Final Call for Startups: Podim 2026 Applications Close on March 15

By , in CEE conferences Slovenia on March 6, 2026 . Tagged width: Alps-Adriatic tech , CEE startup events , Day One Capital , European VC funds , Maribor Slovenia , Podim 2026 , Silicon Gardens , startup applications , startup conference Europe , startup funding 2026 , startup investor meetings

The window is almost shut. Applications for Podim 2026 — the leading startup and tech conference in the Alps-Adriatic region — close on March 15, 2026. If you’ve been on the fence, this is your last real chance.

What Makes Podim Different

Podim is not a conference where you wander the floor handing out business cards. It’s a tightly curated, three-day event built around pre-arranged 1:1 meetings between 150 handpicked startups and 150+ active international investors. The format is designed for one thing: real conversations that move deals forward.

This year’s edition takes place May 11–13, 2026, in Maribor, Slovenia, and the investor lineup is already shaping up to be one of the strongest yet.

Who’s Coming to Invest

Several of Europe’s most active funds have already confirmed attendance, including:

Silicon Gardens Fund (Slovenia) — Podim’s Golden Unicorn partner, known for backing companies like Outfit7, Sportradar, and Photomath. They invest €300k–€1.5M in pre-seed and seed-stage B2B SaaS, marketplaces, and consumer apps across CEE and beyond.
Lead Ventures — Backed by MOL Group and NTH, they help ambitious founders scale regionally and globally.
Day One Capital (Hungary) — An early-stage VC focused on CEE’s most promising seed-stage technology teams, with a €34M fund and tickets ranging from €300k to €1.5M.
TechAngels (Romania) — One of South-Eastern Europe’s most active angel networks, with €40M+ invested across 240+ startups.

More funds are being confirmed ahead of the event — and each one arrives with capital to deploy and a mandate to meet founders.

Who Will Be on Stage

Beyond investor meetings, Podim’s Builders Stage powered by Silicon Gardens will feature 20 regional founders and operators who have actually scaled globally — including leaders from companies like FOREO (20M+ devices sold, 180+ countries), Sofascore (25M+ monthly users), and others who have raised $100M+, closed enterprise deals with DHL and Poste Italiane, and grown teams across multiple continents.

This is not inspirational content. It’s tactical, experience-backed insight from people who’ve done it.

What Selected Startups Get

Getting a spot at Podim isn’t just a ticket to a conference — it’s access to a structured ecosystem:

Pre-arranged 1:1 meetings with international investors actively looking to deploy capital
Direct connections with potential customers and strategic partners
Visibility across the broader European tech ecosystem
A seat in the room with some of the region’s most accomplished founders

With only 150 startup spots available and the selection process already underway, the remaining spots are filling up fast.

The Deadline Is March 15 — Don’t Miss It

Whether you’re preparing a funding round, eyeing international expansion, or simply looking to put your startup in front of the right people, Podim 2026 is worth the application. The format works, the investors are real, and the deadline is firm.

👉 Apply for Podim 2026 before March 15: podim.org/startups