Startup Mountain 2024

• Ivo Špigel - Welcome Keynote

  In his book The European Startup Revolution, Ivo Špigel conducted two sets of interviews with numerous European founders. The aim was to not only showcase the progress made internally between the two interviews but also to explore the ever-changing nature of startups and their ecosystem. Now, in a similar vein, Ivo will have the opportunity to compare the environment in which he envisioned the Startup Island events more than a decade ago with today’s business landscape.

• Davor Aničić - AI in 2024 & AI business applications

  In his presentation, Davor will leverage his extensive knowledge in artificial intelligence to address pivotal questions such as: What are the foundational concepts underpinning General AI and Large Language Models (LLMs)? Is the buzz around AI justified, or are we on the cusp of the next industrial revolution? From the vantage point of an AI agency in 2024, what do the business applications of AI technology look like?

• Carmen Bermejo - Interaction with technology in the AI interfaces era

  In this presentation, Carmen will explore the transformative impact of AI interfaces on daily interactions with technology. The talk will be divided into three key parts: navigating through the foundational concepts, discussing the emerging paradigm shift, and examining the resulting implications on our lives.

• Darko Butina - Management in AI powered world: Winning in business without it?

  Darko will address the questions “Is AI inevitable?” and “Can you win in business without AI?” by offering insights into how AI will transform businesses, companies, and management. He will also identify where opportunities lie and outline the specific steps that need to be taken today and tomorrow to capitalize on these opportunities.

• AI Panel: Davor Aničić, Carmen Bermejo moderated by Nina Rismal of Possible Worlds

  If 2023 was the year of AI awakening, 2024 could be the year of A.I. reckoning. Last year, artificial intelligence moved the stock market and captured the public’s imagination, with its great advances being tested this year. How far have we come? Which AI startups are creating unique value, and which not? What is the current state of AI? Is it even meaningful to talk about what is current in an industry that is changing so rapidly? Our panelists will be sharing their views on these and many other heated AI topics.

Panel with Jure Knez in Jure Mikuž: Next steps for policymakers

• Ada Guštin Habuš - The State of Adria Tech Report 2023

  The presentation will highlight recent investment trends in startups across the Adria region. After reaching

  its peak in 2021, the dynamic of investments started slowing down in 2023. We will find out what the cur-

  rent picture of investments looks like, how it changed, and what this means for the future of the startup

  ecosystem.

• Fabio Sferruzzi - The Art of Venture Building: turning market opportunities into startup success with

  Feat. Ventures

  A deep dive into the venture building landscape, showcased through the lens of Feat Ventures’ achiev-

  ements. We’ll explore the core strategies of venture building, their application across diverse sectors, and

  the forward-looking trends that are currently emerging. This talk is enhanced with some ‘lessons learned’

  from more than a decade of direct experience in building and nurturing startups.

Panel with Nejc Novak, Nina Dremelj, Anže Logar:
Demand vs supply-side challenges of growth stage venture capital funding in Slovenia

• Leonardo Fuligni - Filling the scaleup gap
  In this interactive talk, Leonardo Fuligni will share most recent data on the state of the art around scaleups and high-growth firms in Europe. How do you define a scaleup? And why is it relevant to measure their performance? The statistics will be enriched with qualitative insights conducted among fast-growing organisations: what can we learn from European fast-growing organisations, and their successes, but also failures?
• Ivo Špigel - Fintech Future
  In this talk, Ivo will delve into the latest fintech trends, exploring how these innovations are reshaping economies across the globe. We’ll uncover the significant impacts of fintech on both micro and macroeconomic levels, highlighting the transformative power of technologies such as blockchain and AI. Attendees will gain insights into the future of financial services, learning how to navigate and leverage these changes for entrepreneurial success.

• Niels Bogerd - Going International: My insights on foreign markets and foreign teams
  Culture(s) can be a determining factor in the success or failure of a startup. It becomes especially critical when venturing into foreign markets and as the team becomes more international. Having lived in four countries (Netherlands, United States, Slovenia, Switzerland) and collaborated with many international individuals across two startups and an academic career, the speaker will share their key insights during this highly interactive talk.

• Ivan Brezak Brkan - Developers hate marketing, now what?
  While the concepts of marketing for B2C and sales for B2B are well-understood in the region, the question arises: What about B2D, specifically targeting developers? In this presentation, Ivan will explain how startups need to adjust their approach when considering marketing and content creation for developers. His insights draw upon his experiences at Netokracija and now Infobip.
• Anamarija Čuden – Genzillas: The story of the new generation
  This talk presents a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between Gen Z’s characteristics, aspirations, and behaviors, and the perspectives of professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and business leaders.