14/JUNE/2023
EVOLUTIONS MEETUP & SHOWCASE
ABOUT EVENT
Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase is the biggest regional startup event that brings together SMEs, innovators, investors and professionals from technology and creative industry. Organized by Startup Wroclaw and OVHcloud Startup Program, one of the most respected seed accelerators, the 2023 edition will be the biggest yet. Since 2015, OVHcloud Startup Program has helped over 3,000 startups and scaleups from around the world, and we’re excited to bring that expertise to Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase.
No matter where you are on your entrepreneurial journey, our event has something for everyone. Whether you’re developing a new business idea or ready to take your startup to the next level, our expert-led workshops provide valuable insights and guidance. Our Showcase Contest is the perfect opportunity to showcase your startup, gain recognition in the industry and win some valuable surprises!
Opening
Natalia Świrska-Załuska, Startup Program Manager OVHcloud
Paulina Muszyńska, Head of Startup Wroclaw, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency
Welcome
Jakub Mazur, Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw
Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Board of Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency
Keynote Speech #1
Fireside chat „Breaking Bad for success”
Tomasz Karwatka, Co-Founder at Catch the Tornado, Investor
Host: Joanna Parasiewicz, Head of Communication & Marketing, OVHcloud CEE
Discussion Panel
Succession in founders world
Participants:
- Kamil Walkowiak, Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
- Przemek Głośny, Founder & CEO, Useme
- Patryk Ogórek MD, CEO, Aurero
- Róża Szafranek, Founder & CEO, HR Hints
- Mat Lagowski, CEO at INKsearch.co
- moderator: Kuba Dobroszek, editor of My Company Polska
Showcase Contest
10 startups will pitch their business idea on the stage in front of an audience and jury. The best one will receive a ticket to European finals of Disraptors Summit 2023.
Keynote Speech #2
Money Heist with Tomasz Chołast, Co-founder of zrzutka.pl
Grand finale
Networking
After Party
Natalia Swirska-Zaluska
Startup Program Manager OVHcloud CEE
Former founder and CEO of an AI startup in the real estate industry, which prepared automatic properties valuations. Within this company she was awarded as Businesswoman of the Year 2016 by Sukces Pisany Szminka, 30under30 by Forbes, Strong Women in IT for 2020, 2021 and finalist of the New York Startup Competition (Propel by MIPIM).
In her current role as Startup Program Manager in Central and Easter Europe, Natalia is responsible for developing and implementing programs to support the growth of startups in the tech industry.
Outside of work, Natalia enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling. She is passionate about promoting women’s leadership in the tech industry and serves as a mentor to aspiring professionals.
Tomasz Karwatka
Co-founder at Catch the Tornado, Investor
Entrepreneur and investor. His mission is to support Polish entrepreneurs in building global organizations. Areas of interest include: enterprise software, healthcare, impact business, and education.
He co-founded companies such as Divante, Vue Storefront, Callstack, and Open Loyalty. He is also a co-founder of the NGO Tech To The Rescue and the community Product dots.
Currently, he leads Catch The Tornado – a company that supports technology entrepreneurs through investments and education. His most recent investments include cyber_Folks and ElevenLabs.
Patryk Ogorek MD
CEO, Aurero
Aurero is a comprehensive cloud ecosystem dedicated to medical clinics that helps implement artificial intelligence into operations with one superior goal – operational excellence which leads to great patient experience.
We support medical services for over 1 million patients in 5 countries, also with our top-modern medical clinic located in Lodz, Poland where we evaluate our innovations before going to market thanks to cooperation with 250+ healthcare specialists and 100 000 patients.
Tomasz Cholast
Co-founder, zrzutka.pl
Over 15 years of experience in management, e-commerce, marketing, digital marketing, sales, fintech, crowdfunding, events and management. I had many opportunities to build companies from scratch, introduce them to foreign markets, engage in social organizations or work for well-known international corporations.
Magdalena Okulowska
President of the Board, Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency
President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency – Business Environment Institution, established by the City of Wrocław and 29 municipal governments in the agglomeration, which has been supporting the development of Wrocław business for over 15 years. Doctor of Humanities in the field of social communication.
