Episode #29: Venture Capital in Slovenia

ASEF Podcast

In this episode, we dive into another part of the technology transfer and entrepreneurship ecosystem - venture capital (VC) and business angels. We discuss the different VC funds in Slovenia, how startups should approach funding, opportunities and challenges in the local area, as well as success stories in the region, and perspectives abroad. We host three experts from the Slovenian venture capital scene:

• Nina Dremelj, Managing Partner at Vesna deep-tech Fund, President of Slovenian Business Angels, and Board Member of the European Business Angels Network
• Gregor Rebolj, serial entrepreneur and investor, co-founder of Klika, Sportradar, and 1Home, as well as founding partner of Silicon Gardens
• Rok Habinc, partner at Pan-Adria Partners, previously partner at STH Ventures Fund, and active business angel and Board member at Business Angels of Slovenia.

Timestamps:

• Venture Capital 101: What is VC and how does it support startups? (1:30)
• VC landscape in Slovenia: Insights into Slovenian funds and their focus areas. (06:03)
• Differences between VC funds: What should startups look for? (18:05)
• Accelerators and Incubators: Early entrepreneurial education and wider ecosystem (27:33)
• Scaling and foreign capital: How does a local startup scale and seek funding abroad (37:25)
• Challenges in Slovenia: policy, legislation, and culture (47:40)
• Opportunities and success stories: what the region is good at and achievements (1:03:30)
• Global perspectives: Practical examples and best practices to learn from. (1:12:10)
• Advice for young founders: Insights on fundraising, mentorship, and determining investment readiness. (1:18:52)