The expansion will be led by co-founder and managing partner Etien Yovchev across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh throughout 2026.A platform for tech ecosystem players, The Recursive has expanded into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The platform operates across three interconnected lines of business – providing support on media and journalism, market entries and in-person events for founders, investors and technology companies operating across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Germany, Austria, Switzerland (DACH) and the GCC.
Its editorial arm covers the founders, investment activity and trends shaping technology ecosystems; The Recursive Studio, its consultancy business, supports companies with market entry, communications and go-to-market strategy; and The Recursive Events, its events division, convenes founders, investors and business leaders through community-focused gatherings.
“We started The Recursive in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It feels natural that we take the next most ambitious step in our evolution in the middle of today’s geopolitical challenges. We are in a unique position to bring these regions with complementary strengths closer together, and it’s our responsibility to act now with conviction rather than wait for more certain times,” said Etien Yovchev, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Recursive.
“Cross-border deals do not happen between strangers. They happen between people who already understand each other’s context. The CEE, DACH, and GCC ecosystems are increasingly each other’s customers, capital sources, and partners — but they still do not understand each other well enough. The Recursive Media’s role is to produce the needed context — and then turn it into commercial outcomes through Studio and Events,” said Teodor Antonio Georgiev, CEO of The Recursive.
The expansion will be led by co-founder and managing partner Etien Yovchev across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh throughout 2026, with support from UAE-based ecosystem builder Slavena Tisheva, who has joined as GCC market advisor.
The move builds on The Recursive’s previous work with organisations and events including GITEX Global, Endeavor, AI Everything Abu Dhabi, Saudi Makes Future and Doers Summit Dubai.
In 2026, activities will begin with original reporting from the local market, followed by The Recursive’s first regional market reports and on-the-ground events.