From 2005 to 2018 she was employed at the City Hall of Wroclaw, from 2013 as Deputy Director of the Department of the Mayor, she coordinated the work of the offices: Promotion, Social Communication and Foreign Cooperation. In 2018-2019, she worked at the Wroclaw Technology Park, responsible for marketing and public relations of the Park, as well as the promotion of companies located there.
Paulina Muszynska
Head of Startup Wroclaw
Head of Development Projects Department at the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, where she leads the Startup Wroclaw project. For more than 10 years she has been working in the field of project development and event management, organizing high-quality national and international trainings and conferences. Currently, she promotes innovation and supports entrepreneurship and business cooperation initiatives in the Wroclaw area and creates events dedicated to the business and startup ecosystem, such as Made in Wroclaw, Startup WRO Meetups and Startup Wroclaw: Evolutions.
Przemek Glosny
Founder & CEO, Useme
’Serial entrepreneur’ and the founder and CEO of Useme, a rapidly growing FinTech startup. With a track record of building successful businesses, Przemek has navigated the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, including two failed ventures and one that returned substantial profits. With Useme, he has successfully secured external funding and scaled the company from scratch to $50M, while retaining control as the major shareholder. His experience and expertise in fundraising and maintaining decision-making power make him a sought-after speaker on the topic of entrepreneurship and building successful businesses.
Mat Lagowski
CEO, INKsearch.co
Before INKsearch.co he has been +10 years in the performance marketing field. Mat specializes in harnessing the power of online marketing to boost customer engagement in innovative ways. Advanced knowledge of Google Adwords, Google Analytics, Search Console, and Tag Manager.
He is not afraid of destroying the status quo of the business & advertising industry. Crushing the old habits and patterns is a part of his work.
Roza Szafranek
Founder & CEO, HR Hints
Founder & CEO of HR Hints, the first HR boutique operating on a subscription model. Roza is an HR expert with psychological and managerial experience that has led tech companies from early startup through exit. She’s co-built successful startups and tech companies that are now publicly traded.
Roza and her team have supported over 80 companies, teaching leaders how to be better in the People area. HR Hints’ portfolio of companies includes i.a.: ShopRunner (by FedEx), Codewise (by CentralNic), Going. (by empik), Kulczyk Investments, Inovo Venture Partners, Market One Capital, Ramp Network, Infermedica, Aleph Zero, LiveKid, Vue Storefront, JOKR, Zowie, Foodsi, Tech To The Rescue.
Roza is a mentor at Founder Institute, 1871 Chicago, P33 Chicago, TechRise, mHUB Chicago, and InCredibles, Sebastian Kulczyk’s mentoring program. She’s been featured on such lists as 100 Women of 2022 by Forbes, 100 Most Inspiring Women of the CEE Startup Ecosystem by Vestbee VC, and Strong Women in IT 2021.
Kamil Walkowiak
Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
As the CTO at cux.io (The Digital Experience Analytics Tool), Kamil leads the development of an Analytical Concierge – a personalized assistant dedicated to helping you enhance conversion rates and improve user experiences.
His expertise lies in creating an AI Assistant powered by pre-trained, open-source models hosted in a private infrastructure. This assistant reads and analyzes real-time behavioral data, enabling valuable insights for optimizing user experiences. Previously, he successfully designed, prototyped, and built a highly scalable analytical platform capable of handling low-latency, high-workload demands.
WORKSHOPS
Looking to start your own business but don’t know where to begin? Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or an experienced business owner, our workshops are tailored to your needs. We cover a wide range of topics and provide you with the tools and resources you need to take your business to the next level.
TRACK BEGINNER
(Wielka 67, 53-340 Wrocław)
TRACK ADVANCED
(Powstańców Śląskich 17/Budynek D, 53-332 Wrocław)
TRACK BEGINNER
(Wielka 67, 53-340 Wrocław)
How to Promote Your Startup on a Tight Budget (and become a LinkedIn Expert)?
