VendueTech Achievements Timeline: A Journey of Growth, Innovation, and Recognition

At VendueTech, we’ve made tremendous progress through strategic initiatives, research and development, and international expansion. Below is an updated timeline highlighting key milestones and achievements.

2023: A New Beginning

• March 2023: Ivan Livić Returns to Croatia
  Ivan Livić, co-founder of VendueTech, returns to Croatia after spending 11 years living (from May 2012 to March 2023) and working, including 9 years in Singapore. During his time abroad, he also lived in Bali, Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ivan gained extensive global experience by working in engineering, product management, and marketing leadership roles for Amazon Web Services, CloudCover, Axiata Digital, Lithan Academy, and launched a B2B marketplace in 2013. Following a successful proof of concept and the completion of two real estate purchases via the electronic government auction, Ivan decided to start a new business and platform — Bidsale.

2024: Laying the Foundation and Building Momentum

• January 2024: Won Bronze Award and €5,000 from ZICER Startup Accelerator (Zagreb, Croatia)
  VendueTech was awarded the Bronze Award and a €5,000 prize by ZICER, one of Croatia's leading startup accelerators, marking a key recognition for our early-stage progress.
• February 2024: Opening of VendueTech J.D.O.O. (Croatia)
  We officially launched our Croatian entity as a simple Ptd Ltd. (Private Limited Company), marking the beginning of our operations and establishing a strong presence in the European market.
• February 2024: VendueTech Ltd. (Ireland) Established
  Our Irish entity was established, allowing VendueTech to expand internationally and enhance its operations across multiple jurisdictions. Marin Mastilica, co-founder and COO, is based in Ireland and has lived there for 9 years. He is a childhood friend of Ivan Livić, and they both graduated with Master's degrees from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb.
• February 2024: VendueTech J.D.O.O. (Croatia) Team Expansion
  Our Croatian entity started with 1 FTE (CEO, co-founder, and Director), Ivan Livić, leading the charge in building VendueTech’s vision and operations.
• June 2024: VendueTech J.D.O.O. Team Grows to 2 FTEs
  VendueTech’s Croatian entity grew, adding another full-time employee, expanding our operational capacity and capabilities.
• October 2024: Entered TOP 5 Finalists for the Best New Startup at SLUSH'd Zagreb
  VendueTech was recognized as one of the top 5 finalists for the Best New Startup at SLUSH'd Zagreb, a prestigious event showcasing the most promising startups in the region.
• January 2025: Completion of Innovation Voucher for R&D with TakeLab FER
  We completed a key innovation voucher project, contributing to our research and development capabilities and expanding our tech portfolio.
• November 2024: Won Silver VIDI Tesla Innovation Award
  VendueTech was honored with the Silver VIDI Tesla Innovation Award, recognizing our innovative contributions in technology and industry disruption.
• September 2024: Interviewed for Poslovni Dnevnik
  VendueTech was featured in Poslovni Dnevnik in September 2024, discussing our rapid growth, vision, and the technological advancements we are bringing to the market.

