< 11 - 13 May 2026 in Maribor, Slovenia >

Where bold founders meet investors, partners & customers

The leading startup & tech event in the Alps-Adriatic region.

Why Podim works - for everyone

Podim brings together investors, corporates, founders, buyers, and industry leaders. In two days, you get curated meetings, real opportunities, and high-impact visibility.

1.

Dealflow that matters

150 handpicked startups, 50 VC funds, 70 international speakers, and 400+ investors, corporates, and ecosystem leaders — all in one place, where meaningful deals begin.

2.

Meetings that deliver

4.9 ★ World’s top-rated meeting organizer (rated by Brella users) + 1,300+ pre-scheduled meetings in 2025.

3.

Visibility that elevates you

Pitching, speaking, demos, media exposure, Startup Catalogue & more.

4.

Opportunities that convert

Investments, pilot projects, new customers & strategic partnerships.

5.

Insights from top builders

Unicorns, soonicorns & scaleups sharing unfiltered, practical lessons.

6.

A community that lasts

A year-round network of founders, investors & corporates creating new opportunities long after the conference ends.

Why is everyone at Podim?

1,300+
one-on-one meetings in two days

400+
investors & corporate representatives

150+
top handpicked startups

50+
international speakers on 2 stages

Startups

Be seen by investors and attendees. Submit a strong application and secure your spot in the official Startup Catalogue.

With 1,300+ meetings last year, Podim gives you direct access to investors, mentors, and C-level executives ready to accelerate your growth.

Showcase your startup in the Podim Pitching Competition and get in front of partners, investors, and media from across the CEE region.

Show your product live, generate leads, and start real conversations. Marketplace slots are limited — secure yours early.

Connect with founders, investors, and innovators at exclusive networking events and throughout the Podim venue.

150 startups selected

Investors

Meet 150+ high-potential Alps-Adriatic startups — all screened and ready for investor conversations.

Download the catalogue

Book unlimited curated 1:1 meetings and talk directly to founders and investors who match your thesis.

Connect with leading VC funds who are actively open to sharing deal flow and co-investing.

Show up where top investors gather. Being at Podim signals credibility, visibility, and that you’re part of the deals shaping the region.

Discover dealflow, co-investments, and curated meetings.

BizDev Builders - Executives

Meet curated startups and scaleups ready for pilots, PoCs, integrations, and long-term partnerships — not theory, but real solutions.

Gain unfiltered perspectives from founders, investors, and operators building what your industry will need next.

Position your company as a forward-thinking innovator. Being at Podim signals credibility, openness to collaboration, and industry leadership.

Connect with emerging tech talent, scaleup leaders, and ecosystem experts — all in one place.

Future & Ecosystem builders

Meet policy-makers, ecosystem builders, corporates, scale-ups, and investors in one space — building the connections that shape tomorrow’s innovation landscape.

Hear from founders, tech leaders and regional changemakers. Stay ahead of industry shifts, research developments and startup-driven market disruption.

Position yourself and your organisation at the heart of the startup-tech ecosystem. Being at Podim signals initiative, boosts your profile, and puts you on the radar of innovators and decision-makers.

From student to researcher to executive — engage in real collaborations, pilot projects or knowledge-exchange that lead to practical outcomes, not just sessions.

Podim 2026: Key dates

4 DEC – 15 MAR 2026: Startup applications

15 MAR 2026: Program release

31 MAR 2026: Final startup selection announcement

24 APR 2026: Startup & Scaleup Catalogue launch

6 MAY 2026: Demo Day

11-13 MAY 2026: Podim live

Their presence proves one thing:
Podim delivers real opportunities.

Ready for Podim 2026?

Be part of the region’s most impactful startup gathering.

Hot right now

Relive Podim 2025

See the highlights, energy, and moments that defined the 2025 edition.
Hit play.

FAQ

Podim is a startup and tech conference with a limited number of attendees, which aids in providing the maximum quality of matchmaking and networking for our participants. Therefore, it is just the right size to offer you easy access to personally meet top-notch speakers and get valuable time with other attendees.

The event features 2 days of stage programs in addition to the Podim Deal room for one-on-one meetings and mentoring sessions, as well as various informal networking events, like the legendary Podim Party on Tuesday night.

It has a 40-year-old tradition of bringing together and connecting renowned international investors, established corporations, and startups & scaleups from the Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans regions.

Find out more about us here.

The event will take place from 11 to 13 May 2026 in Maribor, Slovenia. There are two locations for Podim: Maribox (Kinobox) and Narodni dom Maribor for scheduled meetings. 

* Monday, 11 May is the pre-conference day, which kicks off in the afternoon, so no need to be in Maribor on Sunday (unless you want to check out the city 😉).

