From an incubator to a technology cluster

Draugas.lt — one of Europe’s first social networks

In 1999, Marius Pareščius and a business partner founded Draugas.lt — an online dating club that became one of the first projects of its kind not just in Lithuania, but across Europe. The portal grew organically to over 400,000 members worldwide, including Lithuanian emigrant communities in the UK, Ireland and Norway. As of 2018 Gemius data, Draugas.lt was still among Lithuania’s twenty most visited websites.

Sale talks

In 2007, sale talks were held with four Baltic investor groups. The deal fell through — Marius Pareščius kept the portal, and it continued to grow.

Founding

Business Hive Vilnius (BHV) was founded in 2010 and became one of the oldest startup incubators and technology hubs in the Baltics. Alongside it, the association “Užupis Creative Cluster” (UCC) was established — operating in information and communication technologies (ICT), creative industries, cybersecurity and research. The BHV incubator was funded in large part by Draugas.lt’s profits — one of Marius’s first successful internet ventures.

A physical hub and growth

In 2015 the BHV headquarters opened — a modern central building housing a welcoming, highly effective startup ecosystem. The headquarters comprised over 2,000 sqm of office, conference, networking and prototyping space. It incubated startups from Lithuania, CEE and the CIS, hosted a hacker space, events, pitching sessions and mentorship programs.

Lithuanian ICT Cluster

The cluster was renamed from “Užupis Creative Cluster” to “Lithuanian ICT Cluster”, reflecting a broader focus on the information and communication technology sector.

The Covid-19 challenge

2020 brought hard times worldwide — the Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how physical coworking spaces operated. With reduced footfall and changing work habits, maintaining a large physical infrastructure became unsustainable. In 2021, BHV made a difficult but responsible decision — to scale down activities, close the physical hub, and sell the building.

Transformation

Rather than shutting down, BHV transformed. Physical services gave way to a virtual format: remote mentorship, expert consultations, and cluster projects. Startup support continues virtually, with focus shifted to where BHV creates the most value — connecting the technology community and fostering international collaboration.

The EXCITE partnership

The BHV cluster took part in the European Commission-funded project “Exchange of Clusters using Digital Transformation for Excellence” (EXCITE) — alongside Germany’s Silicon Saxony, Poland’s Mazovia Cluster ICT, Bulgaria’s Cluster for Digital Transformation and Innovations, Spain’s GAIA, and France’s Pôle SCS. Over two years, missions took place in Dresden, Warsaw, Sofia and Bilbao, exchanging expertise in digital transformation and cybersecurity.

The cluster survived — and is growing

Most importantly — the BHV cluster not only survived, it grew stronger. On 31 January 2024 it earned the European Cluster Excellence Initiative’s ECEI Bronze Label, confirming the organization operates to European quality standards. Today BHV works as a technology cluster and virtual mentorship network, connecting startups, experts and partners — with a focus on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.

Since 2010, BHV’s mission hasn’t changed — helping technology businesses grow. Only the form has: from bricks and mortar to a living, virtual, international community.