Renowned for its picturesque beaches and dramatic landscapes, Croatia is also home to a burgeoning tech scene.

Great ideas can emerge from the most unlikely locations. With a population of just over 6,000, Vodnjan is a small town in the scenic seaside region of Istra, Croatia. With winding cobblestone streets and sun-washed stone buildings, the unassuming town isn't the first place you'd associate with fast-growing startups -but it's the birthplace of Infobip, Croatia's first technology unicorn.

Established in 2006, Infobip offers a variety of cloud communications services to enterprises and telecoms providers all over the world. Led by co-founders Silvio Kutic, Roberto Kutic and Izabel Jelenic, the company has around 3,500 employees in more than 70 offices worldwide.

Cloud

• ?What is digital transformation? Everything you need to know
• The best cloud providers compared: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and more
• The top 6 cheap web hosting services: Find an affordable option
• What is cloud computing? Here's everything you need to know

Despite its impressive global reach, Infobip's main offices remain in tiny Vodnjan, where Kutic's family has lived for more than 500 years.

SEE: Cybersecurity: Why this beautiful city of spires could be the next tech innovation hub

The concept that led to Infobip emerged in 2001. The initial idea was to create something that would serve as a virtual community for Vodnjan's residents, and a platform to allow local authorities to communicate with citizens. "It was something like a CMS system, a virtual space where residents could subscribe to and get their info through the website, mail, SMS, and so on," Kutic tells ZDNet.

Five years later, Kutic took these initial ideas forward and founded Infobip with an initial investment of