BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 28. The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed an advisory agreement with Croatia’s Ministry of Finance to assist the country in becoming a regional hub for fintech and capital markets. The EIB will provide guidance on establishing a “Fintech Hub” to foster innovation, support startups, and align with EU regulations and global market trends, Trend reports.
As part of the agreement, the EIB will map Croatia’s current fintech landscape, benchmark leading European hubs, and offer recommendations on legal and operational improvements to enhance financial technology adoption.
In addition, the EIB will collaborate with the Croatian Agency for SMEs, Innovation, and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO) to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups improve their investment readiness. This initiative will support access to early-stage finance and EU funding, including the European Innovation Council Accelerator.
The EIB’s efforts are aimed at strengthening Croatia’s capital markets and supporting its "Strategy on Capital Market Development 2025-2030." The advisory support is funded by the InvestEU Advisory Hub programme.