01–04 OCT 2026 SKOPJE · NORTH MACEDONIA Program / v1.0 · Updated weekly

The Program — 01–04 Oct 2026

Four days. One movement.

Six tracks. Two stages. A program built for the people redrawing what's next — main-stage keynotes, the early-stage Startup Stage, and the hallway conversations that make the week worth the flight.

Day 01 · October 1 Arrival

Opening 18:00 240 min

Beginning of the Revolution
Welcome reception and opening party. Doors at 18:00 — the four days begin here.

Tracks

AI & Emerging Technologies Content / Creator Economy Ecosystem & Data Energy / Climate Tech Founder Journey Trust, Privacy & Cybersecurity

Day 02 · October 2 Kickoff

09:00 Registration· 60 min Welcome Coffee & NetworkingCredentials, lanyards, and the first of many very good espressos. The Movement begins in the foyer.
Opening 10:00 15 min

Official Opening — Startup Club Skopje & Partners
An opening note on why this city, this week, this decade. Ana sets the tone for the four days ahead.

Ana Jovanović Founder & CEO · Lumen AI
Ecosystem & Data 3 sessions · 10:15– 11:20
1. 10:15 20 min
  
  Keynote
  Mapping the CEE Startup Ecosystem
  A keynote on the state of the region — the gaps, the momentum, and where the next decade ships from.
  
  Open session
2. 10:35 30 min
  
  Panel
  State of Startups in CEE: Trends & Capital
  What LPs want, what GPs pretend, and where the marginal dollar actually goes next year.
  
  +1 more
3. 11:05 15 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Selected Startups
  Three founders from across CEE get five minutes each. The audience decides who stays on for Q&A.
  
  Open session
AI & Emerging Technologies 4 sessions · 11:30– 12:45
1. 11:30 20 min
  
  Keynote
  AI in CEE: From Hype to Scale
  The state of AI adoption across the region — what's shipping, what's stalling, and where the gap is.
2. 11:50 25 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Building AI Startups in Emerging Markets
  How to build for contexts where infrastructure lags, talent clusters differently, and capital moves slower.
  
  +1 more
3. 12:15 20 min
  
  Case Study
  Scaling AI Globally
  A single company. The full story — what they shipped, what broke, and what the model actually cost.
4. 12:35 10 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  AI Startups
  Three AI-native startups get five minutes each to show — not tell.
  
  Open session
12:45 Break· 60 min Lunch Break
Energy / Climate Tech 4 sessions · 13:45– 15:00
1. 13:45 20 min
  
  Keynote
  Future of Energy Innovation in Europe
  Why the energy transition is a startup problem and which fund theses are finally right.
  
  Open session
2. 14:05 25 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Climate Startups That Scale
  Three climate founders on the fundraising, go-to-market, and deployment constraints nobody writes about.
3. 14:30 20 min
  
  Case Study
  Climate Tech in Action
  A live numbers session. One company's carbon accounting, CAC, and capital efficiency — no filters.
  
  Open session
4. 14:50 10 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Climate Startups
  Rapid-fire pitches from the three most-watched climate deals in the pipeline.
  
  Open session
Live Launch 15:00 20 min

Startup Live Launch
One selected startup launches live on the Main Stage in front of 5,000 people. No script. No safety net.
Trust, Privacy & Cybersecurity 4 sessions · 15:20– 16:35
1. 15:20 20 min
  
  Keynote
  Building Trust in the AI Era: Security, Privacy & Responsibility
  Security, privacy, and responsibility at scale — the keynote that reframes the compliance conversation.
2. 15:40 25 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Building Trust-First Startups
  Three founders who made privacy a growth lever — not a legal footnote.
  
  +1 more
3. 16:05 20 min
  
  Case Study
  Scaling Secure & Privacy-First AI Systems
  The full architecture of one company's trust layer — from data contracts to audit trails.
4. 16:25 10 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  TrustTech, Privacy & Security Startups
  Three companies solving the hardest parts of the compliance stack.
  
  Open session
16:35 Break· 20 min Coffee Break
Content / Creator Economy 4 sessions · 16:55– 18:10
1. 16:55 20 min
  
  Keynote
  AI in Content Creation
  The keynote on where human creative work ends and where the machine picks up — and why the line keeps moving.
2. 17:15 25 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  AI & the Future of Content Creation
  Creators who built their own AI tools — and what that taught them about their own craft.
3. 17:40 20 min
  
  Case Study
  AI in Marketing & Growth
  One growth team's experiment with fully AI-generated content — the results, the regrets, and the future of the team.
4. 18:00 10 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Creator Economy Startups
  Three creator-economy startups building the next infrastructure layer for independent work.
  
  Open session
18:10 Closing· 10 min Closing RemarksA brief send-off before the evening begins. Ana Jovanović
After Hours · Side Event

Night Activity 20:00 90 min

Open Call for Confessions
The Pitch That Should Never Have Happened — Startup Confessions
An interactive game. Anonymous startup confessions are revealed on stage and the audience votes on which founder, investor, or corporate made it. Wrong guesses get penalties. Networking afterward.

