ZAGREB, 15 May 2021 - In the past 24 hours 826 coronavirus cases and 23 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Saturday.

There are 6,886 active cases and 1,684 hospitalised patients, including 185 on ventilators, while 21,468 people are self-isolating.

To date 349,910 people have been registered as infected, the death toll is 7,687 and 335,337 people have recovered, including 1,131 in the past 24 hours.

To date 1,920,316 people have been tested for the virus, including 7,322 in the past 24 hours, and 1,310,456 vaccines have been administered, with 1,009,609 people receiving the first shot (30% of the adult population) and 300,847 both.

For more about Covid-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 16th, 2021 - From fantastic flight news to an ongoing football story coming to an end, here are the big events in Croatia from May 10 to 16, 2021. 

Borna Sosa story continues 

If you've been following the Borna Sosa saga this past week, this shouldn't come as a surprise. The talented 23 years old football player has stirred up quite a bit of commotion with his announcement of switching national teams from Croatia to Germany. Borna’s mother was born in Germany and he now has the legal right to claim German citizenship. However, there is a new clause added in the FIFA rulebook since September 2020 that states a player switching national teams needed to already have had citizenship of the nation he is switching to before he played for the national team he is switching from. In other words, Borna Sosa needed to already have had dual Croatian and German citizenship at the time when he played for the Croatia youth team.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hrvatski nogometni savez (@hns_cff)

After the embarrassment faced with the new FIFA rules, Borna issues an apology for HNS stating "he made a mistake". 

The decision I made was wrong, and I have to take responsibility for it myself. If the Croatian Football Federation and coaches believe that despite everything, I can contribute to the success of our national teams, I will respond to their invitation and make myself available.

Croaticum Croatian Language and Culture Summer School Announced for 2021

The Centre for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language, known as Croaticum, is the oldest and largest institution engaged in teaching, research, and description of Croatian as a second and foreign language. The Croatian language and culture are beginning to generate more and more interest among not only ex-pats who wish to return home or reconnect with their relatives, but also among tourists and foreigners.

The Croaticum in Zagreb has announced the opening of its summer school for the Croatian language and culture, to be held between June and July. Enrollment will begin on May 24th. 

Archaeological Park Iovia - Ludbreg Officially Opens!

The museum was opened by the Minister of Culture and Media, Ph.D. Nina Obuljen Koržinek with the mayor of Ludbreg Dubravko Bilić and the director of the restoration institute and honorary Ludbreg citizen, doctor of science Tajana Pleše.

Vjeran Zganec Rogulja

Ludberg is one of Croatia's hidden gems, also known as the Centre of the World. It holds the church which houses the only Vatican-certified miracle in Croatia, a monument to local javelin heroine, Sara Kolak, who won Olympic Gold in Rio in 2016, and the newly opened museum and park. 

First Post-Covid Pilot Party in Croatia Held, Digital Green Certificates on Schedule for June 1

The first-ever post-Covid pilot party took place in Zagreb at the Rooftop Lateral restaurant. The aim of the event was to prove that it is safe and, to represent a step towards the old normal. The project has been prepared since March this year and they are very proud that their idea has been realized. All participants have been vaccinated twice, and after a week, they will undergo testing. 

Davorin Visnjic

The Croatian Institute of Public Health epidemiologist, Ph.D. Dijana Mayer emphasized the importance of vaccination because a large percentage of vaccinated citizens will greatly simplify life and enable events to take place and much greater mobility of people.

Fantastic flights news for Croatia

As the summer tourist season approaches, hope for a better season is restored by numerous information about flights to and from Croatia published this week.

The latest flight news comes from Wizz Air, as they resume flights to Dubrovnik-Rome Summer Service, as well as Split-Rome. Earlier this week, Azur Air announced flight s from Saint Petersburg to Pula this summer. 

Pixabay

Polish national airline, LOT, plans to operate regular flights to five Croatian airports in the summer season. The line is currently in operation three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the company will gradually increase the number of operations. It will operate 6 times a week during the peak summer season between Zagreb and Warsaw. 

The Irish low-cost airline, RyanAir will open a base at Zagreb Airport from September this year. They have just announced two new flights to Zagreb, in addition to the already 12 lines previously announced. Joining the fantastic flight news is also the Serbian national airline, Air Serbia, launching routes to Split and Dubrovnik from the end of May.

