Gabriel Drenik and Karlo Devčić launched KONEKT, which now brings together over 130 projects and collaborates with major investors, securing €73,000 from EU funds for algorithm development.
While most final-year students are thinking about their graduate exams, Gabriel Drenik, a mechanical engineering student, and Karlo Devčić, a finance student, decided to change the rules of the game in the Croatian real estate market. They recognized the complete fragmentation of new construction offerings and launched KONEKT, a platform that in just ten months has become the go-to place for advertising new construction projects in Croatia.
"During our analysis of the new construction market, we noticed that it is highly decentralized. Each investor presents their projects differently-some through their own websites, others through classifieds or social media, while some projects are not advertised digitally at all, but only through information boards at construction sites," Drenik and Devčić explained to Poslovni dnevnik.
This insight was crucial for the creation of KONEKT. "We saw an opportunity and decided to develop KONEKT, a centralized platform that brings together all new construction projects in Croatia in one place. Our vision is to create a space where all investors present their projects, and buyers know they can find the entire offering of new constructions right here on KONEKT," the young entrepreneurs added.
In a very short time, KONEKT has managed to earn the trust of some of the biggest names in the Croatian real estate scene, including Mešić Com, VDM Nekretnine, MDK Građevinar, and Viking Invest. The platform currently hosts over 130 active new construction projects, and the co-founders highlight that the market has recognized the value of the solution they are building.
"Above all, we are grateful to all the investors who gave us a chance to prove ourselves. Even though we are students without years of experience, they recognized our ambition and drive, and they placed their trust in us," say Drenik and Devčić. They add that they have justified that trust through quality work, dedication to each project, and concrete results, which is why they still successfully collaborate with most of their initial clients.
Beyond the platform itself, KONEKT is also developing an advanced algorithm for estimating the market value of properties. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the software agency SIGIT, and €73,000 in non-repayable EU funds have been secured for its development.
"The goal is not to replace professional appraisal, but to provide buyers and sellers with a reliable reference value that will help them make informed decisions and better understand the market price of a property," the founders explain. The algorithm will be able to estimate the approximate market value of a property based on the parameters entered.
Balancing demanding academic commitments in mechanical engineering and finance with running a serious tech project is not easy, but the duo insists it is feasible. "Sometimes it's challenging to align study obligations with running a company, but our experience so far has shown us that with good organization, clear priorities, and discipline, everything can be successfully managed. Of course, it requires certain sacrifices, but we believe they are an integral part of building any serious project," they emphasize.
As their biggest misconception, they highlight the belief that great results can be achieved in a short time. "During development, we realized we had to be agile, so at key moments we successfully pivoted our approach to better adapt to the real needs of the market," they reveal. They stress that developing a quality product and building trust require a lot of time, energy, patience, and daily commitment.
Their current focus is on further developing KONEKT and expanding the number of investors they work with. Although they have had some discussions about potential strategic partnerships, the priority remains proving themselves through quality work and building the platform as the leading destination for new constructions in Croatia. To other students with entrepreneurial ambitions, they say: "It's always worth trying and starting something you believe in, with a clear desire and ambition to make it happen."