Łukasz Dębski, Social Media Manager, CEE
Joanna Parasiewicz, Head of Communication & Marketing, CEE
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Looking for proven advice on how to promote your startup on a low budget? During our presentation we will show (with examples) how to do it well.
In the second part of the meeting, we will talk about how LinkedIn is more than just an online CV. It is the largest social network for professionals, currently with over 900 million users worldwide! Find out how to create a profile, what to write and in what form?
OKRs - how to set your goals to succeed?
Anna Kowalska, Startup Mentor
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Our reality is changing rapidly - technology development, new business trends, economic, social and political changes may pose challenges for your business. OKRs is a goal-setting methodology that can be used as a compass to help navigate your business through difficult times and ensure continuous growth, flexibility and focus on results. Thanks to this method, you can not only choose priorities, but also improve employees’ engagement and communication within the team.
Goals of the workshop:
- Learn OKRs methodology and its benefits.
- Create good OKRs and avoid most common mistakes mistakes
- Identify steps in OKRs cycle: the set and align, monitor and review and reset
- Create sample OKRs for your organization.
Kamil Walkowiak, Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Learn how to effectively track your marketing, sales, and product journey. Discover the essential techniques for optimizing your digital presence and achieving sustainable growth. I will guide you through topics such as measuring marketing performance, monitoring the sales funnel, enhancing product experience, leveraging user behavior analytics and best practices. By the end of the workshop, you'll have the knowledge and skills to make data-driven decisions and improve your digital performance. This workshop is suitable for marketers, sales professionals, product managers, and business owners.
Business Models
Tomasz Chołast, Co-founder zrzutka.pl
14:00 – 16:00
language: English
Anna Wojciechowicz, Facilitator DT HUB UEW
Kornelia Bemben, Co-facilitator DT HUB UEW
14:00 – 16:00
language: Polish
Constantly changing environment drives us to design more flexible and innovative solutions. In businesses problems are difficult to solve for many reasons. Most companies are using already known solutions not focusing on changing needs of their stakeholders.
This workshop will help you understand how important it is to empathize with other, think outside the box and prioritize actions in order to find most extraordinary solutions.
Piotr Wyszumirski, Attorney at Law & Senior Associate,SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
Justyna Majchrzak, Certified Information Privacy Professional, SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
13:00 – 16:00
language: Polish
During the Q&A we will present a case study of a sample start-up that will face the challenge of designing its business taking into account the right to privacy and, in particular, the right to personal data protection. We will discuss typical issues that entrepreneurs will face, related to data acquisition and further processing on the basis of EU law and its Polish practice. We will point out the most common problems related to EU and national regulations concerning marketing activities in electronic media.
The knowledge provided will make it possible not only to identify potential risks associated with the processing of personal data and to react in a manner appropriate to their level, but above all to prevent them to the maximum extent possible.
Do you have any questions regarding law? Visit us during our slot!
TRACK ADVANCED
(Powstańców Śląskich 17/Budynek D, 53-332 Wrocław)
OVHcloud Techroadshow
Marcin Blaźniak, Presales Engineer,
Filip Dorosz, DevOps Engineer,
Michał Madarasz, DevOps, Public Cloud
Kamil Walkowiak, Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
10:00 – 16:00
language: English
The OVHcloud Techroadshow is a hands-on-technical workshop conveying how the OVHcloud public cloud works.
The training agenda includes both basic topics, such as: an introduction to the panel, launching the first instances, creating and plugging in a volume (block storage), Horizon and setting up a security group (firewall), DataBase as a Services, as well as advanced topics using private networks, database configuration, firewall and storage settings.
Classes are conducted on individual private and free participant accounts.
Dr. Hayat El Asri,a lecturer at Coventry University Wroclaw
Dr. Joanna Kubicka
11:00 – 14:00
language: English
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting is crucial for start-ups as it enhances transparency, accountability, and reputation, showcasing their commitment to responsible and sustainable practices. It also attracts socially responsible investors, mitigates risks, drives innovation, and improves operational efficiency, ultimately ensuring long-term viability and success.