Even though we have experienced flight cancellations and shortages in the past year, the recent flight news is a great step towards a new normal and a great summer season. 

For more about news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

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May 15, 2021 - Anamaria Govorčinović has become the first female Croatian canoe-sprinter to qualify for the Olympic Games! 

At the canoe-sprint European Olympic qualifications on the calm waters of Szeged, Hungary, Croatian Anamaria Govorčinović achieved the Olympic norm by winning second place in the women's final of the 500-meter single kayak discipline (K-1). The Zagreb club Matija Ljubek member was second with a time of 1:56.70, while the fastest was Spaniard Isabel Contreras (1:56.15), reports HOO. 

"I still can't believe it. I'm overjoyed. No, I didn’t expect it because there were nine girls in the finals, and they were all quality in a row. I knew the Spaniard and the Portuguese sprinters were favorites, but the three of us somehow separated halfway through. In the end, the nuances, the seconds, decided. The Spaniard was first, me second. I am the first in Croatia to win a place at the Games in this discipline. I hope that Vanessa Tot, who has another chance in a week in Russia, will also succeed," said Anamaria for Vecernji List. 

"In Zagreb, I am a member of the club Matija Ljubek, and I have great conditions. Preparations, kayaking, and equipment are financed by the Croatian Olympic Committee and the Croatian Kayak Federation. I finished high school in Zagreb, and I am currently studying sports management at Aspira High School. I am in the same group with handball player Marko Mamić who plays in Leipzig," she pointed out.

Among other participating Croatian athletes in the continental qualifications, Vanesa Tot took 9th place in the finals, and kayaker Antun Novaković did not make it to the finals. Tot and Novaković have another chance to win a spot in Tokyo at the world qualifiers on May 20 and 21 in Barnaul, Russia.

As the first female Croatian canoe sprinter in history to secure an Olympic appearance, 24-year-old Govorčinović joins canoe slalom athlete Matija Marinić in Tokyo. 

There are currently 43 athletes on the Croatian Olympic Committee's list of candidates for the Tokyo Olympics! 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

To get more news about sports in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

May 15, 2021 - A German film crew visited Novalja last week to shoot a promotional film called ‘‘My Novalja on the Island of Pag’’, and will premiere in mid-June 2021.

The Tourist Board of the City of Novalja, in cooperation with the company Pointers Travel d.o.o. and in co-production with the German production company Blue Planet TV from Berlin, agreed to collaborate on a 22-minute report on the tourist destination Novalja called Meine Novalja Auf Dem Inseln Pag (My Novalja on the Island of Pag)

As turistickeprice.hr reports, from 6 to 13 May 2021, the German film crew visited the city of Novalja and shot a promotional film that will be shown from mid-June 2021 through a minimum of 30 broadcasts on numerous TV stations throughout the Western European market. Five people from Blue planet TV production and two people from the Osijek company Pointers Travel d.o.o., video and TV production department, took part in the production of this format, and they are also actively involved in the organization of production.

The host of the travel promotional film with the working title "My Novalja on the Island of Pag" is the famous German actor Oliver Hörner, who will guide viewers through a report on Novalja and all its peculiarities.

The report will be shown and promoted through numerous channels, which will achieve multi-million viewers, namely: broadcasting on ANIXE auf Reisen (one of the most popular German travel channels), NTV, RNF (Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar, Mannheim). Also, the report will be distributed via the Waipu TV platform, as well as Amazon Prime and Samsung TV Plus channels.

‘‘Our expectations are that with this project and the recorded report, Novalja will certainly become an even more important destination, which in this way will directly access the German-speaking market and beyond and show all its attractions that make it special and set it apart from other tourist destinations’’, said the Director of the Tourist Board of Novalja, Marina Šćiran Rizner.

The filming started in Novalja: on its squares, in the churches of St. Catherine and Our Lady of the Rosary within which there is a floor mosaic from the 4th century, in the City Museum from which one enters the unique Ancient aqueduct from the 1st century, on the Rose of the Winds, the city beaches. Furthermore, it was filmed in the Straško camp, the Liberty, Olea and Boškinac hotels, Novaljsko polje, Stara Novalja, the Žigljen ferry port, the Pag bridge and numerous beaches in the City area.