Apply to confess Anonymous · On-stage

13:45 Opening· 15 min Welcome & Kickoff: Start Your Founder JourneyAn orientation for early-stage founders — what this stage is for and how to get the most from it.
Founder Journey 3 sessions · 14:00– 16:00
From the unspoken weight to the first scoped MVP.
1. 14:00 40 min
  
  Keynote
  The Ugly Truth About Being a Founder / From Freelancer to Founder
  The things startup media never covers — the emotional weight, the money stress, and why most founders quit before they should.
2. 14:40 40 min
  
  Live Demo
  Turning Your Freelance Skills into a Scalable Startup
  Live demo of a product built by a former freelancer who turned their services into software.
3. 15:20 40 min
  
  Masterclass
  Crafting Your First MVP & Value Proposition
  A hands-on masterclass — you leave with a draft value prop and a scoped MVP you could build next week.
  
  Open session
16:00 Break· 15 min Coffee & Networking Break
Founder Journey 3 sessions · 16:15– 17:45
From bootstrapped revenue to a pitch the room remembers.
1. 16:15 30 min
  
  Keynote
  Bootstrapping Your Startup — Lessons from Early-Stage Founders
  Three founders who built to profitability without raising a round — what they'd do again and what they'd skip.
2. 16:45 30 min
  
  Live Demo
  Demo: Build Your First Landing Page That Converts
  A step-by-step live build — from blank template to a page that actually captures emails.
  
  Open session
3. 17:15 30 min
  
  Masterclass
  Masterclass: Pitching Your Startup for the First Investors
  The mechanics of an early-stage pitch — what angel investors actually look for, and how to practice getting to yes.
17:45 Closing· 15 min Closing & Next Steps for Early-Stage FoundersRecap of the day, actionable takeaways, and next steps for incubator participants. Ana Jovanović

Tracks

AgriTech & Food AI Transformation & Scaleup FinTech Government & Policy HealthTech

Day 03 · October 3 Signal

09:30 Registration· 60 min Registration / Welcome Coffee & NetworkingRegistration, welcome coffee, and networking for Day 2.
Opening 10:30 10 min

Official Opening - Startup Revolution Day 2
Startup Club Skopje & Partners open the second day.
Government & Policy 4 sessions · 10:40– 12:40
1. 10:40 40 min
  
  Panel
  Driving Startup Growth: Policies, Innovation Funds & Public Support
  Ministry of Economy, Innovation & Digitalization, Innovation Fund, donor representatives, and ecosystem builders on the levers that actually move the needle.
  
  Open session
2. 11:20 30 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Public-Private Collaboration for Startup Ecosystems
  Government officials and ecosystem leaders on what works when public capital meets private execution.
  
  Open session
3. 11:50 30 min
  
  Panel
  Building Investor Confidence in Emerging Markets
  Local and regional VCs, impact investors, and accelerators on closing the credibility gap.
  
  Open session
4. 12:20 20 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Selected Early-Stage Startups
  A showcase of startups benefiting from government or donor programs.
  
  Open session
12:40 Break· 10 min TransitionTime to move to the brunch venue.
13:00 Break· 60 min Main Stage Networking / Brunch with Investors & SpeakersShared brunch across both stages — investors, policy makers, and founders in the same room.
FinTech 3 sessions · 14:00– 15:00
1. 14:00 20 min
  
  Keynote
  Raising My First $3M
  A FinTech founder on the first institutional round — what landed, what stalled, and what they would not repeat.
  
  Open session
2. 14:20 35 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Investing in FinTech Startups: Trends & Lessons
  A VC / angel investor (Startup Wise Guys) on what changed in FinTech underwriting this cycle.
  
  Open session
3. 14:55 5 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Featured FinTech Startup
  The best of the best in FinTech — rising stars.
  
  Open session
Live Launch 15:00 20 min

Startup Live Launch
One selected startup launches live on the Main Stage. No script. No safety net.
HealthTech 3 sessions · 15:20– 16:20
1. 15:20 20 min
  
  Keynote
  Lessons from Raising My First $2M in HealthTech
  A founder from a HealthTech / MedTech scale-up on the first institutional round in a regulated category.
  
  Open session
2. 15:40 35 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Investment Opportunities & Trends in HealthTech
  A VC / angel investor on where HealthTech capital is moving next.
  
  Open session
3. 16:15 5 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Featured HealthTech Startup
  The best of the best in HealthTech — rising stars.
  
  Open session
AgriTech & Food 3 sessions · 16:20– 17:20
1. 16:20 20 min
  
  Keynote
  From Prototype to First $1M Revenue
  A regional scale-up or Series A founder in FoodTech / AgriTech on the first million in the door.
  
  Open session
2. 16:40 35 min
  
  Fireside Chat
  Funding Trends & Investor Lessons
  An impact VC / angel investor on what gets funded in AgriTech right now.
  