2025: Expanding Influence and Achieving Milestones

• May 2025: Successfully Launched Bidsale in Stealth Mode
  VendueTech successfully launched Bidsale in stealth mode, available at beta.bidsale.eu for both B2B and B2C customers, marking the beginning of the platform’s live operations.
• June 2025: Established Partnership with SRCE and FER and Applied for the EU HPC Marenostrum 5
  VendueTech entered into a strategic partnership with SRCE (The University Computing Centre in Zagreb) and FER (Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing) and applied for the EU HPC Marenostrum 5 program, advancing our work in high-performance computing (HPC) and AI technologies.
• June 2025: Completion of TBI 1 and 2 with ZPR Applied Computer Sciences, FER
  Our work with ZPR focused on the research of state-of-the-art algorithms for recommender systems to be implemented in the Bidsale platform, enhancing its personalization and recommendation capabilities.
• June 2025: Completion of TBI 3 and 4 with TakeLab FER
  Our work with TakeLab AI department was focused on training LLMs (Large Language Models) with real estate auction data from 3 EU countries, furthering our AI capabilities for the platform.
• August 2025: Completion of TBI 3 and 4 with TakeLab FER
  Our work with TakeLab FER continued with the successful completion of TBI 3 and 4, solidifying our partnerships and pushing forward our tech development goals.
• June 12, 2025: Signed Letter of Intent with Tier 1 Real Estate Company Engel and Volkers
  VendueTech signed a Letter of Intent with Engel and Volkers, a leading global real estate company, marking a significant partnership in our journey to redefine the real estate auction space.
• September 2025: Successfully Launched Bidsale Partner Applications
  VendueTech successfully launched Bidsale Partner applications, allowing partners to add new auctions, make changes, amendments, correct data, and upload missing items, improving the overall customer experience.
• September 2025: Eurostars R&D Grant Kicks Off
  We officially started our Eurostars R&D grant, which will fuel the next phase of our development and innovation in the real estate auction space.
• September 2025: Application for IRI S3 Grant (€4.5M)
  VendueTech applied for the prestigious IRI S3 grant with a total request of €4.5 million, further positioning ourselves as a leader in AI-powered auction solutions.
• September 1, 2025: Expansion to 3 Full-Time Employees at VendueTech J.D.O.O. (Croatia)
  VendueTech's Croatian entity grew, with three full-time employees joining the team to help scale operations and drive innovation.
• September 2025: Rebranding of VendueTech and Bidsale to Attract Global Awareness
  VendueTech started rebranding efforts for both VendueTech and Bidsale to attract global awareness, improve messaging, and reposition the brand to attract customers and top talent. The mission is to democratize access to undervalued real estate from public government auctions across the EU and beyond.
• September 2025: Team Now Comprises Professionals from 11 Countries
  VendueTech’s team now comprises dedicated professionals from Ireland, Netherlands, India, Spain, Sweden, Serbia, Croatia, Thailand, Brazil, Venezuela, Germany, and Italy. The team brings global experience from companies like Microsoft, Klarna, PayPal, Uber, AWS, Google, Johnson Controls, Deel, UNDP, ING, and Nike.
• September 2025: Onboarding of First CTO, Ivan Lončarić
  As technology ramps up, VendueTech scaled the team and onboarded its first CTO, Ivan Lončarić, from Ireland. The overall global team of independent contractors working for stock options grew to 35.

2025: Strategic Grants and Industry Recognition

• January 2025: EIC Accelerator R&D Grant Short Proposal Successfully Passed
  We successfully passed the short proposal phase for the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator, marking a significant step forward in securing funding for our high-impact R&D projects.
• March 2025: EIC Accelerator R&D Grant Long Proposal Submitted (for €2.3M)
  We submitted our long proposal for the EIC Accelerator, aiming to secure €2.3 million in funding to further establish our innovations in the tech ecosystem.
• May 2025: EIC Accelerator Long Proposal Achieves 6/9 Points
  We were thrilled to achieve a 6/9 score for our long proposal, demonstrating the strength and potential of our project in the eyes of the evaluators.
• September 2025: Eurostars R&D Grant Awarded
  In a moment of immense pride, we were awarded the €500,000 Eurostars R&D grant, providing the financial support needed to accelerate our ambitious plans.

Intellectual Property Protection

• January 2025: EUIPO Industrial Community Design Secured for Bidsale Web User Interface
  We successfully secured the EUIPO industrial design for the Bidsale web user interface, providing official protection for our unique design.
• August 22, 2025: EUIPO Trademark Secured for the Name "Bidsale"
  The EUIPO officially recognized and granted trademark protection for the name "Bidsale," solidifying our intellectual property rights.

A Year of Growth, Innovation, and Recognition

VendueTech has made incredible strides since its inception, advancing through key research and development programs, receiving significant funding from prestigious grants, gaining recognition across multiple media platforms, and securing essential intellectual property protection. As we continue to build on these achievements, we are excited for what the future holds — a future filled with innovation, growth, and success in the real estate auction industry.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push boundaries, collaborate with industry leaders, and bring our vision to life!