Levi9 is one of the pioneers on the Serbian IT scene, having celebrated its 20th anniversary this April. The story of the inspiration behind the name – comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 – is well known, and the vision to make an impact with technology as powerful as that comet’s impact on Jupiter was the driving force behind opening new offices beyond Novi Sad.
As the company expanded, the first new location on the map was Zrenjanin, functioning as part of the NSZR Delivery Center. This was soon followed by the opening of the Belgrade Delivery Center, which happened exactly nine years ago today. In the “circle of nines”, celebrating the 9th birthday holds a special place.
From One Client to a Three-Digit Headcount
When the Belgrade office was established, it was driven by the need to expand capacity for a media giant from the Netherlands and some exciting projects on the horizon. The company’s strong Employer Branding reputation in the Vojvodina region helped it make a leap toward the capital.
Back in 2016, Angular 2 was launched, bringing a fresh approach through reactive programming—and was, naturally, used in some of the very first Belgrade projects. New clients came in, new challenges arose, and business growth was followed by an increase in the number of engineers.
Moving to a Modern Office in K-District
In the meantime, the COVID-19 pandemic happened and completely changed the way we work. When we moved to our new office space in K-District in 2022, everyone was glad. It wasn’t a regular office but one tailored for a hybrid way of working.
The new office space was designed with flexibility in mind. The workspace is modular, adaptable to team needs, with lounge zones for breaks, kitchens on every floor, as well as meeting rooms and small phone booths. On the 4th floor, there’s an amphitheater, a gym, and a room for activities like yoga or table tennis. On the top floor – the spacious 8th floor – there’s the club area. Employees use it daily for breaks, meals, and socializing. It’s also the place where we hold company update meetings, meetups.
In April 2024, Mirjana Trobok took over leadership of the Belgrade Delivery Center as Jan Dolinaj transitioned to the role of Chief Technology Officer. Over the past nine years, the Belgrade office has become an important part of the Levi9 community, contributing significantly to the company’s growth and success in the region.
Together From the Start: A Personal Stories for the 9th Office Birthday
Interestingly, some of the first employees of the Belgrade office are still part of Levi9 today. This year, seven colleagues will also be celebrating their 9-year work anniversary.
“Our Delivery center has grown a lot – with more people, we moved into a larger office, and the nature and pace of challenges evolved too. But the culture, marked by constructive relationships that I enjoy working in, has remained the same – and that’s exactly what makes all these challenges easier and more enjoyable,” says Sofija Jovanović, Talent Manager.
What moment, event, or phase in your work from the Belgrade office stands out as the most special one?
“There have been many over the years,” Sofija says, “but one that stands out is the day we celebrated hiring the 100th levi niner in the Belgrade Delivery Center. On the one hand, we were proud that the office had grown so much in just two years; on the other, we made sure to mark the occasion in a fun way so that everyone would remember it. We ordered exactly 100 muffins for the party, and for the interactive part, we played a name-to-photo matching game to help people get to know each other faster.”
When asked about his first day at Levi9, Svetozar Pavlović, Test Lead, shared:
“My first day at the Belgrade office – back then a small, cozy place in Vlajkovićeva Street – was on my birthday. I brought a huge stash of cookies with me. When I showed up with bags full of Oreos, people initially thought I was overly excited about starting a new job, but then the birthday wishes started pouring in. And now, 9 years later, we’re still celebrating birthdays and achievements together!”
How has the office evolved over the years – what has changed the most?
“From my perspective,” he continues, “I’m now in the ‘third phase’ of my Levi9 journey, as this is my third office location—each move brought new people, structures, goals, projects, and teams. The industry itself has changed a lot, and so have I, both professionally and personally. I’ve embraced all these changes, continuous learning, and the opportunity to grow. And I’m grateful that, even after all these years, Levi9 still offers me the space to become a better version of myself.”
*
Here’s to many more years of success, collaboration, and making an impact. Happy birthday, Belgraders!
In this article:
