Speakers 2026 - Podim

Speakers at Podim 2026

Otranto Limited

John Velissarios

Advisor and board member, ex. Global Director at Accenture, advising central banks and top global organizations on digital markets, CBDCs, and security protocols.

Austrian Startups

"The Pitch Professor," a startup mentor & keynote speaker, helping founders master their pitch and scale their businesses.

Capital Kinetics

Christian Kumar

Founder & CEO of Capital Kinetics, expert in corporate finance, and CEO of Med Tech Makers Lab focused on medical tech innovation.

Partner at QED Investors, backing 250+ European fintech companies, including 31 unicorns, with $4B AUM and $2.4B invested.

Slavomir Hruska

COO & co-founder of Spacebrains, Techstars-backed, built and exited a B2B startup with 200+ clients, raised €3M+, Shark Tank mentor.

Mily Technologies

David Blaževski

Commercial Director at Mily Tech, optimizing last-mile delivery for Europe’s largest parcel operators, mentor at Google for Startups & EBRD.

Magier & Wizard Ventures

Maximilian Fleitmann

Founding Partner at Wizard Ventures, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, raised $5M+, scaled StudyHelp to 7-figure revenue.

Adriatic at Wonderful

General Manager Adriatic at Wonderful, implementing localized AI solutions across Southeast Europe.

Kimeshan Naidoo

Co-Founder of Familiar and Unibuddy, scaled to 3M users and $10M ARR, recognized on Forbes 30 Under 30.

Tilia Impact Ventures

Co-Founder of Tilia Impact Ventures, the Czech Republic’s first impact fund, and co-founder of Impact Hub in Prague, Brno, Ostrava, and Zlín.

Kristiana Kuneva

Chief Business Development Officer at The Recursive & Storytelling Studio, connecting CEE innovators with global tech opportunities through strategy, partnerships, and storytelling.

Founder & CEO of Hypefy, AI influencer marketing platform, 13 markets, €1.75M seed funding, 2024 Podim Pitching Competition winner.

Past speakers at Podim

EIT, Switzerland

Chair of EIT Governing Board. Extensive experience at the intersection of strategy and technology.

Bernhard Niesner

Co-founder of Busuu, the world’s largest online language-learning platform, acquired for €385M after surpassing 100M users.

HubSpot, France

AI & growth expert, helping businesses scale through marketing, sales, and customer retention strategies at HubSpot.

European Investment Fund, Luxembourg

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.

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.

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

Co-founder & CEO of LAM'ON, EIC Company. Forbes 30 Under 30.

KWF, ex Philips, Austria

More than 30 years of experience inside of leading innovation positions inside of Philips. Now Managing Director Carinthian Economic Promotion Fund.

Legal expert specializing in IP, fintech, and blockchain, advising global companies on regulatory compliance in China & Hong Kong.

Unfold.vc, Poland

Magdalena Surowiec

Managing Partner at Unfold.vc, is a seasoned business strategist and VC leader known for scaling ventures, driving exits, and championing diversity in tech and innovation.

Global Brain, UK

Naoki Kamimaeda

Partner & Europe Division Head at Global Brain, investing in AI, fintech, and cybersecurity while driving corporate innovation across Japan & Asia.

Unilever, Netherlands

Unilever Foundry Strategy & Ecosystem Builder, leading innovation strategies and partnerships in sustainable development.

Novakid, Turkey

Co-founder & CEO of Novakid, a global EdTech platform delivering 18M+ English lessons across 50+ countries, backed by $41.5M in funding.

GSV Ventures, USA

Partner at GSV Ventures, former Chief Growth Officer at Photomath, acquired by Google, and expert in edtech investing.

Ex. Infobip, Croatia

Boris Pogačnik

Growth strategist and former VP of Business Operations at Infobip, leading market expansion across Latin America, Africa, and beyond.

Microblink and Photomath, Croatia

Co-founder of two Croatian global success stories: Microblink and Photomath.

Austrian Startups, Austria

"The Pitch Professor," a startup mentor & keynote speaker, helping founders master their pitch and scale their businesses.

Outfit7, Slovenia

Senior VP at Outfit7, driving data-driven gaming innovation behind Talking Tom & Friends, one of the world’s biggest mobile gaming franchises.

Gentler Stories, Slovenia

Co-founder & CTO of Gentler Stories, creator of Gentler Streak, an Apple Award-winning app redefining fitness & well-being.

Nordeus, Serbia

VP of Marketing at Nordeus (acquired by Take-Two Interactive for $378 million), leading performance marketing for award-winning mobile games like Top Eleven.

Bird Buddy, Slovenia

Founder of Bird Buddy, the AI-powered smart bird feeder, which transformed a record-breaking Kickstarter into a $100M+ revenue business.

Sportradar, Slovenia

A digital advertising and media sales leader at Sportradar, shaping the future of data-driven sports technology solutions.

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.

Nordoon, Slovenia

Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Nordoon, leveraging GenAI to automate and optimize complex supply chain operations.

