On May 23 – 24, 2025, Prishtina REA is set to host the inaugural edition of Balkonnect, a two-day festival designed to foster economic cooperation, innovation, and investment across the Western Balkans. The event will serve as a platform to connect industry leaders, investors, and innovators from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia, with a rotational hosting model, the festival will move to different Western Balkans capitals each year, reinforcing its goal of creating a well-connected network. The first edition of the festival will focus specifically on Digital Finance Investment 2030 and will aim at bringing together business executives, government representatives, international organizations, investors, academics, and innovators.
Built on five key pillars – innovation, matchmaking, promotion, networking,and investment- Balkonnect will encourage research and develop collaborations between the private sector and investors, facilitate direct business connections, showcase the region’s most successful industries to a global audience, and primarily, focus on investment opportunities, allowing businesses to pitch their ideas to private investors, business angels, and venture capitalists. Over two days, the festival will be structured around six distinct themes, with each night concluding in exclusive investment-seeking sessions, where entrepreneurs and startups will present their projects to potential investors. Each year, the investment-seeking sessions will include 50% participation from the host country and 50% from the rest of the Western Balkans, ensuring equal representation and a balanced distribution of opportunities.
Beyond regional engagement, Balkonnect has already attracted interest from international partners in the United States and Asia, with companies from various sectors expressing their willingness to participate- including major players suh as FarmWise Labs, Inc., Unilever R&D, TraceGains, and Brightseed.
To learn more about the festival and stay updated on all the latest news, visit Balkonnect official website.
Source: INSME Secretariat
