EWA Serbia 2025 - Masterclass: From Idea to Investor
The EWA 2025 Masterclass in Novi Sad empowered women entrepreneurs from Serbia’s agrifood sector with the tools, confidence, and investor insights needed to grow and fund their businesses.
On October 16, 2025, the EWA Masterclass 2025 took place at Hotel Novi Sad, gathering women entrepreneurs from across Serbia’s agrifood sector for a full day of learning, collaboration, and empowerment. Organized within the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) programme- developed by EIT Food and implemented locally by The Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy, the event focused on helping participants strengthen their pitching and financing skills - transforming innovative agrifood ideas into investment-ready business models.
Event Overview
The EWA Masterclass 2025 in Novi Sad served as an intensive, full-day training session dedicated to smart financing and pitching for women-led agrifood startups. Designed to equip participants with practical knowledge and confidence, the event combined expert-led lectures, interactive workshops, and personalized mentorship.
The session was led by experienced professionals from academia, business support institutions, and communication fields, who guided participants through the key steps of transforming innovative agrifood ideas into investor-ready ventures.
Expert Insights and Speakers
The Masterclass showcased a panel of expert speakers and trainers:
- Jana Hudecova, Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy
- Biljana Viduka, Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade – Smart Financing for Agrifood Startups: From Idea to Investor
- Valentina Mladenović, Communication Expert – Pitching: Structure, Practice, and Public Speaking Skills
- Marijana Maksimović, Business Support Department, Guarantee Fund of AP Vojvodina
Throughout the day, EWA mentees and mentors reflected on their six-month journey in the Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Programme, sharing their growth and preparing for the upcoming Demo Day and Next Bite Warsaw 2025 regional event.
Key Highlights
The Masterclass offered participants:
- Practical insights into financing opportunities available through national, provincial, and EU programmes such as EIT Food and IPARD III.
- Hands-on pitching workshops focused on storytelling, stage confidence, and clear investor communication.
- Mentorship sessions where participants presented their pitch decks, received individualized feedback and refined their business narratives.
- A strong focus on authenticity, clarity, and focus in communicating business value to potential investors and partners.
“It’s not easy to tell your business story in four minutes – that’s why numbers, concrete facts, and a clear focus make all the difference.”
Next Steps
Participants of the EWA Masterclass 2025 will showcase their agrifood innovations at the Demo Day in November, presenting to expert juries and potential investors. Selected entrepreneurs will also represent Serbia at Next Bite Warsaw Next 2025, highlighting regional talent and collaboration within EIT Food’s European ecosystem.
The Demo Day, on November 26, 2025, will feature the final pitch competition and mark the programme’s culmination.
About the Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy
The Women’s Entrepreneurship Academy, founded in 2006 in Novi Sad, supports women entrepreneurs from rural and semi-urban areas of Serbia. It has trained over 3,200 women and organized workshops, mentoring programmes, and provided access to interest-free loans for female startups. The Academy launched a business incubator and accelerator for women, earning recognition as a Centre of Excellence for Women’s Entrepreneurship. It also produces research on topics like women’s entrepreneurship and gender budgeting. Since 2019, with support from the U.S. Embassy, it has expanded its services, training over 90 women and 24 startup teams. In 2022, it signed an agreement to offer interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs in Vojvodina.
Learn more about Women's Entrepreneurship Academy on their webpage.
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