This session combines efficient knowledge management techniques with ESG Reporting. Participants will learn information on sustainability and reporting standards (such as the GHG Protocol). In order to improve sustainability reporting, they will also study techniques for knowledge collection, organization, and sharing. Participants will gain useful skills in data management and information sharing through interactive activities and conversations. Participants will leave the session with the information and skills necessary to develop solid frameworks for sustainability reporting that incorporate knowledge management, reporting of GHG emissions, and informed decision-making.
Marek Michalski, a licensed tax advisor
Ludwika Nawrot, a licensed tax advisor
12:00 – 14:00
language: Polish
During the workshop we will present a case study of an exemplary start-up, which in the course of the development we describe will face many difficulties on tax grounds. They will concern each stage of its activity - starting with the choice of the most effective form of activity, through issues related to collaborators (optimizing tax liabilities resulting from cooperation with them or benefits in the form of workation), advertising its activity (e.g. in the form of sponsoring events) or facilitating the acquisition of customers (taking into account the risk of the so-called representation).
In addition, we will discuss available tax breaks (which, when properly applied, allow you to significantly reduce your tax burden) and ways to most tax-efficiently introduce investors to your entity (including foreign ones).
The knowledge provided will help not only in the optimal settlement of taxes, but will also allow you to prepare for potential risks associated with
Why pricing and money your customers pay you is the best justification of your product-market fit
Maciej Kraus, Ph.D, Partner at Movens Capital
14:00 – 16:00
language: English
Pricing and monetization models can be detrimental to the success of innovation or business for several reasons.
First, if the pricing model is not well thought out and does not adequately reflect the value that the product or service provides to the customer, it can result in low demand and sales. This can be especially problematic for innovative products or services that may be perceived as being more expensive or less accessible than their established counterparts.
Second, if the monetization model is not sustainable or does not align with the needs and expectations of the target market, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and churn. For example, if a business relies on a subscription-based model but the subscription fees are too high or the value proposition is not clear, customers may cancel their subscriptions or choose not to sign up in the first place.
How to sell in a startup?
Krzysztof Podeszwa, Enterprise Sales at Vue Storefront
14:00 – 16:00
language: English
Łukasz Dębski, Social Media Manager, OVHcloud CEE
Joanna Parasiewicz, Head of Communication & Marketing, OVHcloud CEE
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Looking for proven advice on how to promote your startup on a low budget? During our presentation we will show (with examples) how to do it well.
In the second part of the meeting, we will talk about how LinkedIn is more than just an online CV. It is the largest social network for professionals, currently with over 900 million users worldwide! Find out how to create a profile, what to write and in what form?
Kamil Walkowiak, Co-founder & CTO, cux.io 10:00 – 16:00 language: English
The OVHcloud Techroadshow is a hands-on-technical workshop conveying how the OVHcloud public cloud works.
The training agenda includes both basic topics, such as: an introduction to the panel, launching the first instances, creating and plugging in a volume (block storage), Horizon and setting up a security group (firewall), DataBase as a Services, as well as advanced topics using private networks, database configuration, firewall and storage settings.
Classes are conducted on individual private and free participant accounts.
The workshops are conducted by IT experts, on a daily basis associated with the development and management of cloud computing: Marcin Blaźniak - Presales Engineer, Filip Dorosz - DevOps Engineer, Michał Madarasz - DevOps in the Public Cloud team.
Anna Kowalska, Startup Mentor
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Our reality is changing rapidly - technology development, new business trends, economic, social and political changes may pose challenges for your business. OKRs is a goal-setting methodology that can be used as a compass to help navigate your business through difficult times and ensure continuous growth, flexibility and focus on results. Thanks to this method, you can not only choose priorities, but also improve employees’ engagement and communication within the team.
Goals of the workshop:
- Learn OKRs methodology and its benefits.
- Create good OKRs and avoid most common mistakes mistakes
- Identify steps in OKRs cycle: the set and align, monitor and review and reset
- Create sample OKRs for your organization.
