Split was a hub of innovation from June 9 to 16. The Startup Village conference was held at the Technology Park, marking the first conference in Split organized by Superteam Balkan, an organization that promotes and builds the Solana community across the Balkans.
A Week of Innovation
It was more than a week of learning about Web3, networking, and developing directly on the Solana blockchain. The conference was truly educational, allowing even someone with no prior knowledge of Web3 to onboard and begin their career in the space. The talks and panels were designed to cover a wide spectrum of Web3 topics, providing solid insights into various aspects of the industry.
In addition to the educational program, a content studio was available where different videos and podcasts were recorded. There were also various sponsor booths, including those from Solflare, Bitget, Civic, and Streamflow, as well as dedicated coworking and networking spaces. It’s important to highlight that the conference was completely free, with registration handled through Luma.
Main Program: Talks, Panels, and Demo Day
The event kicked off with a welcome speech by Matija Luketin, one of the founders of Superteam Balkan, followed by numerous talks and workshops.
For example, Filip MaloÄŤa, Community Architect at Solflare, held a workshop on building strong communities, similar to how it’s done at Solflare. Through his session, he explained the role of ambassadors in Solflare and highlighted the significant achievements they’ve made across all social media platforms. One of the key innovations he discussed was investing in the community itself, which he described as the foundation of every successful ecosystem.
Another notable session was led by Marija Šustić, a designer at Superteam Balkan and the person responsible for the conference’s visual identity, on the topic of building Web3 branding.
Aside from the workshops, there were many engaging talks. Vlaho Hrdalo, a lawyer at Hrdalo & Krnic, spoke about whitepapers and how they should be structured in accordance with the current MiCA regulation. He demonstrated the differences between previous versions of whitepapers and how they must now be tailored if the crypto asset issuer is based in the EU.
Antonio Perić-MaĹľar, CEO of Locastic, gave a talk on the future of payments, outlining the pros and cons of traditional payment systems compared to newer alternatives using stablecoins. He noted that traditional systems are slower and limited by bank working hours, holidays, and similar constraints, whereas stablecoins are available 24/7/365. He also addressed user-friendliness, stating that while traditional systems are more intuitive for the general public, stablecoin-based systems are evolving rapidly to become more accessible, though they haven’t fully achieved this yet.
In addition to lectures, there were various panels — one notably discussed Token Raise vs. VC Raise vs. Bootstrapping, featuring panelists Josip Volarević (co-founder of Superteam Balkan), Antoni Perić-Mažar, and Luka Sučić (partner at Meta Change Capital).
Each panelist presented a different viewpoint. Josip Volarević used an interesting analogy to compare funding methods to relationships — bootstrapping is like being single and free, VC funding is like a traditional marriage, and a token raise is like using Tinder, implying less responsibility.
The conference concluded with a Demo Day, where 15 startups pitched their projects in front of a jury composed of Mališa Stanojević (founder of Streamflow), Vlad Toni (founder of AllDomains), and Kieran Parker-Moroney (co-founder of Bonk Advisory).
Each pitch lasted three minutes, followed by a three-minute Q&A from the jury. First place went to Biq Protocol, which stood out for its consistency. Nomu claimed second place with an incredible pitch, while Solar Surge took third place, presented by a 17-year-old who openly shared his big dreams. It was an incredibly engaging experience, giving startups a chance to refine their projects. The best ones received financial support and mentorship for future development.
Marko Djurdjevic, the head of Superteam Balkan, emphasized: “From Karting races, grill day, to late-night fireside chats, Startup Village was more than an event. It was a family reunion. People enjoyed being part of the event and our community! That is something I am most proud of — people started building and growing together.”Â
The conference closed with Matija Luketin thanking all attendees and sponsors and announcing Startup Village for next year.
More Than Just a Conference
To sum up, Startup Village Split was more than just a conference — it was a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and community. It brought together developers, designers, legal experts, entrepreneurs, and crypto enthusiasts from across the region and beyond, creating an environment where ideas flourished and partnerships were born.
By combining high-quality educational content with real-world networking and fun, Superteam Balkan successfully set a new standard for what a Web3 gathering in the Balkans can look like. And as the final applause faded and the last pitch was delivered, one thing became clear — this wasn’t the end, but just the beginning. With next year’s Startup Village already in the works, the momentum continues, and the Balkan Web3 community is ready to build even bigger, together.
Startup Village didn’t just spark conversations — it sparked a movement.