Through the magical Gardens of Lun Olives, where the famous actor was greeted by a girl in traditional costume with a basket of local delicacies, he rode a horse to the oldest olive, tasted raspberry oil, and drank tea from Lun olive leaves.

In the early morning hours, when the team was hosted by extremely kind hosts - the owners of the family farm VIDAS, Mr. Oliver taught the sheep how to make Pag cheese, and for breakfast, homemade delicacies were served, such as Pag curd. At the host family farm Škunca, the team enjoyed the immortelle fields, listening with great interest to the story of organic production and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants.

‘‘This is my first time on your island and I am really amazed by its landscapes and places. I can't help but get the impression that adventures like cycling, trekking, kayaking are waiting for you around every corner. I am also delighted with your cultural and historical sites. I will definitely be back to your beautiful island again’’, Oliver Hörner pointed out with enthusiasm.

All the interesting content listed here, framed in the story that will be told through this film, will surely intrigue and arouse interest in choosing a destination for German tourists for the upcoming summer season, convinced that Novalja will be their first choice.

‘‘Tourists from Germany have been realizing almost the largest tourist traffic in Novalja for many years, and our mission is to constantly invest in promotional activities in the main traditional emitting markets, which in the 2020 season showed their loyalty in choosing Croatia and Novalja as their first summer destinations’’, added Marina Šćiran Rizner.

The promotional film was filmed in the city of Novalja, which is located on the island of Pag, and you can find more information about what it can offer you on your next trip, in Total Croatia’s Pag in a page, HERE. Total Croatia’s articles are now available in your language!

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 15, 2021 – Croatian students in the category of under 17 years of age, participated in the European Olympiad of Experimental Science. Not only that, but they returned as winners.

Young Croatian competitors at the European Olympiad of Experimental Science did not disappoint. Displaying great skill in handling experiments, data compiling, and problem-solving, Croatian teams managed to win gold and silver medals.

Tportal reports this year's competition ran from May 9th to May 14th. The host city this year was going to be the Hungarian city of Szeged. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic forced the organisers to change the format of the competition. With travelling restrictions in place, Croatian participants worked on their experimental competition tasks in Zagreb. They used the facilities of the Faculty of Science, a part of Zagreb University.

The European Olympiad of Experimental Science is an annual competition by the EOES association. This is a non-profit association for the promotion of science education in high school students in the European Union. Their official website describes the competition as a mix of „experimental and laboratory activities in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics.“ In order to compete in the European Olympiad of Experimental Science students must first win national competitions in the related fields.

Results and Team Members

There were 120 students competing in this year's edition. They formed 38 teams. Croatian teams captured 6th and 7th positions in the team rankings. The gold medal went to Team B which was made up of Borna Perkovic (III Gymnasium, Split), Lovro Mirkovic, and Jelena Glasovac (XV Gymnasium, Zagreb). Team A won silver with Filip Vucic (I Gymnaisu, Zagreb), Petar Jukic and Nika Tretinjak (XV Gymnasium, Zagreb) in the roster. Mentors in charge of preparing the students, setting up laboratories, and translating the tasks were also a very important part of this result. They are the Faculty of Science members Tajana Begovic (chemistry), Andreja Lucic (biology), Petra Cvjetko (biology), and Kreso Zadro (physics).

Learn more about Croatian inventions & discoveries: from Tesla to Rimac on our TC page.

For more about science in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 15, 2021 -  The Arsen Art House in Sibenik, a new city stage for music and stage events, cinema screenings, plays, and exhibitions, will open its doors on June 2!

HRTurizam reports that the renovation of the former Odeon cinema building, designed by the great Zlatko Neumann in the 1950s and officially renovated according to the Arx Studio project, has been officially completed.

The hall is remembered by many generations of Šibenik citizens, and the renovation breathed new life into it under the name of Arsen Dedić, an artistic genius from Sibenik. On the completion of the works, on Thursday, May 13, the Arsen Art House was visited by representatives of the owners and investors of the City of Sibenik, the Sibenik Fortress of Culture team that will manage the Arsen House of Art, and the architect and chief designer of the renovation, Damir Lasinović.

The renovation of the hall, which began in 2013, was financed by the City of Sibenik and the Ministry of Culture and Media. In the last renovation phase by the Sibenik Fortress of Culture in the total amount of almost 16 million kuna.