Native Teams, Croatia

Timothei Jukić

Young fintech leader and 30 Under 30 honoree, driving global expansion at Native Teams.

Silicon Gardens, Slovenia

Serial entrepreneur and General Partner at Silicon Gardens

South Central Ventures, Slovenia

Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž

Managing partner with 15+ years of VC experience and 40+ investments. Advisory Board of ESNA.

COO at Rolla, a health & fitness startup revolutionizing corporate wellness technology that has secured the CEE’s largest-ever seed round (€6.3M)

Fil Rouge Capital

Julien Coustaury

Otranto Limited, Monaco

John Velissarios

Advisor and board member, ex. Global Director at Accenture, advising central banks and top global organizations on digital markets, CBDCs, and security protocols.

European Patent Office, Germany

Chief Economist

Founder & CEO of ROYBI®, the award-winning AI-powered learning robot revolutionizing early childhood education worldwide.

Bird Buddy, Slovenia

COO at Bird Buddy, shaping data-driven decision-making and business scalability for a global nature-tech brand.

AGRANA Fruit, Austria

Mariya Konstantinova

Finance and investment leader with extensive experience in FoodTech, sustainability, and corporate venture building.

Beta-i, Portugal

Growth Director at Beta-i, a leader in corporate innovation & international expansion.

All eyes on screens, Germany

Marin Ćurković

CEO & Co-founder of All Eyes on Screens, a leading AI-driven media engagement optimization platform revolutionizing TV and streaming advertising.

Johannes Berger

Co-founder & CEO of Mimo platform, making learning to code accessible with bite-sized lessons and real-world projects with over 25 milion learners.

Microblink, Croatia

Senior AI & Computer Vision Product Manager at Microblink, leading the development of next-gen AI-driven solutions.

The Launch Code, UK

B2B startup mentor, helping tech companies scale their global sales using his 9-step framework, The Launch Code™

Speedinvest, UK

Fintech investor at Speedinvest, brings VC, capital markets and angel experience across the US, Europe, and Asia.

Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla & Nuqleus, Croatia

Project Manager at ICENT & Nucleus, advancing Croatia's deep-tech ecosystem and driving interdisciplinary innovation.

Daytona, Croatia

Co-founder of Codeanywhere, creator of Shift conference, and Co-founder & CEO of Daytona, a platform revolutionizing AI-driven developer tools.

Capital Kinetics, UK

Christian Kumar

Founder & CEO of Capital Kinetics, expert in corporate finance, and CEO of Med Tech Makers Lab focused on medical tech innovation.

Serpentine Ventures, Switzerland

Deep-tech investor and entrepreneur with a track record of scaling ventures, including a successful exit to GSK.

Uhura Solutions, UK

Mladen Markovic

Co-founder of Uhura Solutions, a low-code AI platform automating document analysis for businesses; Techstart company.

Synthesia, Slovenia

Creative Strategy Lead at Synthesia, the leading AI video generation platform, driving creative demand for global brands.

Silicon Gardens, Slovenia

Partner at Silicon Gardens Fund and Board President of the Startup and Scaleup Association at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

CAKE.com, Serbia

Nenad Milanovic

Founder & CEO of CAKE.com, a bootstrapped unicorn from Serbia and US that scaled past $1B valuation without external investment.

Miguel García González

CEO & Co-founder of Sploro, specializing in EU-backed innovation programs and equity-free startup funding.

Vesna VC & Business Angels Slovenia, Slovenia

Managing Partner at Vesna Deeptech Venture Fund, investor, and advocate for early-stage deep-tech startups across Europe.

Good Tech Ventures, UK

Jerneja Lončar

Jerneja Loncar is the founder of Good Tech Ventures, where she supports mission-driven startups with deep expertise in corporate development and global venture networks.

Octopus Ventures, UK

Technology-focused investment banker, co-founder of Mooreland Partners, and senior advisor to several European venture funds.

Founder of Nlaw and co-founder of Riskaway, empowering startups and investors with sharp, scalable legal solutions.

Infineon Technologies, Austria

Andreas Muehlberger

Strategic Partner Manager at Infineon Technologies Austria where he drives startup and university collaborations through the Co-Innovation Program.

CMS Slovenia, Slovenia

Corporate lawyer helping startups and global corporates navigate M&A deals, restructurings, and complex transactions.

all eyes on screens, Croatia

Perica Baškarić

Chief Product Officer at all eyes on screens

PortfoLion Capital Partners, Hungary

Leading Pre-Seed/Seed operation at Portfolion, a EUR 440-million-AUM, CEE-focused Venture Capital and Growth Equity fund.

Bloq.it, Lisbon

Co-founder and CEO of Bloq.it, the fastest-growing smart locker manufacturer for parcel deliveries in Europe.

LUI & EIT, Slovenia

Director of Ljubljana University Incubator and Managing Partner at RUJ VC, driving deeptech growth and global investment visibility from CEE.

