Southeast Europe / Tech
Croatian Telecom to spin off mobile infrastructure
HT follows model that has become increasingly popular as telecom operators seek to cut costs, boost profitability and prepare for future 5G expansions.
Romanian prosecutors investigate suspected ‘troll farm’ promoting far-right candidate
Prosecutors say Turkish IP addresses and Russian email accounts were to boost the online presence of Calin Georgescu ahead of the cancelled 2024 presidential election.
Cellebrite halts product use in Serbia after Amnesty warns over digital surveillance
Amnesty International accused Belgrade of misusing surveillance tools to target journalists, activists and civil society members.
Bulgaria-founded Chaos strengthens role in AI-powered architectural design with EvolveLAB takeover
Companies join forces to "redefine architectural design through AI, generative workflows and automation".
Romanian startup Bible Chat raises $14mn in Series A led by True Ventures
Bible Chat is 13th among the most downloaded apps on the App Store, alongside WhatsApp and Instagram, and has so far reached 10mn users.
Tech startups in Turkey raise $1.1bn in 2024
Excluding anomalies created by activities of Getir and Bigg, 237 enterprises raised $804mn, up from $236mn in 2023.
Pakistan and Turkey discuss IT cooperation
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications has met Turkey’s in Islamadad to discuss expanding collaboration in IT, telecoms, and digital transformation.
e-commerce drives surge in parcels carried by Croatian Post
Croatia's postal operator has invested €230mn in infrastructure, digitalisation and employee wages to improve its parcel delivery operations.
Uzbekistan to acquire ANKA combat drones from Turkey
News comes as US defence contractor CEO urges Elon Musk to help battle Turkish dominance on world UAV market by ending sluggish bureaucracy.
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Musk urged to knock Turkish drones out of global market
US defence contractor also calls on DOGE supremo to take aim at Israeli, Chinese UAVs by boldly removing sluggish bureaucracy.
Owner of North Macedonia’s Gley streaming platform to launch IPO
Svod Master plans first IPO of a domestic digital services company in North Macedonia.
Sweden’s Aonic invests $10mn in Turkish game developer Mega Fortuna
Amid current monetary easing cycle, interest among investors in Turkey's game studios is on the rise again.
Albania's PM signals possible shift on TikTok ban
Year-long ban followed a violent incident in Tirana, where a 14-year-old student was killed and another injured in a fight linked to an online dispute.
Serbian President Vucic wants to introduce flying cars by 2027
Announcement met with derision, with media outlets dismissing the plan as “science fiction”.
Bulgaria’s consumer protection body seeks to revoke local telcos' licences
CPC will ask to remove three main telecoms operators' licences over “systematic violations” and multiple consumer complaints.
NEO: Why pick-up points for online orders are gaining popularity vs. home delivery
The share of European consumers preferring home delivery for online orders dropped from 73% to 64% over the past year, according to a Last Mile Experts study.
Seoul-listed DoubleU acquires 60% stake in Turkey’s Paxie Games for $27mn
Seoul-listed DoubleU acquires 60% stake in Turkey’s Paxie Games for $27mn. Some 844 active gaming studios recorded in Turkey by end of 2024.
Albania imposes one-year TikTok ban
Decision follows killing of a 14-year-old student, but opposition claims it is pre-election move.
TikTok says it has stepped up moderation ahead of Croatian presidential election
Statement issued after cancellation of Romanian presidential election prompts European Commission investigation into how the hugely popular platform manages election interference risks.
Amnesty accuses Serbia of spying on journalists and activists
Human rights group says Serbian authorities conducted covert surveillance on journalists, activists and civil society members using advanced spyware and digital forensic tools.