Dr. Hayat El Asri,a lecturer at Coventry University Wroclaw
Dr. Joanna Kubicka
11:00 – 14:00
language: English
ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting is crucial for start-ups as it enhances transparency, accountability, and reputation, showcasing their commitment to responsible and sustainable practices. It also attracts socially responsible investors, mitigates risks, drives innovation, and improves operational efficiency, ultimately ensuring long-term viability and success.
This session combines efficient knowledge management techniques with ESG Reporting. Participants will learn information on sustainability and reporting standards (such as the GHG Protocol). In order to improve sustainability reporting, they will also study techniques for knowledge collection, organization, and sharing. Participants will gain useful skills in data management and information sharing through interactive activities and conversations. Participants will leave the session with the information and skills necessary to develop solid frameworks for sustainability reporting that incorporate knowledge management, reporting of GHG emissions, and informed decision-making.
Kamil Walkowiak, Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
12:00 – 14:00
language: English
Learn how to effectively track your marketing, sales, and product journey. Discover the essential techniques for optimizing your digital presence and achieving sustainable growth. I will guide you through topics such as measuring marketing performance, monitoring the sales funnel, enhancing product experience, leveraging user behavior analytics and best practices. By the end of the workshop, you'll have the knowledge and skills to make data-driven decisions and improve your digital performance. This workshop is suitable for marketers, sales professionals, product managers, and business owners.
Marek Michalski, a licensed tax advisor, SDZLEGAL Schindhelm
Ludwika Nawrot, a licensed tax advisor, SDZLEGAL Schindhelm
12:00 – 14:00
language: Polish
During the workshop we will present a case study of an exemplary start-up, which in the course of the development we describe will face many difficulties on tax grounds. They will concern each stage of its activity - starting with the choice of the most effective form of activity, through issues related to collaborators (optimizing tax liabilities resulting from cooperation with them or benefits in the form of workation), advertising its activity (e.g. in the form of sponsoring events) or facilitating the acquisition of customers (taking into account the risk of the so-called representation).
In addition, we will discuss available tax breaks (which, when properly applied, allow you to significantly reduce your tax burden) and ways to most tax-efficiently introduce investors to your entity (including foreign ones).
The knowledge provided will help not only in the optimal settlement of taxes, but will also allow you to prepare for potential risks associated with
Maciej Kraus, Ph.D, Partner at Movens Capital
14:00 – 16:00
language: English
Pricing and monetization models can be detrimental to the success of innovation or business for several reasons.
First, if the pricing model is not well thought out and does not adequately reflect the value that the product or service provides to the customer, it can result in low demand and sales. This can be especially problematic for innovative products or services that may be perceived as being more expensive or less accessible than their established counterparts.
Second, if the monetization model is not sustainable or does not align with the needs and expectations of the target market, it can lead to customer dissatisfaction and churn. For example, if a business relies on a subscription-based model but the subscription fees are too high or the value proposition is not clear, customers may cancel their subscriptions or choose not to sign up in the first place.
Anna Wojciechowicz
Kornelia Bemben
14:00 – 16:00
language: Polish
Constantly changing environment drives us to design more flexible and innovative solutions. In businesses problems are difficult to solve for many reasons. Most companies are using already known solutions not focusing on changing needs of their stakeholders.
This workshop will help you understand how important it is to empathize with other, think outside the box and prioritize actions in order to find most extraordinary solutions.
Chris Podeszwa, Sales Director at Vue Storefront
14:00 – 16:00
language: English
Piotr Wyszumirski, Attorney at Law & Senior Associate,SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
Justyna Majchrzak, Certified Information Privacy Professional, SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
13:00 – 16:00
language: Polish
During the Q&A we will present a case study of a sample start-up that will face the challenge of designing its business taking into account the right to privacy and, in particular, the right to personal data protection. We will discuss typical issues that entrepreneurs will face, related to data acquisition and further processing on the basis of EU law and its Polish practice. We will point out the most common problems related to EU and national regulations concerning marketing activities in electronic media.
