The closing event of the Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2025 selection took place at the Si-TI theatre in Ljubljana, attracting more than 220 entrepreneurial enthusiasts and stakeholders of the Slovenian startup ecosystem. The event was marked by the awarding of the prestigious prize, which has been awarded for the eighteenth time to companies whose achievements and innovations stand out in the field of Slovenian entrepreneurship.
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The winner of the Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2025 is Astra AI, a company that has developed a smart learning assistant that uses artificial intelligence to adapt the material to the student’s knowledge, pace and goals. This innovative product represents a new step in personalised learning, enabling better and faster absorption of knowledge.
The award was presented by the Start:up Slovenia initiative in cooperation with the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport and other key stakeholders of the Slovenian startup ecosystem. Andrej P. Škraba from Astra AI expressed his joy and pride on receiving the award, as the team that started as a modest project has now grown into a major player in the field of educational technology.
The eighteen years of the Slovenian Startup of the Year have been marked by numerous success stories that have helped to raise the profile of Slovenian innovations on the global market. Urban Lapajne, a representative of Start:up Slovenia, emphasised that in the future they want to create an environment that will be competitive with the best in the world and attract the best talent to create new jobs with high added value.
The final selection, held for the first time this year at the IEDC – Bled School of Management, brought five finalists – Arvio, Atra AI, ErgoHide, Juicefast and Lime Booking. The jury evaluated the success of the product in validating its value in the market, attracting investment, the competence of the team and the potential for rapid growth in foreign markets.
Jure Mikuž from South Central Ventures said about the award, “The award is for a startup that has courage, perseverance and innovation. We were looking for a team that we believe will still be together and growing years from now.”
The Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2025 – Astra AI convinced the jury with its advanced use of artificial intelligence and its clear potential for growth in the global market. Their solution, a smart learning assistant, is already used by more than 170,000 registered users, confirming the need for advanced learning tools that go beyond traditional approaches.
On receiving the award , Andrej P. Škraba of Astra AI said, “When you receive an award like this, it’s a really special moment – full of joy and pride. It’s a proud moment, a proud moment, a joyful moment, a proud moment, a joy to be proud of, a joy to see.”
The Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2024 – FLIQA, the recipient of the previous award, highlighted how the award helps the company in gaining media attention and partnerships and expanding their business.
The closing event, which took place at SiTi Theatre, was enriched by a spectacular performance by Tilen Artač, together with Robert Petan and Igor Bračič, who with their charm and musical talent provided a relaxed and unforgettable atmosphere.
Matevž Frangež, State Secretary at the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, stressed the importance of artificial intelligence in the Slovenian startup ecosystem and praised Astra AI, which is likely to quickly transcend Slovenian borders and play an important role in the global market.
The prestigious Slovenian Start:Up of the Year 2025 award is thus an important milestone for the winners and for the entire Slovenian startup ecosystem, as it opens many doors for further development and expansion of companies.