Photo: Boban Ristić

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS) will organize the participation of 24 of the most promising domestic startup companies at the Web Summit, the world's largest technology conference, which will be held from November 11 to 14 in Lisbon, announced today Marko Čadež, President of PKS.

At the press conference, Čadež invited all interested startups to apply for the public call for free participation and exhibition at the "Web Summit 2024 Serbia Island" in Lisbon from today until July 25.

– In the first round, 50 startups will be selected by public voting to present live at the largest pitch event in Serbia to date – Web Summit Serbia Pitch, at the beginning of September. After that, 24 of the best will be chosen for the Lisbon summit – explained Čadež.

– This is a great opportunity for all our startups, because even those who are not among the top 24 will have the chance to participate in this global event in the capital of Portugal under more favorable conditions – added Čadež.

The criteria for selection, according to Čadež, are innovation, potential for global market operations, a good business model, social and environmental impact, team and expertise, as well as the quality of the presentation.

To be eligible and receive benefits, a startup cannot be older than five years, must have its own software product, or be working on related hardware devices, and must have a website, explained Nemanja Jovičić, a member of the Web Summit Serbia team, which is partnering with PKS to organize the participation in Lisbon.

– All startups that apply to the public call will have the opportunity to undergo a four-month training that includes masterclass workshops, present at the pitch event in September, gain global visibility, and learn from leading experts and professionals – added Jovičić.

Last year's experiences of participating in this prestigious global technology event were shared by Teodora Pećanac from the startup Petsi, who emphasized that the Web Summit in Lisbon offers connections with a multi-million global startup community, investors, and partners.

– Lisbon is an opportunity not to be missed – stated Pećanac.

The significance of this event is also highlighted by last year's figures when the Web Summit gathered over 70,000 participants from 153 countries, more than 2,600 startups, and over 900 investors.

Applications and more detailed information are available on the website: websummit.rs