Meet 5 outstanding startups: Arvio, Astra AI, Ergohide, Juicefast, and Lime Booking! Their innovative solutions, bold vision, and entrepreneurial spirit have earned them a spot among the finalists for the Slovenian Start:up of the Year 2025 – an award that has been presented for the eighteenth year in a row by the Start:up Slovenia community, in cooperation with the Slovene Enterprise Fund, the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, and other key players in the Slovenian startup ecosystem.
Who will take home the prestigious title this year?
Get ready for the big day – 27 May is when the winner will be revealed at a spectacular award ceremony! The startup that impresses the jury the most with its achievements, vision, and potential will be crowned, symbolising the new generation of Slovenian entrepreneurship. Tickets for the event are already available, so get yours now to avoid disappointment!
But first, the finalists face one more important challenge
On May 22nd, at the IEDC – Bled School of Management, they’ll pitch their startups in front of a professional jury and tackle tough questions about their business. Only one will win – the one whose pitch, strategy, and team leave the strongest impression!
We're on the lookout for Slovenia’s next unicorn, and only time will tell if it’s one of these five contenders. Meet the 5 finalists shaping the future of the Slovenian startup scene!
ARVIO
Arvio – Data-driven power to reduce information asymmetry in the real estate market.
When buying real estate or applying for a loan, the property valuation process often takes the most time. Arvio has changed that. Arvio offers an automated real estate valuation solution in Slovenia and Croatia. By leveraging artificial intelligence, it enables fast, accurate, and objective property assessments. It provides an affordable indicative valuation that helps buyers, sellers, and agents make better decisions. Most Slovenian banks already use Arvio’s advanced services, as it is the only company in Slovenia with a European certification for automated valuation models.
ASTRA AI
Astra AI – Personalized learning tailored to every individual.
The school system struggles to keep up with the pace and needs of each individual student. The result is unequal opportunities and lost potential. Astra AI is developing a smart learning assistant that uses artificial intelligence to adapt content to each student, based on their knowledge, pace, and goals. More than 100,000 users are already using the platform to learn science and languages. The solution is built on a proprietary AI system and is currently the world’s most advanced AI tutor for mathematics.
ERGOHIDE
ErgoHide - When work becomes a pleasure.
Working from home has become the norm, yet many people still work in uncomfortable and ergonomically inadequate conditions. ErgoHide offers high-quality sit-stand desks made from locally sourced solid wood, featuring a unique solution for cable management. They also offer custom-made desks in any dimensions. With their innovation and distinctive approach, they’ve successfully entered the saturated market of standing desks and secured their place across Europe and the U.S. ErgoHide also thinks long-term – for every 100 desks sold, they plant a tree as a symbol of their commitment to sustainability.
JUICEFAST
Juicefast – Where health, sustainability, and taste speak the same language.
Most food products on the market are neither healthy nor sustainable, even though consumers are increasingly demanding both. Juicefast offers 100% natural, cold-pressed juices, functional kombuchas, and meals that combine health, flavor, and sustainability. Their packaging is recycled, and all production energy comes exclusively from solar power. With the support of investors like Mate Rimac and the Feelsgood fund, and with over €4 million in revenue, they are becoming a leading player in the region and beyond.
LIME BOOKING
Lime Booking – Where health, sustainability, and taste speak the same language.
Beauty salons, wellness centers, healthcare providers, and similar service-based businesses face daily challenges with time-consuming appointment scheduling, last-minute cancellations, and inefficient calendar management. Lime Booking addresses these issues with an advanced application that streamlines appointment booking, automates reminder notifications, enables online payments and invoicing, and provides in-depth analytics. The solution already helps over 1,000 businesses in the region manage more than 200,000 appointments each month. The app is intuitive, modular, and already proving its value – all without external funding and with a growing base of satisfied users.
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The program is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union, specifically from the European Regional Development Fund. It is implemented based on the program ‘Substantive support for faster global and sustainable growth of innovative SMEs (DevelopmentPlus Program)’ within the framework of the Slovenia’s EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027.
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