Last month (March 21) , i2i hosted an international visit, welcoming Rok Colarič, Founder and CEO of the Slovenian startup Sleep Bottle, and Jakob Gajšek, Co-founder of ABC Accelerator and Partner at RUJ VC, for an exchange in Taiwan. Also attending was John Chang, CEO of the promising Taiwanese startup JMEM tek, facilitating discussions on their respective business potentials and exploring future collaborative opportunities. The Slovenian guests expressed their keenness to introduce outstanding Taiwanese startups domestically to advance local technological progress and industrial innovation. They hoped that i2i could facilitate the recommendation of more Taiwanese startups like JMEM to Slovenia, while assisting Slovenian startups in actively engaging with Taiwan for development opportunities. Mr. Rok and Mr. Jakob plan to revisit i2i to delve deeper into Taiwan's startup ecosystem and collaborative models.
During the visit, i2i matched John Chang, CEO of JMEM tek, a promising Taiwanese startup, to participate in the international exchange with Slovenia, focusing on the startup ecosystems and potential business opportunities between Taiwan and Slovenia, fostering friendly dialogue and exploring promising cooperation prospects.
The event facilitated proactive discussions on trilateral cooperation prospects, with two key Slovenian guests, Rok Colarič, Founder and CEO of Sleep Bottle, and Jakob Gajšek, Co-founder of ABC Accelerator and Partner at RUJ VC. Mr. Rok and Mr. Jakob shared their experiences and achievements in fostering the development of Slovenia's startup ecosystem.
As a founder, Rok Colarič not only successfully globalized Sleep Bottle but also possesses rich expertise in market research, product manufacturing processes, and potential collaboration development. He emphasized the importance of bringing excellent foreign startups into Slovenia to drive local industry internationalization.
Jakob Gajšek elaborated on the roles and contributions of ABC Accelerator and RUJ VC in Slovenia's startup ecosystem, presenting investment experiences, case studies, and how accelerator functions support and propel Slovenia's entrepreneurial culture.
On the Taiwanese side, John Chang, CEO of JMEM tek, introduced the company's innovative technologies and application products, emphasizing the importance of developing cybersecurity technologies and highlighting the market potential and development direction in this field. i2i expressed its commitment to continuing to facilitate mutual interaction, resource exchange, and sharing between Taiwanese and Slovenian startups.
In conclusion, Mr. Rok and Mr. Jakob reached an agreement with i2i to revisit in the near future to discuss respective market demands, potential startup lists, and further cooperation details. They hope to deepen their understanding of Taiwan's startup ecosystem and collaborative models through i2i's international matchmaking and exchange experiences, laying a solid foundation for Taiwan-Slovenia exchanges and cooperation.
About ABC Accelerator
ABC is a Slovenian startup accelerator established in 2015, continuously assisting in the development and investment acquisition of startup companies while providing mentorship and expert consultations. Since its inception, it has supported over 500 startups in various fields including fintech, blockchain, AI, and robotics, rigorously selecting startups with minimum viable products (MVPs) and clear revenue sources. In 2017, it received the CESA Best Accelerator Program Award.
About Sleep Bottle
Founded in 2017, Sleep Bottle is a Slovenian startup that originated from the parenting experience of its founder, Rok Colarič. The "Sleep Bottle" aims to help parents care for their babies effortlessly, ensuring a good night's sleep for both baby and parent. After two years of research and development, it created a bottle that can store powder, dry goods, and water, with perfect temperature and easy opening. The product received the Best Baby Bottle 2019 Gold Award and the Best Bottle Feeding Must Have 2019 Silver Award.
About RUJ VC
RUJ VC is a professional investment team co-founded by Jakob, involving advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, quantum computing, and biotechnology. They assist clients in addressing complex problems and providing innovative solutions, having completed 58 transactions with over a 9x investment return rate. The team is dedicated to seeking solutions to global issues such as healthcare, energy, climate change, and class poverty, promoting positive impacts on society by investing in relevant startups.