Sasho Jovanovski on Startup Revolution AI Summit
The CEO behind Startup Revolution AI Summit speaks with AI Balkans about building a regional meeting point for artificial intelligence, startups, business and investment in Skopje. From October 1 to 4, Skopje is expected to host more than 2,000 participants from over 50 countries, including startups, investors, companies, AI experts and public-sector representatives. For Startup Revolution AI Summit, the ambition is not only to organize another regional technology event, but to create a place where founders, investors and companies can meet directly and turn conversations into partnerships. Sasho Jovanovski AI Balkans spoke with CEO Sasho Jovanovski about what will make this year’s summit different, why international investors are coming to Skopje, and how North Macedonia can become more visible on the regional AI and startup map. What can we expect from the Startup Revolution AI Summit in October, and what will set it apart from other AI events in the region? From October 1 to 4, we want Skopje to become a true meeting point for AI, startups, business, and investment. We expect more than 2,000 participants from 50+ countries, 100+ speakers, 400+ startups, and 200+ investors. Sasho Jovanovski - Opening the Summit 2025 What sets us apart is that we do not want to be just another conference where people only talk about AI. We will have practical sessions, companies that are already using AI in real business, startups, scale-up companies, investors, Startup World Cup, different industry tracks, and direct 1-on-1 connections through the Summit mobile application. Our idea is for people not just to come and listen, but to leave with a contact, a client, a partner, an investor, or a concrete idea they can apply immediately. What is the main goal of this year’s summit, and what would you like participants to take away with them? The main goal is to bring the global startup, AI, and investment world closer to Macedonia and the region. We do not want our people to always have to travel to London, Berlin, Dubai, or San Francisco to reach these companies, investors, and knowledge. We want those people to come to Skopje. The greatest success for us will not only be the number of 2,000 participants. Success will be if a startup finds an investor, a company finds a new technology or partner, a young founder gets a global client, or someone starts a company because of a contact they made at the Summit. What kind of audience do you expect in October? We expect a very diverse audience, and that is exactly one of the greatest values of the event. We will have startups and scale-up companies, domestic and international corporations, investors and VC funds, AI and tech experts, founders, entrepreneurs, institutions, universities, embassies, and representatives from the public sector. It is especially important to us that we put in the same room the people who create technologies, the companies that can use them, and the investors who can finance them. Will the summit include concrete AI products, startups and practical solutions, in addition to panels and speakers? Absolutely. That is one of the key ideas of this year’s Summit. We do not want AI to remain just a panel topic. There will be startups and companies showing real products, tools, and solutions – from automation and fintech to cybersecurity, healthtech, data, sales, marketing, and other industries. We will also have practical workshops where people will be able to see how certain AI tools and technologies can be applied directly in their companies. How much space will local and regional AI startups and organizations have at the summit? A very large amount. In fact, one of our main missions is precisely to find and position the next major startup companies from Macedonia and the region. We will have a Startup Stage, pitch competitions, an expo, meetings with investors, and opportunities for local and regional startups to present themselves directly to an international audience. Our long-term ambition is for Macedonia to get its first unicorn startup in the next few years. Today we are bringing unicorn companies to Skopje, and tomorrow we want the world to come to Skopje to meet unicorn companies created here. Do you expect international investors and companies that are actively looking for partnerships or startups from the region? Yes, and that is one of the most important parts of the Summit. We expect around 200 investors, and the funds and investors who will have representatives in Skopje together have portfolios of more than one billion euros. People are coming who are not here only to be speakers, but who truly want to meet companies from the region. The HelpBnk team of Simon Squibb is also coming, with an interest in getting to know our ecosystem and entrepreneurs from the region. That is exactly why we are investing a lot in both networking and the mobile application, so that everything does not depend on a chance meeting in the hallway. How do you choose the speakers and topics, especially now that almost every event has “AI” in its program? That is exactly the challenge – today everyone is talking about AI. We try to bring people who not only talk about the technology, but are already using it to build companies, products, and real businesses. This year we have 10+ speakers and representatives from unicorn and billion-dollar companies. When choosing them, it is important to us that the person can share concrete experience: what they did, what worked, what did not work, and what the audience can learn from it. We do not want to spend four days listening to “AI will change the future.” We already know that. We are more interested in: how exactly will it change it, and what can we do with it today? Is the summit intended as a one-time major event, or do you want to build a broader AI community around it? Startup Revolution is only the peak of what we work on throughout the entire year. Through Startup Club Skopje, we work with startups, compa…