Competition judges

Eveline Buchatskiy

Eveline Buchatskiy has recently taken the position of Director for the premium startup accelerator Techstars in Boston, US.  She is responsible for selecting the best startup companies from around the world, to provide them with a strong incubation program, and help them raise additional funds for their continued growth as a global company.  Prior to her position at Eastlabs, Eveline was a founding Managing Partner for Eastlabs accelerator based in Kiev, Ukraine, serving all European markets.  She has gained tremendous experience in creating entrepreneurship ecosystems from ground zero and is a founding member of the Board for UAngel business angel investment network in Ukraine. Eveline was former CEO of leading media company Ekonomika, and CEO of high-tech startup APCT, winner of the second annual "Silicon Valley Open Doors" contest in 2006. Before moving to Ukraine, Eveline worked for 10 years as an engineering associate on several multi-million dollar projects for top industrial gas company Praxair, Inc. based in New York. 

Eveline received her Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from University of California at Berkeley, her Master of Engineering degree from State University of New York, and her executive MBA from INSEAD.

Adrian Ježina

Adrian Ježina assumed his position on Vipnet`s Management Board after Vipnet acquired B.net in August 2011, where he had previously served as President of the Board and CEO since 2006. In 2014, he also accepted the position of Chief Multimedia & Fixed Services Officer at Mtel, Bulgaria. In July 2014 he assumed the position of Vipnet`s Chief Technology Officer. Ježina graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Naval Architecture at the University of Split, received his MBA at the Cotrugli Business School, and received a master’s degree at the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb. The Croatian Managers’ Association granted Ježina the “Manager of the Year” award in 2010, and in 2013 he was appointed as a President of the CEA - ICT Association.

Laszlo Czirjak

Laszlo Czirjak, is a co-founder and managing partner of iEurope Capital LLC, a private equity/venture capital fund management firm. His portfolio management investment experience has been focused successfully on building businesses in the services, Internet, software, manufacturing and media industries. Prior to iEurope, he was a Managing Director at Bankers Trust Company/BT Alex Brown in the London Investment Bank. Not-for-profit activities include engagements at the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, Board of United Way Resource Foundation (Hungary); and Columbia University Club of Hungary. He received an MBA and a BS in Industrial Engineering, both with honors, from Columbia University in New York.

Ivo Spigel

Ivo Spigel is a co-founder and Board Member of Perpetuum Mobile (www.perpetuum.hr), an IT software and services company based in Zagreb, Croatia, founded in 1989. He was a long time CEO of the company until his partner Mr. Blerim Sela became CEO in 2008. Mr Spigel is a writer for Mreza (Croatian IT monthly) and the Croatian edition of Forbes, as well as writing a forthcoming book of interviews with European high tech founders "The European Startup Revolution“. He is active within the Croatian startup community as a cofounder of the ZIP incubator / coworking space in Zagreb, long time Seedcamp mentor and has been recognized as one of the top 5 European startup mentors by The Europas awards in 2011.

Jure Mikuz

Jure Mikuz has established the first Slovenia-based VC Fund, raising private commitments mostly from domestic industrial investors. He serves on several boards of the investee companies, including Celtra, Degordian and MountVacation. Jure is actively promoting entrepreneurship and regularly holds lectures on finance and fundraising procedures for the start-up communities in Slovenia and across the Balkans. Prior to establishing RSG Capital he had served as a deputy head of asset management in KD Group and stock broker on the Ljubljana stock exchange. Jure holds MBA from the University of Ljubljana.