An impressive gathering of founders from the region!
Report
DATANA Wins the Podim Pitching Competition
Maribor, May 13, 2026 – Last night’s final event of the Podim Pitching Competition, traditionally held as part of Podim,
Every year, we crown the networking maestros who excel in the Podim Deal Room. In the previous year, it was the dynamic DDD Invoices startup team that shattered records with a staggering 55 pre-scheduled meetings.
We bet you’re curious as to which investment fund had the most meetings and how many meetings they had. Drumroll, please.. It was the Silicon Gardens team with 64 meetings. Impressive!
And that’s not all – when you factor in the countless informal encounters at our side events, they soared past 100 relevant meetings. Discover how you can make the most out of Podim Deal Room and join the ranks of our networking superstars!
Navigate the Podim ecosystem with ease as you explore startups, scaleups, investors, and business executives. Thanks to our comprehensive information database, you can now pinpoint your ideal connections effortlessly.
Unlock the vault of our past Podim Startups & Scaleups.
An impressive gathering of founders from the region!
Alex Iskold
Techstars, USA
If you are an early-stage investor looking for startups from Eastern Europe, this would be a place to come evaluate companies.
Steve MacDonald
MacDonald Ventures, USA
I must say it’s one of the best organised conferences so far!
Diana Koziarska
SMOK Ventures, Poland
The event where you can meet investors, corporates, other startups and definitely make a lot of meetings for your potential business.
Mateja Miško
Sileo, Slovenia
The highlight for me is just the sheer number of startups and investors. I haven’t seen this kind of concentration of both startups and investors from this region anywhere else.
Kebbie Sebastian
Penser, United Kingdom
Come to Maribor, it’s beautiful. People are friendly, food is good, great wine. You can’t go wrong coming here even if you want to walk in the beautiful park.
Michael Kerschbaumer
SFG, Austria
If you’re an entrepreneur, come talk to investors. If you’re an investor, come talk to entrepreneurs.
Julien Coustaury
Fil Rouge Capital, Croatia
Podim is certainly THE startup event to visit in the region!
Jan Habermann
Credo Ventures, Czech Republic
This is one of the best events there are in terms of making new connections.
Michał Czapracki
Scramjet, Poland
What impressed me the most was the focus on actionable learning and networking. Podim offered a well-curated program designed to maximize our time and provide meaningful insights. The engaging keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive workshops left me inspired and motivated to take my own endeavors to the next level.
Una Sabljaković
Prostruktion, Bosnia & Herzegovina
The conference itself, the speakers, especially the matchmaking in the Deal Room, it’s amazing.
Andreas Gams
EIT Manufacturing, Austria
The startup ecosphere in our region is really good quality, there really are enough investors, there are enough corporates, there is a lot of media involved, there are good startups here and I think this is one of the prime hubs to meet all of these people.
Marin Ćurković
AdScanner, Croatia
Don’t miss out on the entrepreneurial adventure at Podim! Whether you’re a startup hungry for growth, an investor seeking the next big opportunity, or an executive looking to stay at the forefront of innovation, Podim is your gateway to a world of possibilities.
Ready to make your mark?
Maribor, May 13, 2026 – Last night’s final event of the Podim Pitching Competition, traditionally held as part of Podim,
Eight hands-on sessions. Real tools, real frameworks, real opportunities. From humanoid robotics and space tech to defence startups, digital currencies,
Founders. Operators. Builders. Decision-makers. People behind products used by millions – live in Maribor, May 11–13. Not just another conference
Each year, Podim brings together a carefully curated selection of startups that reflect where innovation is heading next. The 2026