The third edition of the Game Changer Montenegro festival brought great success to the community of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro. It has now been officially confirmed that our residents are setting new standards and changing the rules of the game on the domestic and regional technology scene. We are especially proud that the majority of the awards went to companies that are growing under our roof.

The well-deserved recognition for hard work, expertise, and technological excellence went to FIVE Grupa, One AI, Zuno Games, Deepmark, and PAID T. These awards serve as a clear indication that Montenegro has exceptional potential for the development of digital transformation and advanced technologies. Through their achievements, the winning teams have demonstrated that with vision and support, boundaries can be pushed and the bar for success can be raised.

The festival opened with a presentation by Ms. Valentina Radulović, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro (NTP CG), who introduced the Startup Index to the audience at the official opening ceremony. The research showed that Montenegro’s startup ecosystem is exceptionally young, with one-third of all startups founded in 2025, while more than 70% were established in 2023 or later, meaning that the majority of startups are less than three years old.
A typical Montenegrin startup has 2–3 founders, is headquartered in Podgorica, and has global market ambitions. These teams primarily operate under a B2B model, develop AI/ML solutions or software, are at the Proof of Concept stage, and most often secure funding through early-stage grant programmes ranging from €20,000 to €50,000.
The conclusion was that the next stage of development must place significantly greater emphasis on accelerated market validation, reaching first customers earlier, and a stronger focus on product commercialisation.

Following the analysis of these findings, the programme offered further opportunities to explore development prospects in greater depth. The central segment featured an exceptionally inspiring discussion on building destinations for high-value technology communities. As part of the panel, Valentina Radulović welcomed Alberto Fuma, Marketing Manager at the prestigious H-FARM College. It was a valuable conversation and an opportunity to exchange experiences, particularly given that H-FARM is one of Europe’s most influential innovation platforms, renowned for breaking down the boundaries between education, entrepreneurship, and technology.

The discussion raised important questions about how to create an environment that attracts talent. The speakers also explored models for building a functional ecosystem in which universities, corporations, investors, and startups work and grow together, shaping a new economy. Particular attention was drawn to the debate surrounding the enormous potential of our region, as the discussion sought to answer the question of whether the Balkans could truly emerge as Europe’s next major innovation hub in the near future.

The Game Changer Festival has once again confirmed that our innovation community is moving forward with confidence, and we remain a reliable partner to companies on their journey towards new global successes.