Hedepy, a Czech company providing rapid access to online psychotherapy, was chosen the best startup at an international business conference in Maribor on 17 May in a competition of 135 startups from 18 countries.

What is one of the fastest growing platforms for mental health and well-being was selected by a jury of international investors from Europe's leading venture capital funds and experienced entrepreneurs.

The Hedepy web platform, which is active in 11 markets, can provide therapy and psychological support in five minutes anywhere in the countries where it operates.

Four more startups were shortlisted in the Podim Pitching Competition: Croatian no-code big data infrastructure platform Qubinets, Croatian developer of DIY STEM kits for kids CircuitMess, Austrian dynamic travel marketplace Midnightdeal, and Behavio, a Czech behavioural advertising company.

The competition is part the annual Podim conference, which features talks, panel discussions, product demonstrations and networking for some 1,100 startups, investors, experts and business executives in attendance this year.

The Slovenian Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport hailed the competition as an excellent opportunity for startups and fast-growing companies to raise their profile and attract the attention of investors and other potential business partners. Minister Matjaž Han described the conference as an event boosting Slovenia's place on the European and global business map.

"Slovenia has a well-developed innovation ecosystem to support startups, but we are lagging behind in venture capital investments. That is why the ministry, in cooperation with the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, is planning to create a special fund and introduce measures to finance all stages of the development of innovative companies," Han said.

The two-day Podim conference was first held in Maribor in 1980. It aims to connect innovations with business opportunities, capital and knowledge, and highlight startups from the Alpine-Adriatic region.