BetrSign was proud to provide the business case for the international student case competition held as part of the 45th International Conference on the Development of Organizational Sciences , organized by the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Maribor, in Portorož from 18 to 20 March 2026.
The conference brought together academic and professional perspectives through research presentations, thematic sessions, and side events, with the student competition adding a practical, real-world business challenge to the program.
For the competition, students were asked to develop a one-year go-to-market strategy for SMEs for a SaaS business, with clearly defined KPIs, a budget of up to €150,000, and a target of €12,500 in monthly recurring revenue. We were especially interested in ideas that combined creativity with measurable business impact.
The teams and the standout solutions
Five international teams took part in the competition. The top three places were awarded as follows:
1st place: Pro Bono, Corvinus University of Budapest
2nd place: Amethyst Consulting, University of Belgrade
3rd place: SPARK, University of Novi Sad
What made the top solutions stand out was their focus on execution, not just ideas. Among the strongest proposals were localized market entry strategies, sharper audience segmentation, partner-led distribution, simplified onboarding, and stronger product-led thinking to help SME users reach value faster.
The winning solution identified Croatia as a promising entry market and highlighted accounting, legal, HR, and consulting businesses as particularly strong-fit segments due to their high document volume and the inefficiencies that still shape many of their day-to-day workflows. What made the proposal especially compelling was the way it linked market prioritization with clear operational pain points, showing where BetrSign could deliver immediate, tangible value for SME users. Intrigued? Feel free to read the entire case.
The runner-up approached the challenge from a different but equally relevant angle, focusing on accountants and other trusted intermediaries as a practical route into the SME market. Its strategy combined vertical-first messaging, partner-powered distribution, and a stronger value-first user journey, all designed to help smaller businesses build trust faster, understand the product sooner, and move more confidently toward adoption. You can read the entire case here.
Why collaborations like this matter
At BetrSign, we're glad we've been able to contribute a real business challenge that gave students the opportunity to work on practical growth and GTM questions from the SaaS world. Collaborations like this create valuable connections between the academic and business worlds, and they're also a reminder that some of the most thoughtful, fresh, and applicable ideas can come from the younger generations.
After seeing the intriguing young mindsets in action, and the ambition behind the solutions, one thing feels clear: the future seems to be in good hands.
