Podim Conference

Just throwing this out there, so you catch it! In case you’ve been on your holiday, taking some much-deserved rest or .. sleeping under a rock .. we’re sharing this one bit of crucial information. 𝟏𝟐 - 𝟏𝟒 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. Yes, that’s right. It’s set in stone, it’s not going anywhere. 🪨 Open your calendars and mark these dates for PODIM 2025! P.S. We already made early reservations for warm, sunny weather, so let’s hope they don’t cancel on us. 😬

“Business is like marriage. You win in marriage by the fact that you just stay married.” Oof, that’s a good one, Luka Banovic. So, if you stay committed, it’ll pay off. 🦾 Check out what other bits of wisdom our Podim participants shared with Sandra Auer, our TikToker!

You’re not doing something right if your customers aren’t eager to switch to your product. Why? You haven’t achieved product market fit. Julien Coustaury (Fil Rouge Capital), Nina Hoedlmayr (Brevo), Kristina Marinovic (Duamentes) and Mirna Marovic (VentureXchange) discussed emerging market potentials and unlocking startup growth in the current market at Podim. Kristina states true PMF means customers are willing to pay for your solution. Now. Immediately. When they don’t, it usually means they’re hesitating. Why? They’ve found alternatives or they simply don’t want to solve the problem. That’s why PMF matters. “When you hit this sweet spot, scale your vision. Look for markets with millions of potential customers facing the same issue. In the venture world, we're all searching for those multipliers,” says Kristina.  That’s why Podim isn’t just about networking, it’s also about learning. 

Need an answer as to why Podim is one of the best in Europe? Find it below and take a look at all our stepping stones that make three days in Maribor a not-to-miss event! Oh, and if you aren’t following Podim on TikTok yet, what exactly are you still waiting for?

We were trying to find an excuse to post this, but we couldn’t. 🤷 Not that the FINAL of the Pitching Competition needs one. The energy that filled the room that night was ecstatic. One startup’s clicker stopped working in the middle of his pitch.  Then Daniel Cronin stepped in with one of his jokes to cut through the tension – which, surprisingly, worked pretty well! After that, our jury unleashed some tough questions. 😬 Then those green or red rockets made us go 🤗 or 😱! That was the gist of it. Or are we missing something? Oh right! We also crowned this year’s winner, hehe. It was a night of innovation, inspiration, and a few technical difficulties – just the way we like it. Until next year, keep those pitches sharp and those clickers clicking!

Is anyone still doing throwback Thursdays? Meh, guess we still are! So much so that this year’s Fusion Party deserves its own Podim post! Startup founders, investors, business leaders and even speakers let that Tuesday night become something special. From delicious food, wine, cocktails, luau necklaces, fire sunglasses to mirror men - we had it all. Take a look if you don’t believe us. 😉

Warning: This video might blow your mind! ⚠️ PODIM overload! Take a journey with us through the highlights that made this year truly special. Hit play and let the memories unfold. 🌟 We’ll let the video do all the talking. 🕵️ Who can you spot in the video? Tag them in the comments below and let them know they're a star. ;) Hypefy Stjepan Steve Zelić Ziyuan(Zoey) Zhu Francois Mazoudier Feelsgood Tilen Šarlah, MBA Dorian Čupek Sašo Djoković Daniel Cronin Kristian Kabashi Felix Martinez Gabrielė Poteliūnaitė Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž South Central Ventures Kinderpedia Noémi Szabó Uroš Rosa Jost Capito Lukas Krcil Fil Rouge Capital Infobip Ella Šuklje Lorenzo Gradaschi Luca De Ciechi Vlatko Kotevski Ivana Karalieva Petreska Evelina Necula

The Podim program is not just a side feature because conferences usually have it. No. Over the years, we’ve hosted an impressive mix of speakers from various industries, backgrounds, and parts of the world. They discuss topics relevant to the startup world and its ecosystem, hoping to share valuable insights with you. Who captivated you the most? Who gave you the most precious advice? Any suggestions for next year? 😉

The number is in and it’s about to shock you! It’s always so exciting to see so many people buzzing around our Deal Room, scheduling meetings and matchmaking like there’s no tomorrow. Drumroll, please. 🥁 There have been 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟑𝟓𝟒 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 between our participants! Of course, those are just the recorded ones. 🤝 Since we’re counting, we wonder how many handshakes there have been during those 3 days at Podim.. Hmm.. 🤔 an interesting metric. But, better not get into that!

Warning: This video might blow your mind! ⚠️ PODIM overload! Take a journey with us through the highlights that made this year truly special. Hit play and let the memories unfold. 🌟 We’ll let the video do all the talking. 🕵️ Who can you spot in the video? Tag them in the comments below and let them know they're a star. ;) Hypefy Stjepan Steve Zelić Ziyuan(Zoey) Zhu Francois Mazoudier Feelsgood Tilen Šarlah, MBA Dorian Čupek Sašo Djoković Daniel Cronin Kristian Kabashi Felix Martinez Gabrielė Poteliūnaitė Tatjana Zabasu Mikuž South Central Ventures Kinderpedia Noémi Szabó Uroš Rosa Jost Capito Lukas Krcil Fil Rouge Capital Infobip Ella Šuklje Lorenzo Gradaschi Luca De Ciechi Vlatko Kotevski Ivana Karalieva Petreska Evelina Necula