Purchase your ticket through our official store. If you are buying a Startup or Student & Researcher ticket, we will ask you to register first. Our team will review your application and grant you access to purchase your ticket(s) once that process is complete.

Investor, Business Executive and Attendee tickets are available for everyone to purchase. 

All startups must first apply and fill out the registration form here. Once you’ve submitted it, it will go into the review process and you will be notified whether you’re the chosen one for our startup batch or not. We go through each application by hand, so we usually get to you two to three weeks after the applications close.

If you’re in, all the information on how to purchase your ticket will be given to you via e-mail – remember, each team member needs their own ticket to attend. You’re almost set! A week before the conference, you’ll be onboarded to our Deal Room to start scheduling meetings.

The registration counter at Maribox is open on Monday (3PM – 8PM) and Tuesday (7:30AM – 9AM). Don’t wait until the last minute as the queue might build up. Just have your email or paper with the ticket’s QR code ready and you’ll be good to go. 🙂

Yes, Podim has Media tickets intended only for journalists and editorial members of the press. You just need to fill in our Media Accreditation Application here. We’ll thoroughly evaluate it and then get back to you with instructions on how to collect it. 

Be the first to talk to founders and gather valuable material you can share with your audience! Our team is happy to connect you to these inspiring individuals and to book your interviews.

Yes, that is possible by sending our team an email to [email protected] with the following subject: TICKET TRANSFER. Passing on the tickets that require special validation (Startups and Students & Researchers) requires our written approval.

Include the following information: previous ticket holder’s name, new ticket holder’s name, new ticket holder’s company information and e-mail address. 

An important thing to note is that this is only possible up to 10 working days prior to the start of the conference.

In case of cancellation via e-mail (up to 10 working days), 145 EUR (including VAT) per ticket will be retained by the Organizer as a cancellation administration fee. 

If you cancel after the defined deadline for any reason or in case that cancellation was not done in writing, full ticket fee will be charged.

Top scaleup stories from the region

Meet them live on the Builders Stage by Silicon Gardens

Battle-tested founders and operators sharing unfiltered insights
on scaling and building startups (with no-BS). Two tracks: B2C & B2B

Who spoke at Podim 2025?

Learn from the best
Busuu, UK
Bernhard Niesner
Co-founder of Busuu, the world’s largest online language-learning platform, acquired for €385M after surpassing 100M users.
HubSpot, France
Nabila Moumen
AI & growth expert, helping businesses scale through marketing, sales, and customer retention strategies at HubSpot.
European Investment Fund, Luxembourg
Daniel Beck
VC Fund-of-Fund Investor at European Investment Fund (EIF)
European Investment Fund, Luxembourg
Uli Grabenwarter
Director of Equity Investments at EIF, overseeing VC, impact investing, and PE funds across Europe.
Portia AI, UK
Emma Burrows
Co-Founder of Portia AI, former CTO of Stripe UK and ex-Google engineer, recognized by Sifted as one of 15 AI founders to watch.
EIT, Switzerland
Stefan Dobrev
Chair of EIT Governing Board. Extensive experience at the intersection of strategy and technology.
Infineon Technologies Austria, Austria
Sabine Herlitschka
Infineon Technologies AG the largest microelectronics development unit in Austria, part of Global Group which is present in more than 60 countries.
Bible Chat, Romania
Marius Iordache
Co-founder & CTO of Bible Chat, an AI-powered Christian app that cracked the global Top 15 most popular iOS apps.
LAM'ON, Bulgaria
Angela Ivanova
Co-founder & CEO of LAM'ON, EIC Company. Forbes 30 Under 30.
KWF, ex Philips, Austria
Roland Waldner
More than 30 years of experience inside of leading innovation positions inside of Philips. Now Managing Director Carinthian Economic Promotion Fund.
CMS, China
Jonathan Chu
Legal expert specializing in IP, fintech, and blockchain, advising global companies on regulatory compliance in China & Hong Kong.
GSV Ventures, USA
Jennifer Lee
Partner at GSV Ventures, former Chief Growth Officer at Photomath, acquired by Google, and expert in edtech investing.
Unilever, Netherlands
PJ Mistry
Unilever Foundry Strategy & Ecosystem Builder, leading innovation strategies and partnerships in sustainable development.
ROYBI, USA
Elnaz Sarraf
Founder & CEO of ROYBI®, the award-winning AI-powered learning robot revolutionizing early childhood education worldwide.
Merlin Hat, ex. Bugatti Rimac, Croatia
Snježana Miliša
Ex-Rimac Automobili, where she led the €150M Rimac Nevera program, the world’s first globally homologated electric hypercar.

Which investors were at Podim 2025?

Special thanks to all our partners!