Colossyan, Denmark

Ex-Synthesia | Director of RevOps at Colossyan (OR Senior Executive, Director of Revenue Operations)

iScale Group, Spain

General Partner

"Jožef Stefan" Institute & University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Physicist and innovation leader translating large-scale experiments to medical imaging.

World Intellectual Property Organization, Switzerland

Anja von der Ropp

Senior Program Coordinator for Climate Change and Food Security at the World Intellectual Property Organization

Novaspace, Germany

COO and innovation lead at Novaspace, advising global space ventures on strategy, funding, and startup scaling.

Gentler Stories, Slovenia

Katarina Lotrič

CEO of Gentler Stories, creator of award-winning apps recognized by Apple for innovation and social impact.

HeyReach, Serbia

Vukašin Vukosavljević

Scaled two B2B startups from <$15K to $4M and $13.5M ARR—proven growth leader turning early traction into explosive SaaS success.

Pan-Adria Partners, Slovenia

Flycom Technologies, Slovenia

Head of Remote Sensing

Exoscale, Switzerland

A1 - european cloud provider

Exoscale, Switzerland

A1 - european cloud provider

Aleksandra Brdar Turk

Director Banking Operations

Novaspace, Germany

Senior Consultant

Mysteria Colorum, Slovenia

Marta Klajnšek Gunde

Chief Executive Director

Chipolo, Slovenia

Primož Zelenšek

URSIL, Slovenia

Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, Slovenia

Klemen Grošelj

Ministry for Digital Transformation, Slovenia

Acting Director of Digital Society Directorate

Genialis, Slovenia

Miha Štajdohar

CTO and co-founder of Genialis, bringing AI-powered biomarkers into precision oncology to transform cancer care.

Slovene Enterprise Fund, Slovenia

Maja Tomanič Vidovič

Pet Travel Advisor, Serbia

Interactive Venture Partners, Hungary

Managing Partner

Podim & Venture Factory, Slovenia

Program Director

Optics Trade d.o.o

Dr. Teodor Štimec

Chief Visionary Officer

Faculty of Electrical Engineering UL, Slovenia

Mag. Jure Verhovnik

Project Manager

Solvesall d.o.o, Slovenia

Dr. Luka Stopar

SpaceGuardian, Slovenia

South Central Ventures, Slovenia

Managing Partner

Fundraising Bootcamp, UK

Francois Mazoudier

Silicon Gardens, Croatia

Venture Partner Croatia

Slovene Enterprise Fund, Slovenia

Head of Department for special development incentives

Vesna VC, Croatia

Carinthian Venture Fund, Austria

Patrick Platzer

Infobip, Croatia

Stefan Despotović

DevEx Partnerships Senior Specialist

Principal Consultant

Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Slovenia

Matevž Frangež

Silicon Gardens Fund

Fil Rouge Capital

Julien Coustaury

AustrianStartups

Fundraising Bootcamp

Francois Mazoudier

Infineon Technologies

Andreas Muehlberger

ABC Accelerator

EIT Manufacturing

South Central Ventures

University of Ljubljana, University Incubator

Aleksandra Brdar Turk

Dušan Omerčević

World Economic Forum & ex H-Farm

Ronald Filipčić

Productboard / Hiring On Ramp

Silicon Gardens Fund

Ada Guštin Habuš

Managers’ Association of Slovenia

Mladinska knjiga Založba

BE-terna Adriatic

Takeoff Accelerator & Plug and Play Tech Center

Silicon Gardens Fund

Davidson & W Technology Growth Credit

Diana Koziarska

Vitosha Venture Partners

Natalija Stošicki

Slovene Enterprise Fund

WeGrow International

Florent Coudyser

LinkMe Marketing

Global Institute of Leadership and Technology

The Launch Code

Zoltan A. Vardy

Prentice Keller

Jan Koscelansky

Oficina Innovation Hub

South Central Ventures

Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž

The Nevada’s Office of Economic Development

Eridan Communications

Dubravko Babić

Gianluca Dettori

Gina Georgiana Micu

Innovation Centre Nikola Tesla

ICT Hub Venture

Science Park Graz and ESA BIC Austria

Martin Mössler

Silicon Alps Cluster

Zoltan A. Vardy

Kristina Shershun

Elektronček Group

Digital Serbia Initiative

Neda Trifunovic

Amazon Web Services

Nikita Kharchenko

Sonja Radovic-Paul

Tijana Koprivica

Dr. Magnus Kobel

Business Angels of Slovenia

Acrobator Ventures

John Clippinger

Herius Capital & Remred

István Sárhegyi

Marketing Fluency

Fernando Sandoval

Gregor Potočar

Bocconi For Innovation

Sasha Komarevych

TechAngels Romania

500 Emerging Europe

Design for Decks

Svetlana Kordumova

Remco Veenenberg

SpaceTec Partners

Agata Leliwa Nowicka

Mario Aichlseder

BlitzzIO now Arcion Labs

Miryana Joksovic

Karolina Mrozkova

MacDonald Ventures

Steve MacDonald

Halogen Ventures

Catalina Girald

Francois Mazoudier

Paulina Sygulska Tenner

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