91探花

Written by Seb Michaud, Tech investor and Founder of scouting network Builder Circle.

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From her apartment in Kyiv, Yuliaa is developing a wearable biofeedback device helping people suffering from PTSD regulate their nervous system. She does not have a pitch deck. She is not trying to raise a round. But she is building real, original technology, in total obscurity. Yuliaa is part of a new wave of young, deeply technical builders emerging from Central and Eastern Europe.

They are working outside the traditional startup ecosystem, are largely invisible to venture capital, and are quietly solving real problems.听

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The Quiet Potential in CEE听

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CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) has produced a disproportionate share of the world鈥檚 elite engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists, but what鈥檚 underrated isn鈥檛 just the talent pool, it鈥檚 the culture that creates it. In much of the region, competitive programming draws mass participation.

Thousands of students compete in math and informatics Olympiads annually. Many learn to code in childhood, not through expensive bootcamps, but online peer communities. By the time they graduate, they鈥檝e spent a decade building prototypes, in an environment that rewards depth over presentation.

听The rise of accessible AI infrastructure has turned that depth into a compounding advantage.

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Meet 5 Emerging AI Entrepreneurs

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A Voice Cloning and Multimodal AI on Local Devices

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Prince Canuma, a Mozambique-born engineer based in Krakow, is creating tools that let developers build AI applications which run on devices. He has contributed over 1,000 models for Apple Silicon, transforming it into a thriving ecosystem.

His library of tools enables text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and voice cloning capabilities to run entirely on-device. His work has garnered 300,000 downloads, and is being used by tech giants including Hugging Face and Google. In a stunning demonstration of the technology鈥檚 power, Prince can now clone any voice with just 10 seconds of audio, including creating a perfect replica of his own voice.听

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A Virtual Employee That Learns How You Work听

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Two Romanian teenagers Alex Sofonea, 18, and Tudor Nica, 16, are founders of Tecky, a virtual employee that runs locally on your computer and automates your workflows by learning how you work. After meeting at a robotics fair, they won 7 national coding competitions.

They built custom AI foundation models from scratch that can fully control entire computer systems 鈥� taking over mouse, keyboard, and all applications -. Their AI learns by watching employees work, replicates their exact workflows, and runs locally. They won 鈥楤est Emerging Startup鈥� at Romania鈥檚 鈥淚nnovations Lab鈥� competition as the youngest team, and now have major banks and telecommunications companies as pilot clients.

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A Personal Agent That Helps Clarify Your Thoughts

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Ukrainian founder Nika Tkacheva, along with co-founders Miro and Anna, built Nameles_, an AI wellness companion that鈥檚 there when you need mental health support but can鈥檛 access it. A year ago, Nika was in therapy, suffering from insomnia. But she realised she needed support at 2am, 鈥渨hen her mind wouldn鈥檛 stop鈥�.

Gen Z faces a mental health crisis, therapy waitlists stretch 6-12 weeks, and support isn鈥檛 available in the moments people need it most. Today, Nameles_ remembers your journey, helps you process thoughts, and provides clarity when everything feels overwhelming. Built on proven CBT principles, it鈥檚 designed for the gaps between professional care and growing demand.听

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A Legal AI That Gives You Instant Representation

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Brothers Lucian and Calin Popescu are the founders of the Legal AI startup Avocatul Digital. Lucian was in an ATV accident at 17, waking up in hospital paralysed from the neck down, and ended up in a wheelchair. He was not able to get any legal representation or justice. While recovering, he built a platform that uses an agentic AI system to understand users鈥� legal issues through natural conversation and instantly generate a structured report for the lawyer.

It is now the biggest legal community of 23,000+ people in Romania, with no funding. They also started the most signed petition for including FEMICIDE in Romanian law, with 34.000+ signatures and added on their platform free meetings with lawyers for the women that need legal assistance.

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An AI That Guards Your Data 24/7

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Midway through an International Robotics competition in Russia, Razvan Boabes experienced firsthand the fruits of cyberattack. Their systems were hacked, locking the team out and cutting the event short, sparking his determination to focus on cybersecurity. During his Computer Science studies, Razvan worked with world-renowned researchers in quantum-secure encryption, recognizing that without protection, even the most advanced systems are vulnerable. Today, his company, Themida, uses AI for real-time monitoring of sensitive data flows, and detecting potential threats in the network. Today, they鈥檙e collaborating with the UAE Cybersecurity Council as part of the largest government-affiliated cybersecurity program in the Gulf region, working to secure personal data against future attacks.

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The Network Behind The Builders

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These stories aren鈥檛 being discovered randomly. A loosely-organized scouting network called is quietly surfacing them, not through LinkedIn or demo days, but through GitHub, Telegram groups, hackathons, academic competitions, and word-of-mouth.听

Builder Circle is invite-only, focused on spotting and supporting raw technical talent under 25 who are building in isolation.听

For investors looking beyond traditional sourcing channels, the idea of going 鈥渙ff-grid鈥� to find the next generation of innovators is resonating.