The closing ceremony of the Slovenian Start:up of the Year 2024 competition, held at the Si-TI Theater in Ljubljana with more than 250 entrepreneurial enthusiasts and stakeholders of the Slovenian startup ecosystem, crowned this year's winner. The title of Slovenian Start:up of the Year 2024 and the crystal statue were awarded to FLIQA, a startup that is developing two open banking products and provides access to a large number of European banks with the help of its partners.

 

The award, presented for the 17th consecutive year by the Start:up Slovenia initiative in collaboration with the Slovene Enterprise Fund, the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, and active stakeholders of the Slovenian ecosystem, was awarded to a startup that represents the new generation of innovative Slovenian entrepreneurs with its achievements, actions, reputation, and development potential.

 

As Urban Lapajne from Start:up Slovenia stated: "It is in the best interest of Slovenian society to promote entrepreneurial role models who can demonstrate that Slovenians excel in both business and sports. The Slovenian Start:up of the Year award, an initiative we have been organizing for 17 years, is designed to inspire young people, raise awareness about technological entrepreneurship, and contribute to Slovenia’s transition towards a knowledge-based society and a culture of high-value professions."

 

Winner selection at the Slovenian Business Club

This year’s final selection of the Slovenian Start:up of the Year award took place for the third consecutive time at the headquarters of SBC – Slovenian Business Club, which is also one of the partners of the event. Five finalists – FLIQA, Plan Z, Remea, TipPri, and DDD Invoices – presented their projects to a distinguished seven-member jury.

 

The jury evaluated the candidates based on four criteria: successful market validation of their product, acquisition of investments from domestic or foreign investors, the competencies, dedication, experience, and organization of the team, and the potential for rapid growth in foreign markets.

 

This year’s judging panel included Tomaž Bizjak (Recatalyst), Rok Huber (Slovene Enterprise Fund), Jure Mikuž (South Central Ventures), Maja Brelih Lotrič (Lotrič Metrology), Mitja Ruzzier (Faculty of Management), Primož Zelenšek (Chipolo), and Rok Zorko (Silicon Gardens).

 

Jury member Rok Zorko from Silicon Gardens shared his perspective on what the Slovenian Startup of the Year means to him and what they were looking for in a team and idea: "I believe the Slovenian Start:up of the Year should have a real chance of reaching $100 million in sales someday, which means coming close to being a 'unicorn'."

 

 

Slovenian Startup of the Year 2024 is FLIQA

The esteemed title of Slovenian Startup of the Year 2024 title has been awarded to the FLIQA team, which impressed the jury with its innovation and growth potential. The company is developing two products in the field of open banking, providing access to a large number of European banks through its partners. The first solution provides a simple and secure method for initiating transactions directly from a bank account. In practice, this means that customers no longer need to complete payment forms to settle invoices from their bank accounts. Instead, they simply select their bank from a list and confirm the transaction.

 

The second solution is a technological platform that enables merchants to assess a customer's credit risk in real time. The potential customer's data is enhanced with sophisticated algorithmic data in real time and made available to the merchant via an API interface. This allows for immediate credit approval decisions, increasing business speed and customer satisfaction. The platform's key advantages are its modularity, ease of integration via API interfaces, regulatory compliance, and the protection of sensitive customer data.

 

FLIQA is already successfully operating in the market and forming strategic partnerships with established industry players, such as SRC in Slovenia, from which it has also received significant investment, and IbanXS from the Netherlands. Additionally, it has a memorandum of cooperation with the Slovenian company Bankart.

Nina Strajnar, CEO and co-founder of FLIQA, expressed her feelings upon receiving the title of Slovenian Start:up of the Year 2024: »It feels absolutely amazing. We are proud of the effort we have invested over the years to stay focused, remain united as a team, and grow even closer. This award is a beautiful validation of our collective effort, and we are very pleased. Our products are primarily aimed at Europe and beyond. Although the Slovenian market is not our main focus, it is wonderful to see that we are being recognized at home as well."

 

Regarding FLIQA's future plans, Nina Strajnar adds: "Our next milestone is the launch of a new product across Europe and the expansion of our business into the Middle East and Switzerland, and then beyond from there."

 

This prestigious award opens many doors, as confirmed by the 2023 Slovenian Start:up of the Year, ReCatalyst, which develops, manufactures, and sells next-generation catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells.

 

Matija Gatalo, co-founder and CEO of ReCatalyst, which received a €1.7 million investment, is successfully conquering the market and expanding the team: "We’ve certainly leveraged this title everywhere; even when we were filming the video for our application to the EIC Accelerator - as we are now applying for the continuation of the EIC Transition program we’re part of - we highlighted our awards, including the Slovenian Start:up of the Year award. We dedicated a frame to it. Wherever possible, we proudly mention that we are the Slovenian Startup of the Year. Especially since we’re from Slovenia, where we've always had to prove ourselves more, this award is a mark of credibility. It indicates that we might be above average. Every such accolade helps us, and this award has greatly helped us. For instance, our LinkedIn profile truly blossomed after we received this award, doubling our number of followers in a very short time. Shortly thereafter, we received an investment, started hiring, and saw great interest in working with us. I believe this wasn’t just a coincidence; the publicity associated with this award definitely helped." 

 

 

The grand finale at the Si-Ti Theatre with Tilen Artač

The final gala event, where the Slovenian Startup of the Year 2024 was announced at the Si-Ti Theatre in Ljubljana, offered a true spectacle. Hosted by Tilen Artač, the evening was filled with well-known melodies and humor, leaving the attendees with lasting memories.

 

 

The award was presented to the winner at the closing ceremony at the Si-Ti Theatre by Maja Tomanič Vidovič, Director of the Slovene Enterprise Fund, and Enej Kuščer, the first winner of the Slovenian Start:up of the Year award in 2008.

 

Maja Tomanič Vidovič added: "Since 2006, the Slovenian Enterprise Fund has been providing support to young, innovative companies. Over the past 18 years, we have observed the success of numerous ventures, the emergence of serial entrepreneurs, and instances where promising concepts did not ultimately result in marketable products. This is an opportune time for individuals and other stakeholders in the Slovenian startup ecosystem to gain valuable insights, given the continued growth. For this reason, we continue to support the Slovenian Start:up of the Year event on an annual basis, as it serves to recognize and reward the efforts of young, innovative companies that are striving for international breakthroughs. We are confident that this year's award will be given to the most deserving hands. Let's grow together!"