The closing event of the Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2022 Award took place at the Ljubljana Castle, bringing a new recipient of the crystal award - the team of Inno Lab.
The award, which for the fifteenth year in a row has been presented by Start:up Slovenia in cooperation with the Slovene Enterprise Fund, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Technology Park Ljubljana, and active stakeholders of the Slovenian ecosystem was therefore given to the company which, through their achievements, actions, reputation and development potential, represents a new generation of innovative Slovenian entrepreneurs.
Below you can find some excerpts from an interview with Teja Bajt, founder of Inno Lab:
1. LOOKING BACK ON THE CEREMONY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW?
It took us a while to grasp our success and the title. The award is on the shelf and reminds us daily that we were chosen by a jury of experts, which I consider a great honor. It's one thing to be seen by your customers, and it's another to be seen by the rest of the business world. They have different perspectives on how a business idea works and how a company works.
2. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING NEW OR INTERESTING TO SHOW US?
A new InnoBox is in the works, this time with a mystery/detective theme. We are just finalizing the last details with the designers, and things are being printed. We plan to launch it at the beginning of September. That's when a new member will join us, and we'll start translating the products into German and try our luck on the German Amazon.
3. what do you want to tell the next generation of Slovenian start:up of the year finalists?
They should go with the nomination and follow the process. It's a great experience because you are thrown into it, you present the company in front of an experienced entrepreneurial jury who asks you questions, and you have to be short and to the point. Someone not involved in the idea 24/7 may not understand certain things or perceive them differently. They might even give you a new idea. So, just be brave! :)
We also spoke to this year's jury member and CEO of Tiko Pro, Kristina Kočet Hudrap:
1. what do you think is the contribution of the Slovenian start:up of the year award to the Slovenian startup scene?
It is very important because it validates the company that wins and gives validation to the broader community as well. Others can see good entrepreneurial practices, how someone can succeed, and what people and companies have been up to. There is not enough talk about startups in Slovenia, not only the winner but also all the finalists. They can be great examples to someone. Maybe someone will take the next step and give it a go. Of course, it is still a competition, and someone has to win. I think it's important that the award, the finalists, and the winner are widely publicized, that there is some publicity so that they can be well presented to a broader public that would otherwise find it harder to find out about them.
2. what impresses you most about young entrepreneurs?
It's their energy, how many ideas they have and their enthusiasm to really try everything. After just one year of being active, they dare to enter foreign markets; Slovenia is too small for them relatively quickly and is not their primary market at the start of their journey. They go global quite quickly. The view of entrepreneurship has changed a lot in recent years.
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The program is co-financed from the Slovene Enterprise Fund and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. This is implemented on the basis of the Content Support for Funds Recipients (SMEs) Programme in the 2018-2023 period, under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020.
Tags
Startup
Startup of the year 2022
Inno lab
Innobox
Slovene enterprise fund
