Bled – September 07, 2026 -- A new data-driven selection model has identified 100 high-growth Slovenian companies whose combined revenue doubled to €2.1 billion, marking the first full deployment of the Future 500 initiative designed to close the competitiveness gap between Europe, the United States and China.
Future 100 Slovenia index debuts as EU readies €80 billion in growth-company funding
The index was unveiled at the Future 500 forum in Bled, timed to test whether Europe can identify its most promising scale-ups early enough to connect them with the capital and networks needed for global competitiveness. The launch coincides with the European Investment Bank's ICTE 2.0 initiative, which is mobilizing up to €80 billion in investment for young growth companies across the bloc.
Slovenia becomes first market for a model set for pan-European rollout
Slovenia is the first country where the Future 500 methodology has been fully implemented, serving as a pilot the initiative plans to extend across Europe. Stjepan Orešković, founder of Future 500, said the €80 billion in available capital will not by itself make Europe more competitive, arguing that future champions must be spotted earlier and given access to capital, commercial opportunities and skills to compete with global rivals. He described the model's approach as select, connect, support, aimed at pairing each company's growth strategy with the people and institutions that can help it scale.
Academic consortium spanning Harvard, Oxford and ESMT Berlin built the selection framework
The Future 500 method was developed by an international research team at IEDC-Bled School of Management, working with researchers from Harvard, Oxford, the University of Edinburgh and the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin, alongside institutions across Central and Eastern Europe.
Senior EU and financial officials attended the Bled forum launch
The Future 500 forum, titled "Propelling Europe's Young Growth Companies: From Selection to Acceleration,