The knowledge provided will make it possible not only to identify potential risks associated with the processing of personal data and to react in a manner appropriate to their level, but above all to prevent them to the maximum extent possible.
Do you have any questions regarding law? Visit us during our slot!
EXPERTS
Joanna Parasiewicz
Head of Communication & Marketing, OVHcloud CEE
Joanna has been involved in the IT industry from the beginning of her career. She conducted communication and promotional activities for such brands as Amadeus, Alcatel-Lucent, HP, Microsoft Dynamics and Symantec. Previously responsible for ICT promotion within EU Commission working groups. Privately, she is a book author and passionate about climbing and 19th century literature. A collector of life’s truths, coffee flavours and unique moments with inspiring people.
Lukasz Debski
Social Media Manager, OVHcloud CEE
Lukasz has been involved in the social media industry for 16 years. He started when most people in Poland were on nk and not Facebook, and none of us had thought of TikTok yet. He worked at social media agencies – 121PR and Isobar Poland, then, working in the biggest social media training company, Socjomania, conducted training on the subject. Since 2020, he has been working at OVHcloud as Social Media Manager for the CEE region.
Maciej Kraus
Ph.D, Partner at Movens Capital
Maciej spent 20y in pricing. Corporate roles, consulting, lecturing, startups, software- Maciej did it all in pricing. Guest lecturer at Stanford and London Business School. Authored 2 book on pricing. His TedTalk on behavioral pricing has over 150k views.
Anna Wojciechowicz
Facilitator DT HUB UEW
Experienced in facilitating Design Thinking and Design Sprint workshops for entities such as Wrocław Technology Park, Skanska Property, Nokia, PwC, Manus Foundation at Wrocław University of Science and Technology and Main Library of the Wroclaw University of Economics and Business.
Co-author of the DT TOOLS manual dedicated to workshops organized by DT HUB. Marketing and communication specialist. After working hours – dancer and visual arts and architecture enthusiast.
Chris Podeszwa
Sales Director at Vue Storefront
Sales Director at Vue Storefront – lightning-fast PWA Frontend platform for headless commerce backends. The follower of the mobile-first approach, data analysis possibilities, and innovative character of the latest eCommerce business models.
His mission is to support Digital Transformation in global organizations. Entire career has been related to the eCommerce industry, both on the SaaS and System Integrators side.
Anna Kowalska
Startup Mentor
A consultant, trainer, and facilitator. She brings more than 13 years of international experience at Google in Learning & Development. For the last 2 years, she has worked independently with a startup ecosystem cooperating with acceleration programs organized by Google for Startups, Huge Thing, PARP and as a mentor at Growth Mentor as well as through individual projects for companies.
She trains and mentors around topics such as goal setting (OKRs methodology), building effective teams, giving & receiving feedback, and creating a continuous learning culture.
She mentored over 130 start-ups within the last two years. She believes that good listening skills and asking the right questions are crucial to growing as an individual and as a business.
Tomasz Cholast
Co-founder, zrzutka.pl
Over 15 years of experience in management, e-commerce, marketing, digital marketing, sales, fintech, crowdfunding, events and management. I had many opportunities to build companies from scratch, introduce them to foreign markets, engage in social organizations or work for well-known international corporations.
Dr Joanna Kubicka
Joanna specialises in the field of management, sustainable development and corporate
social responsibility, with both fifteen years of experience in teaching and practice in cooperation with business (LG, DB Energy S.A. Rawlplug S.A, ING Bank) and non-governmental organizations (World Bank, OnWater.pl Foundation).
She has unlimited amounts of energy and passion for developing others and motivating change. Deeply convinced that it is possible and necessary to run a more sustainable and socially responsible business, bringing benefits, not only for people and the environment, but also for all its stakeholders.
Kamil Walkowiak
Co-founder & CTO, cux.io
As the CTO at cux.io (The Digital Experience Analytics Tool), Kamil leads the development of an Analytical Concierge – a personalized assistant dedicated to helping you enhance conversion rates and improve user experiences.
