The more time I spend in Zagreb, the more I get energised. There is a really good buzz in the city, with so many of the younger generation doing some very cool things.
Although Zagreb is not an established IT hub in terms of global corporations based there, it does have a growing reputation of IT excellence and innovation. There are lots of individuals and small groups of people doing some very cool things.
So we thought we would celebrate them…
And we start with a little small black device which has transformed my life as a blogger since I first came across it a year ago. Not only that, but the guys at RoamFree Ninja are fun, responsive, innovative and going places. And they are full of that energy I mentioned above, some of my favourite people to catch up with when I am in the big city.
So what is this fabulous piece of kit, and how does it work?
The concept is simple, as is its use. Tourists and businessmen visiting Croatia need to be online. Roaming charges can be expensive, finding free WiFi is not always easy and convenient. What if there was a simple solution, where you had your own personal hotspot with excellent coverage all over the country, with a generous 75 GB a week, accessed at speeds of 21.5 MBS?
And not only that, but this little hotspot could connect up to ten devices at any given moment, so when you are blissfully cruising down the Adriatic posting photos to Instagram, the kids could be watching a movie. Total flexibility for all the family. Long drive on the motorway? One happy family connected to their various addictions. Need to catch up with work on the ferry or train, or just want to post a video of your latest amazing Croatian experience? Instant access. And for tour groups travelling around Croatia, is there a better value for money practical and convenient alternative with ten of you sharing the cost?
I first met the Ninja boys about 18 months ago, soon after they started. What impressed me about them was not only the quality of the product (which I can personally vouch for, and it has given me SO much additional flexibility), but also their responsiveness and customer service. I remember being impressed by the average email response time of 2 minutes 32 seconds, for example. As they get more established, so the network gets more sophisticated. Previously, they used to post the device and a pre-paid envelope to the address of your choice – hotel, yacht marina, private accommodation, but these days there is a courier service, as well as an international delivery option (RoamFree Ninja currently works only in Croatia, but some clients want to be connected the moment they land). At the end of the period of rental, simply put in the pre-paid envelope and ask your concierge to post. Couldn’t be simpler.
Not having see the Ninja boys for a while, I contacted sales manager Ana for an update on their plans for 2017.
RoamFree Ninja is, as with any other true Ninja, a work in progress. We have come a long way since we started, but it wasn’t an easy road. We made some mistakes, but we learned from them. The most important thing is we never stopped believing in our product. We truly think it’s great, useful and valuable in these technology times when, like it or not, we all have to be connected all the time. That’s why RoamFree Ninja is a problem solver. No stress, no hassle, just you and your pocket WiFi walking around Croatia and enjoying your vacation.
Our plans for 2017 are, of course, big. We plan to expand to the whole of Europe. We want our customers to enjoy Europe with our Ninja in their pocket. And we are very close to making that happen. But our focus is still on Croatia. We are a Croatian startup and we believe Croatia has so much potential regarding tourism. We want to help and do our part in promoting Croatia worldwide. We have boosted our marketing section, we have improved content-wise and we are showing the beauties of Croatia to everyone. Not to brag, but you can see it on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Zagreb tech scene is flourishing. There are many cool people doing cool stuff, innovative and creative. We think that’s great. But we also think there is room for improvement as far as financing goes. We think the real struggle is there, it’s hard to get money for funding your startup and that’s why a lot of people do their startups in their free time, because they need a “real” job to finance their startup. But with the help of EU funds and various startup investors, that too is changing. We are positive and optimistic. We think Zagreb can be a true force in a startup universe, especially if we in that scene join together and help each other grow.
To learn more about RoamFree Ninja, visit their official website.
