This year we attended the Podim conference in Maribor, Slovenia! Podim is one of Europe’s Best Tech & Startup Events, connecting ambitious startups from the CEE region with highly motivated global and regional investors, corporations, and other established businesses that are looking to make deals with startups. Their main focus is on deep-tech startups, typically in the software or connected hardware spaces, and we are honored to be part of the 150 hand-picked startups that got to attend Podim.
From May 17 to May 18, we got the opportunity to connect with the most influential startup and tech entrepreneurs in the CEE region. This was a great place to talk, learn about innovation, meet like-minded people, and grow new business opportunities, capital, and knowledge.
Our favorite speakers were Joc Pečečnik, Paulina Sygulska Tenner, Zoltan A. Vardy, Hajdi Cenan, Petra Mo, Stoyan Yankov, and Tina Ruseva. They flooded our minds with input on purposeful driven ventures, how to create a company culture, and how to be the best version of yourself as a founder (no joke, Paulina engages in burlesque dance and talked about how being a stripper taught her to be a better leader, so cool!). We are immensely grateful that we got to experience this with many mutual friends and start-up founders who are also from our hometown in Graz, Austria.
The conference featured big talks that you could listen to, a deal room where you had the chance to get personal with a business leader of your choice and ask them 1:1 questions, several insightful workshops, and most importantly, lots of cool spaces in-between to meet people and exchange ideas and experiences.
What makes Podim special is that it brings forward the European start-up ecosystem, specifically Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans regions. One might think nothing much is happening here, but we are actually benefiting from one of the best funding systems in the world, while also having opportunities to try out different markets that are close in location.
We’re also proud to announce that we are on Podim’s digital catalogue for start-ups! Here’s a screenshot from their website.
Podim was such a great space to learn and network, and those two days will forever be special to us Luminousred founders. We can’t wait for future events and conferences that we hope to attend soon!