Business Angel Summit 2025 as a link between regional ideas and global capital

This year, the Business Angel Summit was a meeting place for experience and ambition, a space where ideas, investments and inspiration came together through dynamic panels, debates, lectures and pitch sessions. This year's edition focused on connecting European and global investors and regional innovators, and exploring ways in which capital and knowledge can jointly accelerate the development of the startup ecosystem in Southeast Europe.

The fourth edition of the Business Angel Summit was implemented thanks to the financial support of the Government of Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - SDC), and the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, through the Private Sector Development Initiative in BiH.
Additional support to the Summit was provided by numerous local and regional partners, including Impact Europe, SwissEP, Sarajevo Canton Tourist Board - Visit Sarajevo, Crvena jabuka, Fabrika Coffee, KIA Centar Sarajevo, BASHKA and Shebek soaps.

Among the speakers and investors who marked this year's Summit were: Michal Csonga, Partner at Zero One Hundred; Nina Dremelj, Partner at Vesna Deep Tech Fund and President of the Slovenian Business Angel Network; Marius Istrate, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TechAngels Romania; Izet Ždralović, Partner at Silicon Garden Funds; Miloš Matić, Founder and Director of Omorika Ventures; Selma Prodanović, founder of 1MillionStartups and one of the most influential women in the European startup world; Igor Hadžiahmetović, investment director at Venionaire Capital; Zorana Branković, COO at Banca Intesa Beograd; Max Gurvits, partner at Vitosha Venture Partners; Iva Rakočević, investment manager at Elevator Ventures; Mikael Hietala, mentor at Bird incubator; Maria Carolina Romero, investor and business angel; Vladimir Ćorda, co-owner and director of Virtuo; and Andreja Rosandić and Martijn Blom from Impact Europe. This year's deal facilitators were Maria Carolina Romero, Keo Sar, Nina Dremelj, Gogo Rajfalovski, Gabriel Zanko Mendoza, Faris ZaČina and Milos MatiĆ. The summit was, as in previous years, moderated by Daniel Cronin - “The Pitch Professor”, one of Europe's most famous moderators and experts in presentation skills.

A special part of the program was the pitch startup presentation, where seven innovative startups from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia – Neofunction, Tiksi, AI Synergy, Luccid AI, Vendor, Recrewty and Elastra – presented their ideas to regional and European investors. Through a dynamic and interactive way, the startups had the opportunity to receive comprehensive feedback on their business ideas and presentations immediately after the pitches, with the facilitation of experienced investors.

Prior to the Summit, through a months-long preparatory program, the selected startups worked with mentors and investors to improve their business models, investment presentations and market approach. The presentation itself confirmed that the region has exceptional innovation potential that is attracting increasing interest from international investors. In the coming period, these teams will have the opportunity to deepen the conversations and turn the contacts made at the Summit into concrete investment opportunities through expert facilitation.

The media partners of the Summit were Netokracija, Newsmax Balkans, Oslobođenje, Poslovne novine, Radio M and Startup Revolution.