Fundraising realities across borders: What Albanian founders taught us about resilience and growth

Last week, ALBAN Global participated in a standout monthly meetup hosted by Albanians in IT (AiT)—an independent network of senior Albanian professionals working in tech, product, and startups across the UK, Germany, and beyond.

We joined the session to connect with forward-thinking founders, support diaspora-driven innovation, and contribute to a growing conversation about how Albanian talent is shaping the future of tech across borders.

The April Virtual Meetup focused on a topic close to every founder’s heart: fundraising. Two startup leaders—one based in the UK, one in Albania—shared their experiences raising capital and building products with real-world impact. What emerged were valuable insights into how two very different ecosystems shape the entrepreneurial journey.

Purpose-driven fintech: Building dignity into flexibility

Rita Kastrati, founder of Pioneering People, presented a UK-based platform committed to fair, flexible work. Her mission: connect verified workers to short-term jobs that pay above the living standard—no compromise on dignity.

Following a recent iteration , her startup experienced 300% month on month revenue growth and is now building an instant earnings access feature—ensuring faster, fairer financial flows for those doing honest work.

Rita’s story stood out not just for its traction, but for its heart. Her approach to fundraising emphasized authenticity over polish. From early-stage inbound leads via LinkedIn which amounted to about £100,000 out of her £250,000 of pre-seed round and 1000% user growth, she highlighted what really connects with investors: clarity of mission, emotional intelligence, and trust.

With 14 investors now on the cap table and a potential seed round on the horizon, she reminded us: "Trust-building doesn’t end when the money arrives—it begins there." 

Her investors range from giants in retail to ex-Amazon, Target and SAP. She also proudly boasts that almost half of her cap table is female - there is a huge investor inequality gap, but being a female leader, she was determined to have them onboard. 

Local insight, global vision: Transforming everyday life in Albania

Arber Kadia, co-founder of Patoko, brought the focus home to Albania. From transportation to daily services, his team is designing a platform that simplifies life through local relevance.

The results are already tangible:

• Over 25,000 successful referrals, 90% of all rides in 2025 have been offered Toko rides to spur aggressive growth

• A 25% increase in usage following chat function for all merchant bookings

• Consistent growth based on real-time user feedback

• Patoko has more than 800 taxis registered, 100+ merchants and has experienced an organic compound growth of 15% MOM on average since year one of launch.

Backed by a strong roadmap, Patoko aims for a projected $30M GMV by 2030, tapping into the global mobility market, expected to reach $1 trillion.

To support that scale, the team is raising $100K for tech and marketing expansion.

Two ecosystems - One shared drive

Different Ecosystems Build Different Strengths. While the UK offers structure, Albania builds resilience — and founders navigating both environments are uniquely positioned to thrive. The contrast isn’t a critique, but a powerful lens for understanding how different ecosystems shape entrepreneurial journeys.

The UK: 

• Access to mature investor ecosystems and structured pathways (pre-seed, seed, Series A).

• Clear legal frameworks and smoother administrative processes.

• Strategic use of platforms like LinkedIn helped founders raise early rounds quickly and transparently.

Albania:

• Founders often navigate a less standardized landscape, handling legal, product, and fundraising in-house.

• Administrative processes can delay momentum, as Arber noted during the meetup: a postal number required for business verification took three months to obtain.

• Despite challenges, Albania fosters strong adaptability and independence, essential traits for any founder.

For those navigating both landscapes, the message is clear: Structure can accelerate success, but resilience sustains it. And the best founders learn to draw power from both.

Regional Collaboration & Cultural Alignment

Both Rita and Arber pointed to the Balkans as a strategic focus moving forward, not just for proximity and access, but for cultural resonance. Their shared emphasis on user feedback, trust-building, and mission alignment reflects a founder mindset that is as global in ambition as it is local in understanding.

Looking ahead: A community-driven ecosystem

The AiT (UK) team also announced the next steps in building community:

• May 5 – Virtual Coffee Break

• May 17 – In-Person Meetup at UCL, London

These moments are more than networking events — they’re how connections form, knowledge flows, and collaborations take root.

Closing note

At ALBAN Global, we’re proud to support communities like Albanians in IT—where experienced professionals come together to share ideas, open doors, and shape the future of tech across borders.

AiT is open to senior professionals of Albanian origin with at least five years of experience in tech, product, or startups. If that sounds like you—or someone you know—take a look at how to get involved:-> albaniansinit.com/how-to-join

We’re excited to keep building with this growing network—one story, one founder, and one connection at a time.