For three days, Maribor functioned as a crucial hub where the continent's startup ecosystem—founders, capital providers, operators, and support organizations—converged to tackle the realities of building and scaling technology companies across Europe.

The 2026 edition brought together more than 1,100 attendees spanning 34 countries. The gathering included 220 startups, more than 60 venture capital funds and individual investors controlling assets exceeding €10 billion, and over 90 speakers representing 21 nations.

Throughout the three-day program, discussions ranged across fundraising mechanics, commercializing deep tech, scaling operations, AI infrastructure development, cross-border expansion, and a persistent concern: how European ecosystems can build stronger bridges connecting early-stage innovation to companies capable of competing globally.

The gathering illustrated a significant shift in how European founders approach growth. Entrepreneurs from less developed markets are now entering international conversations far earlier in their trajectories. From the outset, securing capital, forging partnerships, and acquiring operational expertise increasingly happens across borders rather than within them—a pattern particularly pronounced in Central and Southeastern Europe.

This reality shaped Podim's programming, from investor meetings and founder connections to collaborations with Scale-X (UNIDO), Future 500, and Germany's Bits & Pretzels. The conference has evolved into a meeting ground where regional startup communities, international capital providers, and founders preparing for global expansion intersect.

With nearly five decades of history, Podim has become one of the Alps-Adriatic and Western Balkans region's most significant startup and technology events. This year's focus centered on Europe's scaling gap and the foundational elements companies need to transition from technical breakthroughs into worldwide growth.

DATANA Wins Podim's Startup Competition

The Podim Pitching Competition culminated with five startups competing for recognition as the event's standout company. BioSistemika's DATANA, a synthetic DNA-based solution for preserving digital data over extended periods, claimed the title.

The winning company emerged from a rigorous selection process. The competition began with over 1,000 applications, narrowed to 220 selected startups, proceeded through online demonstration sessions with international investors and semifinal rounds, and concluded with finalists from Slovenia, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

DATANA addresses long-term digital preservation through synthetic DNA storage, emphasizing durability, offline storage management, and protection from both digital and physical threats. The category itself signals a broader movement across Europe's startup landscape: more founders are launching ventures centered on scientific breakthroughs, industrial infrastructure, and deep-tech solutions requiring extended development timelines and substantial research investment.

This year's finalists embodied these patterns. The competition's final group featured companies working in AI, connectivity, infrastructure, and advanced technology sectors—a composition underscoring the rising technical sophistication of startups emerging from the region.

For Slovenia, the victory carried additional weight. This marked the first instance of Slovenian startups reaching the competition's final round in its history.

Following the announcement, DATANA's Anže Smerdelj characterized the win as a meaningful validation milestone as the company moves toward fundraising and bringing its technology to market.

Investor Presence and Europe's Growth Bottleneck

Investor participation has emerged as a defining element of Podim's identity. The 2026 edition hosted more than 120 investors, including South Central Ventures, Enterprise Investors, Silicon Gardens, Vesna VC, and other firms active throughout Central and Southeastern Europe. These participants collectively managed more than €10 billion in assets.

The investor concentration generated substantial activity. The Podim Deal Room facilitated more than 1,100 scheduled meetings connecting startups, capital providers, corporations, and small-to-medium enterprises to explore investment possibilities, strategic alliances, and business partnerships.

The speaker roster addressed operational challenges currently reshaping Europe's technology sector. Speakers included Amir Salihefendić, Ioan Iacob, and Vlatko Matijević, along with investors, operators, and ecosystem architects working in venture capital, AI, enterprise software, and deep tech.

A consistent thread ran through the three-day discussions: Europe continues generating technically sophisticated founders and innovations with worldwide relevance, yet the journey from initial market validation to international scale remains heavily dependent on investor access, operational expertise, commercial networks, and regional ecosystems equipped to support companies expanding beyond their home markets.

Conferences like Podim increasingly occupy a central role in this process, assembling the various players—investors, operators, ecosystem builders—who determine how startups from the region gain entry to international growth pathways, funding sources, and strategic partnerships.

Source: The Recursive — Events tag