  Open session
3. 17:15 5 min
  
  Startup Spotlight
  Featured Startup
  The best of the best in AgriTech — rising stars.
  
  Open session
Panel 17:25 20 min

INVEST OR KILL: Startup Arena
Live game format. Three investors — VC, angel, operator — meet selected startups on stage. Invest or kill, on the spot.
17:45 Closing· 10 min Closing RemarksStartup Club Skopje & Partners close out the day.

10:30 Opening· 10 min Welcome & Kickoff: Scaleup Business & Investment StageStartup Club Skopje and stage hosts open the Scaleup Stage.
AI Transformation & Scaleup 4 sessions · 10:40– 12:40
1. 10:40 35 min
  
  Keynote
  AI Transformation in Business: From Traditional to AI-Driven Companies
  A founder / CEO / AI transformation leader on rewiring an existing company around AI.
  
  Open session
2. 11:15 30 min
  
  Case Study
  How We Integrated AI to Scale Real Business Operations with Verba AI // Потенцијална соработка
  A working session with Verba AI on what shipped in production.
  
  Open session
3. 11:45 30 min
  
  Masterclass
  Building AI-Ready Organizations & Teams
  A COO / HR leader / AI strategist on the org changes that turn AI from a project into a capability.
  
  Open session
4. 12:15 25 min
  
  Keynote
  Leadership in the Age of AI Disruption
  A founder / executive leader on running a company through the shift.
  
  Open session
13:00 Break· 60 min Networking Brunch with Investors & SpeakersShared brunch across both stages — investors, policy makers, and founders in the same room.
AI Transformation & Scaleup 2 sessions · 14:00– 15:00
1. 14:00 30 min
  
  Masterclass
  From Founder to Investor: What Changes in Mindset
  Ex-founders turned investors / angels (incl. a speaker from Foundation 787) on the switch.
  
  Open session
2. 14:30 30 min
  
  Keynote
  How Investors Think: Building Scalable Companies
  A VC / angel investor / fund partner on what scales — and what only looks like it.
  
  Open session
Startup Spotlight 15:00 90 min

PITCHING BLOCK / Pitching Session
Selected founders pitching to a panel of investors and a jury. Ninety minutes, on the clock.

Day 04 · October 4 Closing

08:00 Break· 180 min WizzAir Skopje MarathonThe WizzAir Skopje Marathon. Run it, walk it, or watch it — the city takes the morning.
Closing 13:00 120 min

Closing of Startup Revolution
Closing remarks, hand-offs, and the farewell to four days of the Movement.

Early-bird pricing closes May 31, 2026

Ready to join
the Movement?

Four days that change the trajectory. The room gets small when you wait — early-bird passes are capped and move fast.

Get Your Pass Exhibit or Sponsor

01–04 OCT 2026 · SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA

Four days. One movement.

Beginning of the Revolution

Official Opening — Startup Club Skopje & Partners

Mapping the CEE Startup Ecosystem

State of Startups in CEE: Trends & Capital

Selected Startups

AI in CEE: From Hype to Scale

Building AI Startups in Emerging Markets

Scaling AI Globally

AI Startups

Future of Energy Innovation in Europe

Climate Startups That Scale

Climate Tech in Action

Climate Startups

Startup Live Launch

Building Trust in the AI Era: Security, Privacy & Responsibility

Building Trust-First Startups

Scaling Secure & Privacy-First AI Systems

TrustTech, Privacy & Security Startups

AI in Content Creation

AI & the Future of Content Creation

AI in Marketing & Growth

Creator Economy Startups

The Pitch That Should Never Have Happened — Startup Confessions

The Ugly Truth About Being a Founder / From Freelancer to Founder

Turning Your Freelance Skills into a Scalable Startup

Crafting Your First MVP & Value Proposition

Bootstrapping Your Startup — Lessons from Early-Stage Founders

Demo: Build Your First Landing Page That Converts

Masterclass: Pitching Your Startup for the First Investors

Official Opening - Startup Revolution Day 2

Driving Startup Growth: Policies, Innovation Funds & Public Support

Public-Private Collaboration for Startup Ecosystems

Building Investor Confidence in Emerging Markets

Selected Early-Stage Startups

Raising My First $3M

Investing in FinTech Startups: Trends & Lessons

Featured FinTech Startup

Startup Live Launch

Lessons from Raising My First $2M in HealthTech

Investment Opportunities & Trends in HealthTech

Featured HealthTech Startup

From Prototype to First $1M Revenue

Funding Trends & Investor Lessons

Featured Startup

INVEST OR KILL: Startup Arena

AI Transformation in Business: From Traditional to AI-Driven Companies

How We Integrated AI to Scale Real Business Operations with Verba AI // Потенцијална соработка

Building AI-Ready Organizations & Teams

Leadership in the Age of AI Disruption

From Founder to Investor: What Changes in Mindset

How Investors Think: Building Scalable Companies

PITCHING BLOCK / Pitching Session

Closing of Startup Revolution

Ready to join the Movement?

Ready to join
the Movement?