His expertise lies in creating an AI Assistant powered by pre-trained, open-source models hosted in a private infrastructure. This assistant reads and analyzes real-time behavioral data, enabling valuable insights for optimizing user experiences. Previously, he successfully designed, prototyped, and built a highly scalable analytical platform capable of handling low-latency, high-workload demands.
Kornelia Bemben
Co-facilitator DT HUB UEW
Junior Communication Specialist at DT HUB. A participant and an organizator of many Design Thinking workshop. DT Master during DTthon 4.0., Master in E-commerce Management.
Michal Madarasz
DevOps Engineer, Public Cloud
DevOps in the Public Cloud team at OVHcloud. Develops platforms for testing internal cloud solutions. Responsible for maintaining an infrastructure that includes 20,000 physical hosts and over 400,000 virtual machines.
Marcin Blazniak
Presales Engineer
Pre-Sales Engineer with over 16 years of experience in technical sales support of ICT solutions: cloud, virtualisation, Backup, Disaster Recovery, Data Center, Servers, Storage, Network, Voice, Security and mobile technologies.
Dr Hayat El Asri
lecturer at Coventry University Wroclaw
She holds a Doctorate in Knowledge Management and a MSc in Management
Information Systems. She is currently a lecturer at Coventry University Wroclaw teaching mostly in the Business Management and Leadership Programme. Her ongoing research interests include Knowledge Management, Procurement, ESG, and Artificial Intelligence, in which she authored and
published several peer-reviewed academic works.
Filip Dorosz
DevOps Engineer
DevOps Engineer at OVHcloud. Has over 6 years of experience in the IT Industry. Cloud storage area based on Ceph technology. Python and Puppet master. Open Source sympathiser.
Ludwika Nawrot
Tax Advisor, SDZLEGAL Schindhelm
Since May 2022, she has been working with SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM Law Firm supporting Polish and international companies from various sectors of the economy in tax topics. She advises on the selection of the most favorable business model and in the implementation of due diligence projects aimed at mitigating tax risks in their operations. In addition, she represents clients in proceedings before tax authorities and administrative courts. She is a frequent speaker at tax conferences and trainings, both open and dedicated to specific clients.
Marek Michalski
Tax Advisor, SDZLEGAL Schindhelm
He mainly deals with broadly understood tax litigation before tax authorities and administrative courts on behalf of clients – both at the stage of planning and implementation.
Tasks performed also include issues related to ongoing tax consulting, among others in the field of income taxes or value added tax.
His areas of interest include, among others, issues related to the protection of taxpayers against tax fraud, the relationship of criminal fiscal proceedings with tax proceedings, and procedures to reduce tax risks for clients and prevent the negative impact of tax authorities’ actions on their current operations.
Piotr Wyszumirski
Attorney at Law & Senior Associate, SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
As a legal advisor, he advises domestic and foreign companies on business law, including corporate law. He offers legal support in the process of establishing and running a business, including business strategy modeling. At SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM, as a member of the corporate law and M&A department, Piotr is also responsible for advising on data protection and new technology issues (including cyber security).
Justyna Majchrzak
Certified Information Privacy Professional, SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe CIPP/E). Since April 2022, she has been working with the law firm SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM as part of the corporate and M&A law team. Justyna supports Polish and international companies on a daily basis in the role of data protection specialist. Previously, she gained her experience, among others, in RODO implementations and in working with businesses as a Data Protection Inspector. She combines her work with her daily interest in new technologies.
SHOWCASE CONTEST
Pitch your business idea to a panel of expert judges, investors and live audience. Each startup has 3 minutes for presentation and one minute for questions. This is your chance to share your vision, get feedback, and gain exposure for your startup!
The winner of the Pitching Contest will receive a grand prize of… we will announce soon! Stay tuned!
SHOWCASE CONTEST
Pitch your business idea to a panel of expert judges, investors and live audience. Each startup has 3 minutes for presentation and one minute for questions. This is your chance to share your vision, get feedback, and gain exposure for your startup!
