How is the Polish startup ecosystem doing? Polish Startups 2023 report

Making informed business decisions requires a broad perspective. The premiere of the "Polish Startups 2023" report, prepared by Startup Poland, took place yesterday in Gdańsk on the 34th floor of Olivia Star in Olivia Centre. There is a certain symbolism in a choice of location. With a view of the city from the tallest building in the Tricity, we tried to look as broadly as possible at the challenges facing the Polish startup ecosystem. What did we learn?

Pomerania is a good place for startups and growth

Although the majority of startups operate in Mazovia and Lower Silesia, Pomerania also holds a place in the top five most startup-active voivodeships.

We love innovation. Supporting pioneers boldly venturing with their solutions into various markets has been an important part of the Infoshare mission practically since the early years of our organization's existence. We do this in many ways. One of our well-recognized initiatives in this regard is the Startup Contest held during our May Infoshare conference (we are currently preparing for this year's edition). We also collaborate on other events involving startups, such as this year's BALTEXPO trade fair.

Read the report from BALTEXPO 2023.

Data and insights for founders and others

The presentation of the "Polish Startups 2023" report during the premiere was accompanied by substantive discussions about business — not only during coffee break. The panel discussions were hosted and current challenges facing founders were discussed, as well as the today's issues in the Polish startup sector.

One of the main topics of discussion was the financing of Polish startups. A quarter of companies benefit from the support of domestic venture capital funds. Only 8% received financing from foreign VC funds. Tomasz Snażyk, Chief Executive Officer at Startup Poland, addressed a key issue during the panel he moderated, along with his guests — finding the recipe for a startup's success. When asked what it depends on, Monika Borowiecka from Tangentline, Radosław Dobrołęcki from PayEye, Konrad Ozdowy from PKO BP, and Dariusz Żuk from AIP Seed provided insights. They pointed out the necessity of educating founders on various forms of financing, both within and outside the country, as well as the need for the efficient development of a thoughtful product monetization strategy.

CEO of Infoshare, Grzegorz Borowski, steered the panel he led in a slightly different direction. Together with Małgorzata Chmielewska from KPT, Wojciech Drewczyński from Black Pearls VC, Bartek Gola from SpeedUp, and Maciej Jacenik from Startup Wrocław, they discussed how to build a strong local and global startup community. At this moment, a crucial topic appears to be the construction of a nationwide, robust ecosystem supporting the entire Polish startup sector.

Founders influencing the startup ecosystem

Do you know what's happening around you? Founders often don't focus as much on what's happening in their surroundings, especially concerning new regulations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a field around which a significant portion of Polish startups revolves today. Every third respondent considered AI, deeptech, and IoT as key words best describing the nature of their product. Meanwhile, as we celebrate the report's premiere with Startup Poland, discussions about the AI Act are ongoing in Brussels.

During the last panel discussion, the moderator Marta Pawlak and her guest Zosia Wanat from Sifted discussed legislative issues. There is no doubt that startups should be interested in legal changes in their fields and actively shape them.

A fair dose of knowledge about the world of startups

Polish Startups 2023" is a 150-page dive into knowledge and data from the world of startups. If you are a founder, work in a startup, or want to attract innovations to your environment, this is a must-read for you. Moreover, the document is available for free.

Get the raport.

photos by T. Kamiński