In the traditionally male-dominated domain of technology, the voices and contributions of women have often been overlooked. However, Southeast Europe has recently been experiencing a new narrative emerging—one driven by a cohort of remarkable female leaders who are challenging stereotypes, breaking barriers, and reshaping the tech landscape.
From founding innovative startups and technologies, to having key leadership roles in established companies, these women are on a mission to create a more diverse and inclusive future for the IT sector in SEE, but also much farther. Our article lists the top women in IT across or originating from the SEE, with a brief description of their journey and their contribution for the industry.
Raluca Apostol
Raluca is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Nestor, a pioneering AI platform designed to empower employees to become successful coaches. Nestor’s cloud-based solution utilizes science and leadership tools to foster a growth mindset and drive innovation remotely from San Francisco, America.
Andreea Plesea
Andreea co-founded Druid AI, a Bucharest-based AI-powered enterprise chatbot platform that has garnered significant investment. The platform enables the development of intelligent virtual assistants to assist with tasks across various devices, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs for employees, clients, suppliers, and partners.
Anda Gansca
Anda is the co-founder and CEO of Knotch, a content intelligence SaaS platform headquartered in New York. Knotch provides CMOs and their teams with real-time measurement and optimization tools to analyze marketing content efforts, offering actionable insights for enhanced performance.
Roxana Ciobanu
Roxana serves as the co-founder and CTO of Bunnyshell, a Bucharest-based environment-as-a-service platform. Bunnyshell simplifies the creation and management of full-stack environments in the cloud, facilitating faster and more efficient software development for teams with ambitious expansion plans.
Rania Lamprou
Rania holds the position of CEO and co-founder at Simpler, an e-commerce startup based in London. Simpler’s innovative “headless checkout” model, which decouples the checkout process from online stores, is revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape with its 24/7 customer service and marketing capabilities.
Denise Xifara
Denise is a multifaceted entrepreneur with a background in Statistical Genetics and Mathematics & Statistics from Oxford University. She co-founded Nupinion, a startup dedicated to enhancing news engagement through big data insights, while also contributing her expertise to various AI, blockchain, and chatbot applications.
Konstantina Psoma
Konstantina is the visionary founder of Kaedim, a deep tech startup focused on developing AI technology for rapidly creating high-quality 3D assets. With substantial pre-seed funding, Kaedim’s AI technology promises to revolutionize asset creation in industries such as gaming and film production.
Elitza Stoilova
Elitza is the founder and CEO of Umni.bg, a no-code platform empowering businesses to create and manage AI chatbots for their websites. With a diverse clientele spanning industries such as hospitality and non-profits, Umni.bg is democratizing access to AI technology for businesses of all sizes.
Iva Gumnishka
Iva leads Humans in the Loop, a social tech startup providing human input and training data for the machine learning industry. With a focus on both advancing ML technologies and supporting refugees’ integration into the digital labor market, Iva’s venture represents a unique blend of social impact and technological innovation.
Hajdi Cenan
Hajdi is the co-founder and CEO of Airt, an AI startup enabling companies to harness the power of deep learning, even without in-house expertise. A prominent figure in Croatia’s tech ecosystem, Hajdi’s contributions extend beyond her startup, as she actively promotes gender-balanced leadership and equality through various associations and initiatives.
Matija Nakic
Matija has built a remarkable career in enterprise software, from developer to VP of products, and now CEO and founder of Farseer, a software for financial planning and analyses. With a focus on delivering top-notch products for Fortune 500 companies, Matija exemplifies leadership and innovation in the tech industry.
Blagovesta Pugyova
Blagovesta is the founder of Childish Software Development Company, a Bulgaria-based software development firm focusing on Python solutions. With a unique model of sharing profits with NGOs, Childish Ltd. is not only driving technological innovation but also contributing to meaningful social causes.
Delfina Jovanovska
Delfina is a seasoned iOS engineer at Apple, with over a decade of experience in one of the world’s most renowned tech companies. Her journey from internships to her current role reflects her dedication and expertise in software engineering.
Svetlana Kordumova
Svetlana is the founder and CEO of Pixyle.ai, a startup utilizing artificial intelligence to identify fashion products in photos. With her background in multimedia and AI, Svetlana’s venture has received significant investment, marking her as a leading figure in the tech startup scene.
Aleksandra Mitrevska
Aleksandra co-founded Native Teams, a startup facilitating freelancing and remote work around the world. Her success underscores the importance of diverse skill sets in the tech industry, as she leads a startup with a focus on freelancing management.
Nina Geometrieva
Until recently, Nina served as senior product designer at Instagram, with a rich career spanning various design roles in prominent tech companies. Her accolades, including Red Dot awards, highlight her talent and contributions to the field of design.
Elena Ikonomovska
Elena is the co-founder and Chief AI Officer at Mnemonic, a San Francisco-based startup focusing on NFT platforms. With extensive experience across academia and industry, Elena’s leadership in AI and data science has positioned Mnemonic as a key player in the tech startup landscape.
Kalina Trajanoska
Kalina is the co-founder and CEO of Conceptiva, an HRtech startup recognized for its innovation and proactive approach. With a background in IT engineering and a dedication to pushing the boundaries of modern software development at a very young age, Kalina showcases the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in the tech industry.
