Europe has a scaling problem for innovative companies, Podim hosts the debate on how to overcome it

Europe produces more engineering graduates than the United States. It leads globally in key research areas such as deeptech, sustainability, and industrial innovation. Yet it remains significantly underrepresented among the world’s leading technology giants. The question is no longer whether Europe can innovate, but why so many of its most promising companies stall before reaching global scale.

From May 11 to 13, the Podim 2026 conference will bring together those actively working on solutions to this critical development challenge.

The three-day event in Maribor connects institutions shaping Europe’s response to the scaling gap – the European Innovation Council, the European Commission’s Startup and Scaleup Taskforce, EUSPA, and initiatives such as EU-INC, Future 500, and Scale-X by UNIDO, alongside founders who have already built global companies from the region, and investors deploying capital across the entire company lifecycle.

The structural issues on the agenda mirror those dominating European innovation policy today: fragmented capital markets, late-stage funding challenges, cross-border scaling barriers, and talent retention. The difference at Podim is that policymakers, investors, and operators address these challenges in the same room.

This year’s edition marks a shift in Podim’s role within the European ecosystem – from a regional flagship event to a strategic platform connecting Southeast and Central Europe with new cross-border growth opportunities. New partnerships with Scale-X (UNIDO), the Future 500 initiative, and the Munich-based Bits & Pretzels conference extend opportunities far beyond Slovenia. The ecosystem represented by Podim – the Western Balkans, the Adriatic corridor, and Central Europe – has produced a generation of globally competitive companies, yet has historically faced limited direct access to EU-level scaling instruments.

Speakers include Stefan Drüssler, member of the EIC Board and Managing Director of UnternehmerTUM, ranked by the Financial Times as Europe’s leading startup hub; Anna Krzyżanowska, advisor to the European Commission; and Robin Wauters, co-creator of the EU-INC initiative.

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Operational voices include Amir Salihefendić, founder of Doist, which reached 50 million users without venture capital; Vlatko Matijević, CTO of Orqa FPV, a European drone technology company; Ioan Iacob, founder of FlowX.AI, which has raised over $44 million to modernise banking infrastructure; and Stjepan Orešković, founder of Bosqar Invest, a publicly listed company operating in 23 countries and leader of the Future 500 initiative.

Investor participation spans the full capital lifecycle – from early-stage venture capital to large-scale private equity. Funds such as Enterprise Investors (with €2.5 billion invested across more than 160 companies and over 140 exits) and South Central Ventures (with over €300 million in assets under management) anchor the Investor Academy programme. In total, more than 60 VC funds managing over €10 billion in capital have already confirmed participation, meeting and exploring collaboration opportunities with 220 selected startups featured in the Podim startup catalogue.