The winner of the Showcase Contest will receive a ticket to the European Startup Champions League in Prague, which can lead to the Global Finals of Startup World Cup in San Francisco and a $500,000 investment! The top 3 places will receive grants of a total of €230,000 to use in OVHcloud.
Apply to pitch your startup!
Present your idea to experts, investors and live audience! During the application, you will need to send your pitchdeck.
JURY
Mateusz Bodio
Founder & Managing Director, RKKVC
Mateusz Bodio is a Founder & Managing Director in RKKVC, focusing on the whole spectrum of the investment processes: business origination, venture analysis, negotiations and exits. Some of the flagship investments includes SpaceX, KarmaCheck or MoveAI. He is an entrepreneur with a demonstrated work experience in the USA, United Kingdom, Poland and Kazakhstan, on the other hand he has successful exit from a start-up in transport industry.
Before joining RKKVC, Mateusz worked in family office that that core business was heavy industry. The office has its own VC arm that invest in IoT and data science companies. Mateusz served as an adviser to portfolio companies and leveraged his professional network to create new opportunities and open business channels. Mateusz also held position as a management board and supervisory board member in companies from IoT 4.0 and data science/big data industry.
Pawel Maj
Partner at Warsaw Equity Group
Pawel previously co-managed three VC funds. To date, he completed more than 60 investments, over 20 exits, and has served on the supervisory and management boards of more than 30 companies. Between 2021-2022 he also supported startups with pre-seed and seed rounds, closing on average one round per month.
Pawel graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (USA) with a degree in Management.
Magda Surowiec
Partner at Unfold.vc
Graduate of the University of Economics in Wroclaw. She has years of experience in creating business strategies, procedures for building effective teams, managing crisis situations, planning and implementing sales and marketing strategies.
From 2010-2014, she served as CEO of Lemon Sky, one of the leading digital agencies in Poland, eventually co-managing a team of 100 people. The agency’s market position, value and client portfolio attracted the interest of global advertising concerns: in March 2014. Lemon Sky became part of the world’s oldest network agency J. Walter Thompson. Its experience in management and marketing includes co-creation and implementation of effective marketing campaigns, for brands such as: Nestle, Orange, Tesco.
In July 2021, she joined our Fund as Managing Partner.
Maciej Kraus
Ph.D, Partner at Movens Capital
Maciej spent 20 years in pricing. Corporate roles, consulting, lecturing, startups, software- Maciej did it all in pricing. Guest lecturer at Stanford and London Business School. Authored 2 book on pricing. His TedTalk on behavioral pricing has over 150k views.
Ondrej Smykal
Czech Founders VC
As a member of Czech Founders VC’s investment team, Ondra routinely engages with promising CEE startups and their founders. His primary responsibilities involve evaluating investment opportunities and actively participating in the transaction process, where he can leverage both his previous entrepreneurial experience and legal background. Outside of work, Ondra enjoys spending his free time in the mountains, reading, or doing sports.
Tomasz Szarek
Managing Partner at SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM
Tomasz is an attorney-at-law and the Managing Partner at SDZLEGAL SCHINDHELM, an international law firm, where he leads the Corporate & M&A and IP/IT practice.
Tomasz is also a member of a Supervising Committee at ITCORNER – a cluster of software companies, with more than 100 members in Poland .
He supports domestic and foreign start-ups and IT/New tech companies, especially in the field of financing and international expansion. Within that scope he combines his professional experience with his role in the international organizations, especially as a Chairman of the Board of IAG GLOBAL – an international association of legal and tax advisors in more than 60 countries around the world.
Bartosz Gonczarek
Ph.D, Co-founder of Explain Everything
Entrepreneur who co-founded the popular and Apple award-winning digital whiteboard platform: Explain Everything (now part of Promethean). Advisor to early-phase startups, supervisory board member of publicly traded Cloud Technologies S.A., who shares his experience on international expansions in various forms, including lecturing MBA students.
ORGANIZERS
PARTNERS
SUBSTANTIVE PARTNERS
MEDIA PATRONS
KONTAKT
Paulina Muszyńska
paulina.muszynska@araw.pl
+48 880 788 918
