding, but for connections and the network of peers and pros from the industry. It will look like Base42’s soldering benches cluttered with circuit boards, cables, and scribbled sketches of open-source projects, where developers teach each other late into the night.

And this ecosystem will reflect the country’s resourcefulness and community spirit – small spaces filled with big ideas, driven by people who build to solve problems they see around them every day. Its strength will come not from unicorn valuations, but from creating opportunities that keep talent here while connecting it to the world.