“The reconstruction was above all complicated. It consisted of six phases, starting with the repair of statics and moisture of a completely dilapidated building. When designing the interior, we thought long-term, taking into account the multifunctionality of each part of the hall, used only top quality materials and equipment that will meet the highest standards, and ultimately got a spectacular result. What makes me especially happy is that the noir theme of the decoration, which is dominated by dark color broken by golden details, is ultimately completely affected and fits exactly into the ‘gyro’ that Arsen stole," emphasized the renovation designer Damir Lasinović.

Šibenik Fortress of Culture

Thus, on June 2, when the grand opening of the Arsen House of Art is scheduled, Sibenik will get a new city stage for music and stage events, cinema screenings, plays, and exhibitions.

“Everything will be ready for the opening on June 2, when Gabi and Matija will be with us, and they, along with guest Marko Ramljak, will be the first to perform at the Arsen Art House the very next day. The next few days will be dedicated to Arsen's artistic work, so we will, among other things, show some successful films for which Arsen wrote music. In the coming days, the complete program will be announced, which will follow the official opening," concluded Gorana Barišić Bačelić, director of the Sibenik Fortress of Culture.

The space is divided into two parts: the entrance hall with a restaurant and cloakroom and the hall space. At the same time, the upper floor is intended for contractors and technicians and is easily accessible for all their needs, thanks to the elevator. The hall is equipped according to high production standards - lighting and audio equipment. Special emphasis should be placed on the modular floor, allowing the quick and easy transformation of space, making this hall unique in Croatia.

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 15, 2021 - The Ryanair Zagreb base expects two to three million passengers over the next three years, and will open the Zagreb base earlier than planned due to great interest and demand, the company's commercial director Jason McGuinness revealed. 

McGuinness says that Ryanair decided to open the Zagreb base two months earlier than originally planned due to many reservations and requests from Zagreb and the high demand for flights to Zagreb, reports Index.hr.

At the Ryanair Zagreb base, which opens at the end of July, the airline will have one aircraft by the end of August, and plans to introduce another in September, says McGuinness.

He also reveals that following the demand; the airline is considering the possibility of introducing a third aircraft during the winter if reservations show good results because it plans flights to Zagreb all year round and already has 14 destinations planned from Zagreb from November this year. By the summer of 2022, there are plans for about 30.

"I will not give you information on reservations by individual routes, but I will repeat what I emphasized at the press conference at the end of March when we announced our arrival: Zagreb has been underrepresented for years. For example, Zagreb and Dublin are cities of similar size. Still, before the arrival of Ryanair, Zagreb had flights to 38 destinations, and Dublin to about 200, and Zagreb is much more beautiful and interesting than Dublin," McGuinness said about the state of reservations and sales of flights to Zagreb.

He says that he is surprised by the bookings from Zagreb. However, expectations this year are still conditioned by the pandemic and travel restrictions. There is a lot of competition for flights to sunny destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and Croatia.

He adds that Ryanair will not operate traffic to Zagreb only with "Zagreb" planes because it has 450 planes and can fly to Zagreb from the other 80 bases throughout Europe.

When asked how long they intend to have a base in Zagreb, he answered that they see great potential in Zagreb and that it will dedicate itself to its own and the growth of Zagreb Airport.

"We will follow developments and decide on routes, where costs are one of the main points in our decisions. We are the company with the lowest low-cost price in Europe, and we are so precisely because of our primary cost orientation. We work with partners on efficient operation, and it is the costs that determine our future decisions," says McGuinness.

As previously announced, they will need about 60 workers at the Ryanair Zagreb base. McGuinness explains that each aircraft needs about 30 people to service it, from pilots and cabin crew to engineers and support.

When asked if they will look for these employees on the local market or bring them from other countries, he said that they already have many pilots and cabin crew from Croatia and a lot of people who would like to live in Croatia because of the climate.

"We work in about 40 countries at 230 airports and have workers of various nationalities. For example, members of about 30 nationalities work in our base in Dublin. In Zagreb and Zadar, where we will also have a base this summer, people from Zagreb and Zadar, but also from other countries that want to live and work in Croatia," says McGuinness.

Apart from employing themselves, he points out that we should not forget the indirect jobs that their flights bring to a destination, i.e., the benefits that taxi services, buses, catering, hotels, and others have from passengers.

