From Skopje to Sarajevo: ARNO’s October Journey Across the Impact Economy

Autumn 2026 has been a landmark season for regional collaboration. In the span of just one dynamic week, ARNO carried the mission of social innovation and impact investing across two major entrepreneurial milestones: joining as guests with an Invest for Change promo stand at the Startup Revolution AI Summit in Skopje (Oct 1–4) and participating as a dedicated delegation at the Business Angel Summit (BAS26) in Sarajevo (Oct 7–9).

Flying the Flag for Impact in Skopje

As guests at Skopje’s massive Startup Revolution AI Summit—which brought together over 2,000 participants, 100+ speakers, and 400+ startups at the Macedonian Philharmonic—ARNO utilized a dedicated one-day promotional stand to present the Invest for Change project. Placed right at the heart of a tech-driven arena, the stand offered a vital space to connect cutting-edge AI and entrepreneurship conversations with the core values of green growth, social impact, and sustainable business models.

We took part in the event thanks to our colleagues at Startup Club Skopje, who generously provided free tickets and ensured we were right where we needed to be to witness scaling growth and high-level investor pitches firsthand.

The Sarajevo Mission: From Grants to Investable Impact

From Skopje, the momentum shifted to Bosnia and Herzegovina for the fifth Business Angel Summit (BAS26) in Ilidža, organized by our I4C project partner Foundation 787. Here, ARNO’s presence was hands-on and immersive. Representing ARNO as part of our core delegation, Irina Janevska and Katerina Panova Matoska joined forces with key Macedonian ecosystem leaders, including Gogo Rafajlovski and Silvija Gelevski from Zephyr Angels, alongside Ilija Vuckov representing EMKICE and Ana Stojanovska from Startup Club Skopje.

Spotlight on the Impact Morning

A standout highlight of BAS26 was its dedicated Impact Morning on October 9, moderated by Martijn Blom of Impact Europe. The session addressed a fundamental barrier across the Western Balkans: the limitations of restricted local markets where enterprises struggle to expand without external financial backing.

The panel featured a strong roster of international and regional voices, including Justine Palermo representing Inpulse, Eric Asmar from happy smala & Smala Impact Finance, Mikael Hietala of Feelsgood Capital Partners, and Vanja Širbegović from Erste Social Finance Holding. Their shared perspective pointed to an urgent structural shift away from traditional short-term funding models. Citing insights from research such as Impact Europe’s Mapping the Impact Ecosystem, the speakers emphasized that future viability requires shifting focus toward financially sustainable, market-ready social enterprises that simultaneously secure revenue and drive positive community outcomes.

The Role of Invest for Change

Driving this exact transition is the core mission of the four-year Invest for Change programme (2025–2029). Supported by the European Union and spearheaded by Impact Europe, the initiative unites local implementation partners throughout the Western Balkans—to establish functional links between early-stage pioneers, impact-focused funds, and angel networks.

Whether sparking dialogue from a promotional desk in Skopje or engaging directly with regional investors in Sarajevo, ARNO remains firmly dedicated to strengthening the social economy. Building on this momentum, our next exciting milestone is securing the official license to bring Impact for Breakfast directly to Skopje—creating a trusted local space where investors, donors, support organizations, and impact enterprises can finally sit at the same table and collaborate in person.