15th & 16th of May
Maribor, Slovenia
Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Finalists of the Slovenian Startup of the Year award are known!

The six finalists that placed into this year’s finals for the Slovenian Startup of the Year are known! Every year, the title Slovenian Startup of the Year is earned by a startup that convinces the expert committee with their team, product and potential for successful business operations and growth, as well as represents the new generation of Slovenian innovative entrepreneurs with their achievements, actions, reputation and development potential. 

Six startup companies will compete for the title Slovenian Startup of the Year, namely three nominated companies in the earliest development stage – the so called “young challengers” from the Start:up Slovenia competition – and three companies nominated by active stakeholders of the Slovenian startup ecosystem.

The three nominated companies in the earliest development stages or “young challengers” from the Start:up Slovenia competition are: 
•    AgiliCity, developing Modular, an advanced tool for planning spatial development of cities; 
•    Potenza Innova with the innovative hygienic tampon TampoRelief 2/1 for quick, safe and effective period pain relief; 
•    OptiBar, developing tools for improving connections between restaurants and their suppliers. 

The three startup companies nominated by the Slovenian startup ecosystem: 
•    Fastcast, a company for effective talent and location management; 
•    45HC, a platform for simple container booking and management, 
•    VIAR, developing solutions in the field of virtual reality. 

Members of the evaluation committee will choose the winner on 5 May 2017. The Slovenian Startup of the Year 2017 will be announced at the gala ceremony at the end of the first day of this year’s PODIM Conference, taking place on 10 and 11 May 2017 in Maribor. 

The main awards that the Slovenian startup of the year will receive this year are personal consultation by Marvin Liao, partner of the elite American accelerator 500 Startups, and an all-inclusive package for the Pioneers Festival in Vienna. 

About the Slovenian Startup of the Year award 

Slovenian Startup of the Year is a project of active stakeholders in the Slovenian startup ecosystem. Their role is to collaborate in nominating candidates for the award, and to promote the finalists and title recipient at home and abroad. The main organizer of the project is Initiative Start:up Slovenia, which was joined by the ABC Accelerator as co-organizer in 2016. Already traditionally, we are organizing the award with support of the Slovene Enterprise Fund and the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. 

The Slovenian Startup of the Year award can be given to a Slovenian innovative startup company with potential for growth on the global markets. With the award, the key stakeholders of the Slovenian startup ecosystem wish to highlight and reward companies and teams whose persistence, globally recognized achievements, and bold development vision are a role model in the national and international startup environment. 

The recipient of the title Slovenian Startup of the Year is an ambassador of the Slovenian startup community. Organizers of the award offer the title recipient active PR and other support, and the crystal statue reminds the winner that at events at home and abroad, they are promoting not only their successes but also the Slovenian startup community. 

More information: 
Stanislava Vabšek: [email protected]
Majda Dodevska: [email protected]