The situation is similar with Zadar, where they will have two planes at the base during the summer season this year, for which, as in Zagreb, they are investing 200 million euros.

Asked how he would invest given the losses he, like many other companies, has in the pandemic, McGuinness said it should be "put in context."

"In the past two months, Ryanair has opened ten new bases in Paris, Venice, the Greek islands, Denmark, Riga in Latvia, and Stockholm's Arland. You know we are the strongest company in Europe, and we don't get help from the state and funds, as is the case with other companies, including Croatian Airlines. We do not receive such assistance, and we have the strongest balance sheet in Europe, and we have merged the strongest airlines. We are the only European company that has achieved growth in air traffic over several years. We see that, for example, Croatia Airlines has postponed the purchase of new aircraft, while Ryanair has confirmed orders for 210 new Boeing 200 aircraft, which are the strongest in that class," McGuinness says.

Regarding the purchase of new aircraft, he says he will take them over in the next four years, increasing the fleet to more than 600 aircraft, which they plan to carry about 200 million passengers a year.

To achieve this and overcome pandemic and other challenges, he is currently working with partners across Europe to find opportunities for recovery, which he considers very important.

"We are doing this in Croatia, where we have been flying since 2006, which means that this year we have our 15th anniversary, during which we transported about five million passengers to and from Croatia, which we are very pleased with. We also know how important tourism is to the Croatian economy and that it makes up about 20 percent of the national GDP. In cooperation with the airports in Zagreb and Zadar and others, we also bring investments. We consider this to be the right way in which we can help recover traffic at this time," says Ryanair’s commercial director.

Apart from Zadar and Zagreb, this summer, they will also fly to Pula, i.e., they will have 58 routes to Croatia, of which 33 are new.

There are a couple of routes to Dubrovnik and Split, but as the fees at the airports in those cities are too high for them, he says that they are talking to partners about further conditions and that it is unlikely that an agreement will be reached.

When asked if they are satisfied with the agreement reached with Zagreb Airport, he said only that "agreements can always be better," that they are committed to Zagreb, but also that their focus is always on price.

"Ryanair is quite an opportunistic company, and there are a lot of places we don't fly to, and people ask why. According to our conditions, we have many places where we could place our capacities and where there is a market gap for us, and one of them was Zagreb. I am happy that we have reached an agreement and that we will fly to Zagreb and set up our base there earlier than planned," McGuinness says.

In the region closer to Croatia, they introduce innovations this year, such as two flights to Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also operate in Banja Luka and Podgorica in Montenegro and Nis in Serbia.

They are satisfied with the business in the Balkans and hope that they will continue to grow there as well, while they have the largest base closer to Croatia, and otherwise the largest, in Italy with 70 aircraft.

They also operate in Hungary, Greece, Israel, and Cyprus.

On the company’s business as a low-cost carrier, McGuinness says only one model is suitable for airlines and good business, and that is low cost.

"I repeat that we are the strongest airline in Europe and that we do not receive state aid for our investments, including the purchase of new aircraft, which we consider extremely important in a situation where companies across Europe have received around 30 billion euros in aid since the pandemic. It is illegal. and we really appeal and challenge because this situation can destroy the market, which is bad for consumers, and it can destroy competition. We will continue to fight for consumers across Europe and 'challenge' all these illegal actions in the courts across Europe," comments McGuinness.

Despite everything, and unlike many companies that have received grants, their prices remain extremely low throughout Europe.

When asked about the owners of Ryanair, he states that the public companies are listed on the London, Dublin, and New York Stock Exchanges, which have many shareholders around the world, mostly large institutional funds, institutions, and others.

He says that flights and trips on their planes during the pandemic are safe in every sense, including health, because safety is their priority.

"Aircraft are disinfected every 24 hours, everyone who has to be around and in the aircraft pays attention to health safety measures following international rules, and the air quality in the aircraft is like in the operating room. Therefore, all available seats can be booked in on the plane, and passengers and staff must wear masks," McGuinness emphasizes.

He also considers EU Covid passports to be a good idea, which will make travel easier for people from this summer, and Ryanair has already made its so-called covid-wallet or passport, in which all the necessary information can be entered via the application and the website about testing, proof of vaccination and the like.

Asked to comment on Croatia Airlines' complaints, McGuinness said it was inappropriate to complain at all, as they had "received millions of euros," in his opinion, of illegal state aid.

