Podim Startups Old - connect with investors, corporations & businesses

< Ignite Your Business >

Get your startup to achieve the next level

If you are an ambitious startup from the CEE region, then Podim has a spotlight on you, connecting you with highly motivated global and regional investors, corporations, and other established businesses that are looking to make deals with startups. Our main focus is on deep-tech startups, typically in the software or connected hardware spaces.

Make sure your startup is one of the 150 hand-picked through the selection process that will be invited to join Podim. In addition to making deals, Podim offers the opportunity to learn and exchange experiences from the best serial entrepreneurs, investors and tech experts from all over the globe.

Applications for startups and scaleups are now open!
But only until the 15th of March

< Building Awareness >

Tailor-made conference for founders

We have tailored Podim to suit the needs of founders of mostly tech-driven companies aiming for rapid growth based on a scalable business model. Whether on the main stage or in workshop sessions, all speakers and other participants are keen to share with you their knowledge and valuable experiences based on their own successes and failures, using a straightforward, no-bullshit approach.

< Making Deals >

Get investors and new business partners

With more than 900 business meetings, Podim Deal Room has become the core offering for startups seeking a next investment round or wanting to find new customers in the region. With its limited number of participants, Podim may not be the largest gathering of venture capitalists in the world, but its ability to attract more than 100 highly motivated regional and global investors looking for new investment opportunities in our region makes it a powerful deal-making platform. There are also 200+ business C-level executives attending Podim who are interested in cooperation with startups.

< Experienced Mentors >

Valuable mentoring opportunities

Engaging speakers have become the trademark of Podim. They dedicate a few hours of their time to mentor (co-)founders attending the event. Choose between three different formats of mentoring support. Use One-on-one Quick-Fix Mentoring Sessions to dive into your company’s pain points, like product development, legal issues, and sales, or use Group Mentoring Sessions to figure out solutions together with your peer (co-)founders, who are experiencing the same challenges. If you are not really sure what exactly your problem is, join your peer (co-)founders at Topic Deep Dives with Mentors to discuss a predefined topic to better understand the field and challenges and to identify best solutions. Attending mentoring sessions is the first step towards fixing your challenges. The best part is that the mentors will stay by your side the next time you hit a bump on your journey.

< Hack the Deal Room >

Share your successes and fails at Founders’ Night

Who can feel your pain almost as well as you do? Your peers! At Podim, you’ll have plenty of time to spend with your fellow founders to exchange learning, mistakes, leads, ideas, and cooperation opportunities on product development, marketing, fundraising, HR, and more. You will realize your peers’ struggles are similar to your own. The Founders’ Night after Podim Demo Day and other mentoring and networking events that are part of Podim will offer you great opportunities to get valuable support from those who can really relate to your challenges and exchange notes with the competitors. At Founders’ Night you will have a chance to set up a meeting with potential business collaborators over a good drink in a relaxed atmosphere, supported by the Deal Room Matchmaking Tool.

< Networking with Passion >

Connect with startup ecosystems’ key players

Podim’s relaxed yet extremely productive atmosphere is ignited by entrepreneurial energy, enthusiasm and a positive mindset, so take this opportunity to mingle with other startup ecosystems’ key players. The diverse crowd of talent, policy makers, influencers, accelerators, and peer (co-)founders is eager to talk to you in a relaxed atmosphere. Share your story and collect new information, viewpoints, and interests. Use Podim to inspire participants and to share your optimism as well as to collect valuable feedback from others’ experiences. Join us at special networking events, dinners, and the famous Podim Party. Just go with the flow and let the Podim vibe take care of the rest.

< Access to Talents >

Looking for reinforcements?

If you are looking for new members to join your team, Podim is the right place for you to be. The crowd of not more than 1,000 tech-savvy changemakers at Podim can serve as the perfect recruiting pool for you to find your next employee.

“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

< Media Exposure >

Media coverage & Podim Live TV

Prosperous startups are one of the main reasons journalists representing the leading regional tech and business publications come to Podim, looking for promising stories and exciting product launches. So, if you have ever wanted a spotlight on your idea and your startup, come to Maribor prepared with your media pitch to tell your story and get broader media attention. Apply to pitch in front of our cameras, let Podim Live TV put the spotlight on your startup, and get visibility through Podim Channels.

< Opportunity >

Ways for startups to hack Podim

Look for the special opportunities we have exclusively prepared for startups to make the most out of your Podim experience. You can use our Podim Pitching Competition and Podim Marketplace.

< Startup tickets >

Total experience ticket

At €145, the Startup Pass gives you access to the entire conference area, including all talks and networking formats, as well as exclusive access to One-on-One Quick-Fix Mentoring Sessions, Group Mentoring Sessions, Topic Deep Dives with Mentors, Podim Deal Room, Podim Pitching Competition and Podim Marketplace. Oh, and did we mention Founder’s Night and the famous Podim Party?

Our startups and scaleups from previous year

Listen to what they say about Podim

MEET THE SPEAKERS OF PODIM 2023

They bring knowledge, ferocity, inspiration, valuable experience and the most amazing stories of their success to Podim, live in Maribor!

Marco Trombetti

Rune Theill

Carlos Eduardo Espinal

John Harthorne

Stephan Schambach

Poornima Vijayashanker

< references >

Corporates that attend Podim

< references >

Investors that attended Podim

Investors at Podim 2022

< Podim Startups & Scaleups Portfolio >

Diversity matters

To get a better impression on what kind of startups and scaleups Podim portfolio has to offer, what stages they are in, what industries they cover and what is the scale of funding they are seeking, we have put some numbers together for you.

< Structure by Industry >