PODIM Challenge 2015

Meetings of top investors with promising start-up companies from the Alpe-Adria region!

PODIM Challenge presents an incredible opportunity for all entrepreneurs looking for a venture capital investment. It is intended for seed stage companies that are already founded and have a minimum viable product as well as the early-evangelists. Application deadline is 25 April 2015 via a submitted application form. Pitch your ambitious business vision to top investors in the heart of Europe!

Five companies will have the opportunity to pitch on the conference stage and win attractive prizes

From amongst all submitted applications, five promising start-up companies, mostly from the Alpe-Adria region, will be chosen. They will have 5-minute presentations on the main stage of the PODIM conference, in front of esteemed investors and PODIM Challenge jury members:

Ari Korhonen, business angel (Finland)
Michael Gross, VC Point (Germany)
Jonathan Cooper, Vision Investment Services (Oman, Croatia)
Mike Edelhart, Social Starts (USA)
Jon Bradford, Techstars (Great Britain)
Matevž Medja, DsgnFwd (Slovenia)
Dejan Roljič, ABC Accelerator (Slovenia)
Isla Munro, Fiedler Capital (Hungary)
Branko Drobnak, Business Angels of Slovenia (Slovenia)
Miha Kampuš, Gasser+Partner (Austria)
Franco Scolari, business angel (Italy)
Jure Mikuž, RSG Capital (Slovenia)

Even more investors will be in the conference audience. Their names will be announced on the PODIM conference website. The chosen companies will have the opportunity for 1:1 meetings with interested investors from the jury as well as from amongst conference attendees. Furthermore, the chosen five companies will win attractive prizes and new opportunities.

Other confirmed investors that will listen to the pitches amongst audience and meet 1:1 with the start-ups looking for an investment are:

Nicholas Bartlett, business angel
Matjaž Bavdek, MDS IT, business angel
Miroslav Ekart, business angel
Uroš Glavan, Murka Venture Capital
Rok Habinc, STH Ventures
Rumen Iliev, LAUNCHub
Čedo Jakovljevič, business angel
Miklós Kovács, iEurope
Matjaž Levar, business angel
Matej Ogorevc, business angel
Nina Mazgan, Meta Group
Gregor Mesarič, business angel
Marko Mulej, business angel
Mark Pleško, Cosylab, business angel
Srečo Pust, business angel
Gregor Rebolj, Klika, business angel
Peter Ribarič, Silicon Gardens Fund
Niko Slavnič, business angel
Herwig Springer, i5invest
Tatjana Zabasu, RSG Capital
Nebojša Lazić, StartLabs
Selma Prodanovic, business angelina
Antonia Imre, InVendor
Robi Domadenik, IEXNET
Darko Butina, BUDS, business angel
Moshe Sarfaty, Krypton Venture Capital
Fabian Bohdziul, MCI

Prizes for chosen five companies

Attendance at the PODIM conference for two team members free of charge
Voucher in the amount of 5,000 EUR from the DsgnFwd accelerator*
Voucher in the amount of 3,000 EUR from the Deloitte Slovenia company*
Voucher in the amount of 249 EUR from 99design for designing the logo or t-shirt**
Other prizes that will be announced soon**

* The conference partner is the one to choose which of the five companies will receive the voucher. The prize recipient will be chosen on the basis of the evaluation of the conference partner giving the prizes. This way, their services will bring the highest value added as well as growth and development progress to the company.

** After each presentation on stage, the investor/jury member of the PODIM Challenge shows their evaluation with either a green or a red card; the green one indicates they wish to arrange a meeting, while the red one indicates that they do not wish to invest. The prize is given to the company that collects the most green cards. The company that receives the most green cards is also the official PODIM Challenge winner, which will get additional media promotion after the conference.

All other start-up companies attending the conference and applying for PODIM Challenge have the opportunity for 1:1 meetings with investors

It’s alright, even if you aren’t chosen to be amongst the five companies pitching on stage. There will be a list with the description of start-up companies attending the PODIM conference. The list of attending start-up companies and PODIM Challenge applicants will be available to all investors at the conference as well as to mentors, speakers and established companies that wish to collaborate with start-up companies.

Based on their interest, one-on-one meetings will be organised. Thus the start-up participants at the conference and PODIM Challenge applicants won’t only have access to state-of-the-art business content, be able to network with other conference participants and have a unique two-day motivational experience, but will also surely have a personal meeting with investors, mentors, conference speakers and representatives of established companies.

If you wish to realize your business vision with the right investment partner, don’t delay and apply for the PODIM Challenge! Application deadline is 25 April 2015.

The company uses the application form to provide general information, attach a PPT presentation with the pitch slide deck, and write down the number of early-evangelists and their names, as well as to add a link to the company website and LinkedIn profiles of team members. All data, including the presentation, has to be in English. The chosen five companies will also be invited to investor pitching training.

For all additional questions, write to Elvisa Basailovič at: [email protected]

Co-organizers from the Alpe - Adria Region:
KWF & Friuli Innovazione

Award Contributors:
99designs, Deloitte, DsgnFwd Accelerator

Partners:
CEP & Slovenia's Development Cooperation, Business Angels of Slovenia