"The fact is that Croatia Airlines has not achieved growth and profit in the past four years. Ryanair will bring 14 new routes to Zagreb this year, and Croatia Airlines has brought three in the past four years. We think Croatia Airlines must do its homework again and new calculations," comments McGuinness.

When asked if Croatia Airlines is their competition in Croatia and how they generally deal with competitors, he reiterated that they operate in 40 countries, concluding that they always consider competition good for consumers, airports, and Ryanair, as well as for Croatia, Zagreb, its airport and the people of Zagreb.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May the 15th, 2021 - The Vodnjan company infobip continues to go from strength to strength and showcase just what a Croatian enterprise can do, even in a climate which still makes doing business more difficult than it should be.

As Novac/Bernard Ivezic writes, Twilio has 4,500 employees, generates 1.76 billion US dollars in revenue annually and has a market value of 51.85 billion dollars. It is a company that the founders of the Vodnjan company Infobip - Silvio Kutic, Izabel Jelenic and Roberto Kutic - most often point out as their main competitor. By comparison, Infobip has about 3,000 employees, revenue of 1.25 billion dollars, and last year its market value exceeded an impressive 1 billion dollars.

Due to the difference of 1:52 in relation to Twilio, the first Croatian unicorn startup is preparing to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange at the end of next year or at the beginning of 2023 at the very latest. As one of the preparatory steps, the Vodnjan company Infobip aims to raise a 500 million dollar investment by the end of August 2021. It will purchase its own competition with those finds.

Twilio will not be on that list because of its value, but which smaller competitors will be there is problematic to predict because it also depends on the aspirations of their own respective investors. That's why it's good to understand who, in fact, Infobip's competitors actually are and in which direction the business in which they operate is developing.

Cost control

Both Infobip and Twilio are engaged in a business that is quite exotic. There are SMS messages, connections to applications (apps) on the web and on mobiles, chatbots, emails, support for the omnichannel communication of brands, geolocation solutions and many other similar services.

Both companies have developed a variety of software, which, like Lego bricks, companies can integrate into their own web and mobile applications, thus communicating with their users more easily and securely. Infobip and Twilio are therefore communication platforms that sell their software as a service (Communication platform as a Service - CpaaS).

The main reason why companies that sell over the internet, and today that is almost all of them, have a need for their services is the necessity to control costs and communication to all their customers, no matter where they're located. This cannot be offered by any teleoperator, not even the likes of Starlink.

Although Elon Musk created the first true global operator with Starlink, meaning one that has its own planetary infrastructure, it doesn't offer mobile services. Large global telecoms, which form the backbone of the Internet, such as Level 3, Telie, GTT, Cogent and NTT, also show no interest in offering companies software solutions for specific forms of communication. The only ones slowly moving towards the field where Twilio and Infobip compete are Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Currently, another company that the Vodnjan company Infobip founders often cite as a competitor is the Swedish Sinch. It has a market value of 9.76 billion dollars, revenue of just under 1 billion dollars and more than 1,600 employees. Sinch follows a similar tactic and is intensively active in acquisitions.

Recently, Sinch has acquired SAP’s SAP Digital Interconnect business unit, followed by Brazil’s Wavy and the largest independent voice communications operator in the US, Inteliquent.

A European challenger

Infobip's competitor is also RingCentral, an American company that offers other companies similar communication solutions as Zoom and MS Teams. RingCentral, which had revenue of 1.2 billion dollars last year, also offers a communications platform as a service, forcing Microsoft and other major technology companies to potentially enter the segment.

Finally, there is another major European challenger in the mix, MessageBird. This Dutch company is particularly interesting because it promotes business in a very similar way to Croatia's own Infobip. It boasts of collaborating with giants such as Facebook, Google, Uber and WhatsApp and offering an omnichannel communication platform. Behind MessageBird are (financially) the largest VC fund in Europe, Atomico, Y Combinator and Accel.

In addition, the Dutch are also targeting expansion into the United States. Back in April, they raised a 800 million dollars investment to buy the American mail marketing company SparkPost, and this is just the beginning of the list in the CPaaS market, which also includes the Indian Plivo, the American Vonage Communications and many others, so it is obvious that consolidation will follow in the next period.

For more on Infobip and companies like it, follow Made in Croatia.