Zlatko Hrkać at Business Cafe: From success to success
At the 75th Business Cafe Zagreb, held under the theme “From Success to Success,” Sofascore CEO Zlatko Hrkać shared his story of how a teenage hobby turned into one of the world’s most-used sports platforms.
The Business Cafe series is a long-running regional event that gathers entrepreneurs and professionals eager to exchange real lessons. It’s a place where founders talk about both their achievements and their mistakes, helping others learn from their experience.
“We got hooked on visits, not on money”
Talking about Sofascore’s beginnings, Zlatko recalled the early 2000s with a smile:
“We built a forum where we wrote about all kinds of topics, including sport. We noticed that sport performed better than anything else. I was around 18, and we got hooked on visits, not on money or how much a company was worth.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
That honest confession sums up Sofascore’s roots perfectly: curiosity, passion, and addiction to stats.
He added with a laugh:
“I open Sofascore’s bank account maybe every few months. But Google Analytics? I’ll open it right after I leave here.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
From data to dialogue
Reflecting on what made Sofascore different, he pointed to how the platform built a community around data:
“We built the entire business on data. Players reach out, they comment on their stats or ratings, and if they think something’s wrong, we check, report it to the provider, fix it – no problem.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
It’s a rare glimpse into how Sofascore treats data as a living thing, open to feedback.
>> How AI and Data Are Changing the Way We Understand the Game
“In sport, there’s no single global player”
Zlatko also offered a broader look at Sofascore’s position in the sports world:
“In most industries, there’s one global giant. If you look for accommodation or a location, you usually have one main choice. But in sport, there isn’t one global player controlling the whole market. Whenever someone does market research, they’ll eventually reach Sofascore.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
That point hits home: Sofascore isn’t just part of the sports ecosystem, it’s becoming the reference point.
“Around five million hours are spent inside the platform. We have a loyal fan base that keeps growing, and our only goal is to keep growing with them.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
A business built on passion and patience
Zlatko Hrkać’s talk at Business Cafe reminded everyone that Sofascore’s journey wasn’t driven by short-term hype, but by long-term focus. What began as a teenager’s curiosity about traffic stats evolved into a global sports data platform used by millions every day.
>> Ivan Bešlić at Change Makers 2025: Leadership Lessons from Sofascore
For a room full of entrepreneurs, his story was inspiring: success doesn’t come from chasing trends but from understanding what people truly care about, and staying obsessed with improving it.
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1. dec. 2025Zlatko Hrkać at Business Cafe: From success to success
At the 75th Business Cafe Zagreb, held under the theme “From Success to Success,” Sofascore CEO Zlatko Hrkać shared his story of how a teenage hobby turned into one of the world’s most-used sports platforms.
The Business Cafe series is a long-running regional event that gathers entrepreneurs and professionals eager to exchange real lessons. It’s a place where founders talk about both their achievements and their mistakes, helping others learn from their experience.
“We got hooked on visits, not on money”
Talking about Sofascore’s beginnings, Zlatko recalled the early 2000s with a smile:
“We built a forum where we wrote about all kinds of topics, including sport. We noticed that sport performed better than anything else. I was around 18, and we got hooked on visits, not on money or how much a company was worth.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
That honest confession sums up Sofascore’s roots perfectly: curiosity, passion, and addiction to stats.
He added with a laugh:
“I open Sofascore’s bank account maybe every few months. But Google Analytics? I’ll open it right after I leave here.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
From data to dialogue
Reflecting on what made Sofascore different, he pointed to how the platform built a community around data:
“We built the entire business on data. Players reach out, they comment on their stats or ratings, and if they think something’s wrong, we check, report it to the provider, fix it – no problem.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
It’s a rare glimpse into how Sofascore treats data as a living thing, open to feedback.
>> How AI and Data Are Changing the Way We Understand the Game
“In sport, there’s no single global player”
Zlatko also offered a broader look at Sofascore’s position in the sports world:
“In most industries, there’s one global giant. If you look for accommodation or a location, you usually have one main choice. But in sport, there isn’t one global player controlling the whole market. Whenever someone does market research, they’ll eventually reach Sofascore.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
That point hits home: Sofascore isn’t just part of the sports ecosystem, it’s becoming the reference point.
“Around five million hours are spent inside the platform. We have a loyal fan base that keeps growing, and our only goal is to keep growing with them.”
Zlatko Hrkać, Sofascore’s co-founder and CEO
A business built on passion and patience
Zlatko Hrkać’s talk at Business Cafe reminded everyone that Sofascore’s journey wasn’t driven by short-term hype, but by long-term focus. What began as a teenager’s curiosity about traffic stats evolved into a global sports data platform used by millions every day.
>> Ivan Bešlić at Change Makers 2025: Leadership Lessons from Sofascore
For a room full of entrepreneurs, his story was inspiring: success doesn’t come from chasing trends but from understanding what people truly care about, and staying obsessed with improving it.