Karanovic & Partners held the third in a series of webinars, this time dedicated to the future of startups. The event was centered around the implications brought about by the outbreak of COVID-19, and their effect on the startup scene in the region.
Speakers, including Senior Partner Rastko Petaković, Attorney at law in cooperation with Karanovic & Partners Igor Angelovski, Partner at KP Advisory Christoph Berndt, and Startit’s Vukašin Stojkov, presented their views on what the future holds for startups, and how they can solve numerous issues that arose from the current situation.
One of the key takeaways from the session is that although startups did not have adequate time to prepare for measures introduced after the appearance of the novel coronavirus, they must now get closer than ever to their clients and maintain their service. Although the outbreak of COVID-19 severely impacted the startup scene, our speakers firmly believe that startups will not lose on their significance, and that investors will look for value in these uncertain times.
There is also a firm belief that investors will keep an eye out for possible opportunities in the region of Western Balkans and that the current uncertainty arising from the global pandemic is not a cause for concern.
“These are trying times. I think it is a true test of leadership for those who are founders, CEOs, and major leaders in startups and scaleups to up their game and bring their best selves into the equation. First of all, to try to save as many jobs as they can in their companies as possible, try to use all the opportunities, and show their leadership skills in terms of personal sacrifice, time, and money – whatever possible. I think those who are able to demonstrate this personal, leadership, and business skills will ultimately be rewarded and reap the benefits”, said Senior Partner Rastko Petaković.
Our speakers engaged with the audience as well, answering well over a dozen questions ranging from government-imposed measures to possible solutions to secure a good market position in a volatile time.
