In the CEE region you can find more than 10 unicorns with a combined value of more than €30 billion. On the other hand, investments from outside Europe into the CEE region have doubled since 2015. The CEE region has made great progress in the last decade but there is still a lot to be done for CEE countries to keep up with Western countries. Do you agree?
We will discuss some key challenges in the frame of the CEE Innovation Track! Join the discussion about:
- How to boost the startup ecosystem in the CEE region?
- How can we inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs?
- Where are the opportunities for improvement or strengths that CEE should build on?
- What best practices should we accelerate?
- And what is the CEE region in the eyes of investors inside and outside the region?
We need you – help us discover the next steps
We will be looking for answers in the panels and fireside chats that will take place at one of the world’s best networking conferences for startups, investors and corporations in Europe- Wolves Summit which joined forces with Podim DX. We are happy to co-create the program of this year’s Wolves Summit as we strongly believe in the power of partnership.
Join us at CEE Innovation Track reflecting the CEE ecosystem and its vision. Cristobal Alonso from Startup Wise Guys will open the discussion with his 360-degree view of the CEE region, followed by representatives of corporate and private venture capital funds, policy makers and startup founders.
Let’s build a European ecosystem of the future together!
CEE Innovation Track will take part on 21st of October from 10:20 CET to 12:30 CET in the frame of Wolves Summit.
Join us on CEE Innovation Track for free on Podim DX platform.
If you want to attend the whole Wolves Summit event, you can Get 20% off the ticket price using our promo code PODIM20. Click here.
Check out the program and the speakers.
10:20 – 10:40 CET | Fireside Chat: Inside and Outside View on the CEE Startup Ecosystem
Short description: The CEE startup ecosystem from the perspective of an active investor with a portfolio inside and outside the CEE region. Where are the opportunities for improvement or strengths that CEE should build on?
Guest:
- Cristobal Alonso, CEO at Startup Wise Guys, Latvia. An experienced serial entrepreneur (3 times CEO), serial early-stage investor (more than 180 investments), and global executive (leading teams and projects of up to 500 people).
Moderator: Urban Lapajne, Startup Slovenija & PODIM, Slovenia. Startup enthusiast that has been actively involved in the startup scene for 15 years as a project manager at Start:up Slovenia at Venture Factory and a program manager at PODIM DX Conference, the coolest startup event in the Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans Regions.
10:40 – 11:20 CET | Panel: How Can We Fuel the Growth of the Startup Ecosystem in CEE?
Short description: Ecosystem builders and founders will share actionable insights, lessons learned and best practices on how to boost the startup ecosystem in the CEE region. The panelists and founders represent the most active startup ecosystems builders in the CEED region.
Guests:
- Beáta Vörösová, Director of Startup Department at CzechInvest, Czech Republic. CzechInvest is a state contributory organisation subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic with the aim to contribute to startup’s business development with focus on global expansion.
- Sergiu Popa, Executive Director at Spherik Accelerator, Romania. Entrepreneur at heart with a background in finance and banking. Worked in large corporations, such as Vodafone, then took the leap into the tech world (Director of Operations for the startup in the FinTech space).
- Julien Coustaury, Founding Partner at Fil Rouge Capital, Croatia. One of the most active angel investors in the SEE region (invested in more than 40 early stage ventures) with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and services, much of it at CEO level.
- Julia Hoxha, Co-Founder of Zana, Germany. A former postdoctoral research scientist, author of numerous scientific publications on the intersection of machine learning and semantic technologies, co-founder and CTO of the software development company ShqiperiaCom.
Moderator: Irina Obushtarova, Co-Founder & CEO at The Recursive, Bulgaria. She is a strategic business mind and an experienced networker, started her career in the media sector, later switched to the IT sector as a digital marketing professional for various software solutions in digitalisation and analytics.
11:20 – 11:40 CET |Fireside: How Can We Reframe Key Industry Challenges and Start Addressing Problems That Matter to Drive Future Economic Growth?
Short description: The key drivers of economic growth have changed drastically in recent years. Profit and growth at any cost have become almost secondary. Drivers that consider the long-term well-being of our planet and humanity have become increasingly important. Fireside guests will share their observations on how corporations and the startup ecosystem are adjusting and adapting to the new “economic value” system.
Guests:
- Mateja Lavrič; Managing Director at Kolektor Ventures, Slovenia. Kolektor Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund, investing in startups that work with exponential technologies and are developing solutions for the industrial environment. Also a member of Kolektor Digital’s core team.
- Blaž Golob, Country Manager at Heliot Europe in Slovenia. An expert in foresight, governance, EU relations, digital economy and law. Prior to Heliot, he was CEO at GFS Institute, European Blockchain hub, Center for eGovernance Development for South East Europe and startup SmartIsCity Ltd.
Moderator: Urban Lapajne, Startup Slovenija & PODIM, Slovenia. Startup enthusiast that has been actively involved in the startup scene for 15 years as a project manager at Start:up Slovenia at Venture Factory and as a program manager at PODIM Conference, the coolest startup event in the Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans Regions.
11:40 – 12:30 CET | Panel 2: How Can We Inspire Current and Future Generations of Corporate Innovators, Leaders, and Policy Makers?
Short description: Inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs is a complex challenge that requires multi-level and coordinated effort from all stakeholders of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In the panel we will confront ideas from policy makers, VC fund manager & serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder and startup coach.
Guests:
- Nina Urbanič, Slovene Enterprise Fund, Slovenia. Nina is an adviser for equity investment monitoring and reporting at the Slovene Enterprise Fund. Prior to this she was an equity trader and financial analyst, as well as a stock broker.
- Markus Raunig, Executive Chairman at Startup Austria (Austria’s leading non-profit platform & think tank for innovative entrepreneurship). Before taking over at AustrianStartups, he founded his own startup sponsor.bar, organized Europe’s largest student startup conference Entrepreneurship Avenue and worked closely with several successful international startups during the Pioneers Challenge.
- Gregor Rebolj, Silicon Gardens Fund, Slovenia. Gregor is the founder at Klika, Silicon Gardens Fund I and II and Kyuriosity Inc. and a serial entrepreneur and investor with excellent technical, analytical and communication skills demonstrated by 20 years of experience.
- Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž, Managing Partner at SCV Ventures, Croatia. An early stage VC fund is primarily active in the Balkans, with extensive experience in the fields of finance, organization and fundraising for startups. She has been a venture capital investor since 2007 and has been actively involved in over 40 investments.
- Marija Dimitrijević, Head of Global Sales & Marketing at Dwelt Software, BiH. A startup that developed Platform X – software that aims to support modern players in the energy sector. Winner of Podim Pitching Competition 2021.
Moderator: Urban Lapajne, Startup Slovenija & PODIM, Slovenia. Startup enthusiast that has been actively involved in the startup scene for 15 years as a project manager at Start:up Slovenia at Venture Factory and a program manager at PODIM Conference, the coolest startup event in the Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans Regions.
You’ll get the link to the stream a few days before the event.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on how to boost the startup ecosystem in the CEE region.
