(Editor’s note: Dispatches covers tech because so many of our highly skilled internationals are founders, engineers and investors. This post on Orqa and Hypefy is part of our Tech Tuesday series.)
For this edition of the Croatia Tech Round-up, we’re looking closely at Orqa and Hypefy, two trending Croatian startups that have already gone global.
It’s been less than eight years since Croatian drone maker Orqa was founded. In that brief time, it has accomplished a lot, most notably opening a drone manufacturing and assembly plant in Florida and spinning off Orqa U.S. in May. The American plant is dedicated to specialized drone assembly lines, CNC processing (Computer Numerical Control, automated machine tools produce precise, high-performance parts), composite material production and other advanced production systems. It spans 17,000 square meters (183,000 square feet) and currently employs 20 people.
The plant has its own status as a port of entry and its own customs unit for more efficient logistics and distribution processes. Full production capacity is expected later in 2026.
Tomislav Krolo, Orqa’s chief operating officer, says that throughout the years, even as the company constantly developed, they have been selling their products successfully in America. “However, it does have to be said that this new geopolitical situation requires an additional step forward, and we’ve just made it with this strategic partnership with By Light.
“Up until this point, everything was produced in Osijek and then shipped across to America. But new circumstances demand a new approach, and in order to be competitive in the programs launched by the U.S. Department of Defense, taking this next step was necessary,” Krolo said.
Orqa, which hails from the eastern Croatian city of Osijek, has become a household name for tech geeks in recent years. Placing Osijek on the tech map in a way few could have ever expected, the company has become one of the most well-known European manufacturers of FPV drones. FPV stands for “first person view” and means an operator can monitor in real time everything the drone “sees.” At the time of writing, Orqa’s systems are used in more than 50 countries around the world.
It didn’t take long for the company to begin a rapid process of expansion. Having had its sights set on making the leap across the pond for some time now, it’s finally doing so and launching production in the United States with its American partner By Light Professional IT Services. In the same fashion Orqa has done everything thus far, full production capacity is expected by as early as October this year at the new Orqa U.S. LLC. Headquartered in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley, the manufacturing process will take place entirely in Florida. Naturally, the challenge of the American market cannot be overstated, but making this move is of the utmost importance for this Osijek-based company. It will now begin producing unmanned aerial vehicles and become competitive in the U.S. Department of Defense’s programs.
Orqa’s most recent raise was a 12.7 million euro Series A round in March. The round was led by Warsaw-based Expeditions Ventures to scale its global manufacturing capacity and non-Chinese component supply chain for FPV defense.
American infrastructure and Croatian tech with one goal: One million drones per year
CEO and co-founder Srđan Kovačević said that having taken this concrete and serious step into the American market, Orqa will be able to easily compete in the fast-growing domain of unmanned systems for defense purposes. Charles Phillips, executive director of Orqa U.S., added that the combination of Croatian technology and American infrastructure opens up space for a stronger presence on the U.S. market, with this expansion into the U.S. ideal for positioning Orqa within the DoD plan to purchase small, lethal drones over the next two years. The Drone Dominance Program puts up $1 billion to companies in a challenge to develop next-gen drones.
Orqa has become one of the most well-known European manufacturers of FPV drones, and back at the beginning of 2026, the company presented its program for global product expansion through a network of partners. The goal is to produce one million drones per year.
“The market grows as quickly as it adopts technology. It doesn’t even need to be stated that the Americans have gone the farthest yet in adopting technology, so we expect greater growth in demand,” Kovačević concluded.
Croatian AI startup Hypefy raises $7.2 Million
Hypefy is one of Croatia’s fastest-growing AI startups. It recently secured $7.2 million dollars in Series A funding. Founded in 2021, this investment represents one of the country’s largest recent technology investment rounds. Despite being a young company, Hypefy is ambitious, setting its sights on bringing the fast-growing company a step closer to joining the ranks of European startups with billion-dollar valuations. The investment will fuel international expansion, product development and team growth as the company scales its AI-powered influencer marketing platform.
Yet another ambitious Croatian startup goes global
This latest investment round only further strengthens its position among Croatia’s fastest-growing AI startups. Hypefy is the brainchild of Stjepan Zelić, Filip Špiranec and Davor Šibenik, and since its launch, it has developed into an AI platform that automates almost every stage of marketing campaigns involving influencers. Not long ago, endless email threads back and forth, tiresome negotiations and spreadsheets dominated the influencer marketing process. Hypefy was built on the idea of simplifying the entire process, with brands using the platform to identify creators and personalities who best suit their needs. Then they develop brand image, negotiate partnerships, manage contracts, review content, monitor performance and process payments through one system powered by artificial intelligence.
It didn’t take Hypefy long to break out of the Croatian market. When you hear giant global names such as Philips, Nivea, McDonalds and Samsung, you probably don’t think a Croatian startup founded five years ago would have these global brands (among others) as clients. In fact, Hypefy’s platform has entered markets in 43 countries so far, with its system behind thousands of influencer campaigns and generating 700 million impressions.
A Series A
Croatian venture capital fund AYMO Ventures led this round of funding, with existing Hypefy investors Interactive Venture Partners, Oktogon Ventures and Euroventures part of the syndicate. It’s worth noting this latest investment comes just over a year after Hypefy raised a $1.75 million seed round.
Could Hypefy achieve Unicorn status?
Croatia currently only has two Unicorns – Rimac Automobili and Infobip. This fresh capital will be used to expand Hypefy’s international team, accelerate product development and boost operations across Europe and in the ever-demanding U.S. market.
Lauren Simmonds
Lauren Simmonds is the editor of Total Croatia News, the largest English language portal in Croatia. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, and is a translator, content writer, interpreter and the co-author of "Croatia - A Survival Kit for Foreigners," which was published in 2022.
