Prishtina, 25 May 2025 – Balkonnect Festival 2025, the most ambitious regional initiative to connect the Western Balkans with global business, investment, and innovation ecosystems, has officially concluded – leaving behind a trail of impactful conversations, new partnerships, and
future-shaping commitments. Hosted at Hotel Emerald in Prishtina on May 23–24, the festival brought together more than 450 recorded participants from across 35 countries and 4 continents, fostering dialogue and cross-border collaboration under a shared vision of economic transformation in the Western Balkans.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• 7 Thematic Sessions spanning topics like Green & Renewable Energy, ICT & Digital Evolution, Outsourcing, Sustainable Finance, Social Enterprise, and Women Entrepreneurship.
• 50+ distinguished speakers and moderators from tech visionaries to banking leaders corporate executives policymakers, and global investors. Companies from Kosovo, the Balkans, Europe, the United States, India, Africa and Gulf countries attended
• 839 B2B meetings arranged via the b2match platform – a record-breaking matchmaking performance in the region.
• 350+ participating companies, many of which forged partnerships, joint ventures, and commercial agreements during the two days
• 7 Venture Capital funds and angel networks attended the Balkonnect Pitching Event, resulting in 6 startups receiving investment commitments, ranging from mentorship and advisory to direct equity investment
• A powerful Opening Ceremony featured high-level voices from EBRD, Mastercard, Apollo Capital Group (Greece), AYOZAT (UK), Tropical Solar Energy (India), Gulf Business Development (Qatar), Portugal Prime Diaspora, North Macedonia Business Confederation, Yunus Social Business Albania, and more – setting the tone for an inclusive and globally ambitious platform.

NOTABLE LAUNCH:

Among the key activities was the launch of the Kosovo Green Building Council (KGBC) – a significant moment for the country’s sustainable development efforts. The event featured high-level participation including Dr. Christine Lemaitre of the DGNB (German Sustainable Building
Council) and marked the beginning of certified training programs for green architecture and construction aligned with EU standards.

A MOVEMENT, NOT JUST A FESTIVAL

Balkonnect Festival 2025 was more than an event – it was a catalyst. A convergence of institutions, investors, creatives, industry leaders, and changemakers aligned around the promise of the Western Balkans.

As the festival closes, one thing is clear: a new regional energy has been unlocked, and its ripple effects will continue to shape the future of entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation in this part of the world.

Want to see more photos from the Balkonnect Festival? Check out the full  gallery