Lucic: Telekom's agreement with Microsoft to boost Serbian IT sector exports

BELGRADE - Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic says a recent agreement on business and technical cooperation between Microsoft and Telekom Srbija's TS Ventures Fund will help to multiply the value of Serbian IT sector exports.

The agreement was signed on March 27.

"The agreement means an additional strengthening of Telekom's fund because, in a year and a half, we have helped nine quality startups with great potential but, in addition to financing, they also need Microsoft packages and tools," Lucic told Prva TV on Tuesday.

Calling on startups to apply for financing from the Telekom Srbija fund, he said tools to be provided as assistance would be worth up to 150,000 euros.

"That is important for all young companies in the initial stage. Microsoft has recognised us as someone who picks quality startups and helps young people make products in Serbia that we will export," Lucic said.

He noted that Telekom Srbija was trying to make a similar arrangement with Amazon in Q3 2023 as Amazon, too, had an internet cloud and internet tools used by many Serbian startups.

He said two of the nine startups were seriously tipped to become the first Serbian unicorns - startups worth over one billion dollars.