Original Slovenian article by Maja Virant. Published in Podjetna Slovenija, April 2025, pages 40–42.
Why is the partnership between Podim and Silicon Gardens a game changer for startups across the Adria region?
How many top international investors do they aim to bring to Podim in the next two years?
And how will this collaboration attract more startups, scaleups, and even blue-chip companies?
This year marks a turning point for Slovenia’s flagship startup festival, Podim, as it embarks on a new chapter in its development. For the first time, Podim is joining forces with Silicon Gardens, a venture capital fund that supports promising early-stage startups across the Adria region.
Their goal? To bring 50% more high-quality startups from the region to Podim in Maribor.
We asked the two key figures behind this strategic partnership—Matej Rus, director of the entrepreneurial incubator Venture Factory, and Gregor Rebolj, founder of Silicon Gardens—what this means for the regional startup ecosystem.
As one of the most established startup and tech conferences in Central and Eastern Europe, Podim has long served as a vital platform connecting startups, investors, and corporations. With 44 editions under its belt by 2024, it offers startups access to a global investor network and established companies, playing a key role in driving innovation and entrepreneurship. This year’s conference will take place from May 12–14.
Why the Podim x Silicon Gardens partnership?
This might seem like an unexpected match, but it makes perfect sense. Both are leading players in the startup space with a strong vision for the future.
Silicon Gardens has been an active supporter of the regional ecosystem for years. “We’ve recognized Podim as the most important startup conference in this part of Europe,” says Gregor Rebolj. “Until now, we’ve been involved as supporters, investors, and mentors. Now, we’re ready to take a bigger step, as co-organizers, to elevate the conference even further. Together, we can more effectively connect regional startups with top-tier international venture capital funds and increase the visibility of the entire regional ecosystem.”
This partnership was a natural evolution, built on a shared vision. “We all genuinely believe in the immense potential of this region. And Podim will become the platform to present that potential to the rest of the world,” adds Rebolj.
Venture capital funds are increasingly investing in startups, shifting the market in favor of private capital. This creates fertile ground for a strong startup ecosystem, where success breeds more success, explains Rus.
What’s changing?
The partnership with Silicon Gardens brings fresh energy to Podim. Matej Rus believes it will significantly enhance the conference’s impact on the regional startup ecosystem.
“With this collaboration, we’re following the example of highly successful conferences like Slush and Web Summit. These events thrive because they’re built on the strength of the entire ecosystem, and they deliver outstanding results—attracting top international investors and companies, and serving as powerful platforms to promote the startup landscape globally.”
“By joining forces, we’re following the path of the world’s most successful conferences like Slush and Web Summit.” — Matej Rus
“Together, we can connect regional startups with elite VC funds more efficiently and raise the profile of our entire ecosystem.” — Gregor Rebolj
Ambitious and measurable goals
The partnership has set bold, clear objectives to maximize its impact. According to Rus, they aim to:
- Increase the number of participating investors by at least 50% over the next two years, including attracting 20 top-tier international investors with strong reputations.
- Grow the number of high-quality startup applications from the region by at least 50%.
- Attract 20 regional scaleups seeking their next funding rounds and of interest to leading global VCs.
- Strengthen the presence of decision-makers from established regional blue-chip companies to encourage stronger collaboration between corporates and startups.
In short, this “startup union” is all about forging stronger links between startups, investors, and scaleups—accelerating growth and unlocking new investment opportunities.
Rebolj adds, “Our goal isn’t just to improve Podim as an event. We want to contribute to the broader transformation of the startup ecosystem in Slovenia, the Adria region, and all of Southeast Europe.”
Podim has enormous potential, and Rebolj believes its biggest strength is its ability to serve as a bridge—connecting regional startups with global investors:
“Southeast Europe has incredible talent and impressive startup success stories—like Outfit7, Sportradar, Photomath, Infobip, Rimac, Nordeus, and others. But the region is still underrepresented on the radar of global VC funds. We want to change that.”
Which stars are coming to Maribor?
This year’s Podim will host several standout names from the global startup scene:
🔹 Nenad Milanović, Cake.com
The Serbian bootstrapped unicorn now valued at €2 billion. Cake.com has built a globally recognized productivity platform, scaling to over 7 million users—all without external funding.
🔹 Bernhard Niesner, Busuu
Founder of one of the world’s largest language learning communities. He grew Busuu into a leading edtech platform with 100 million+ users, and successfully sold it to Chegg for €385 million.
🔹 Sabine Herlitschka, Infineon Austria
CEO of Infineon Technologies Austria, a key global player in semiconductors, power electronics, and IoT, with deep ties to the startup ecosystem.
🔹 Roland Waldner, KWF Austria
A seasoned innovation leader, formerly Head of R&D at Philips and spin-off Versuni. He’ll be sharing insights on leading breakthrough innovations while balancing core operations with experimental projects.
🔹 Nabila Moumen, Hubspot
An expert in multichannel marketing, sales strategies, and AI use cases in business, and a key member of Hubspot’s leadership team.
🔹 Marius Iordache, Bible Chat
Founder of Europe’s fastest-growing startup in 2024. Bible Chat is an AI-powered app for exploring and understanding the Bible. It ranked among the top 15 most downloaded iOS apps globally, outperforming even Amazon, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Original Slovenian article by Maja Virant. Published in Podjetna Slovenija, April 2025, pages 40–42.
