Learn about the experiences with various financing models of founders of well-known Polish startups and scale-ups. Exchange experiences with other founders and ex-founders.
Register here: www.foundersconnect.pl.
💡 Who is this event for?
We welcome those seeking inspiration and wanting to share their experience:
✅ Founders,
✅ Ex-founders open to new startup projects,
✅ Managers with extensive experience in the business world.
📍 When and where?
The meeting will take place on March 20, 2024, from 17:30 to 22:00 at Google for Startups Campus Warsaw.
📋 Program
🔹 17:00-17:30 – Registration
🔹 17:30-17:40 – Opening and introductions
🔹 17:40-18:10 – How to wisely spend money on recruiting A-players from Europe while having a startup in Poland? – Benjamin Kuna, Tylko
🔹 18:10-18:40 – Practical and pragmatic insights on financing business: tips from 25 years of building and managing technology companies – Jakub Dwernicki, cyber_Folks in conversation with Krzysztof Domaradzki, Forbes
🔹 18:40-19:10 – Jakub Pawelski, LiveKid [topic TBA]
🔹 19:10-19:25 – Małgorzata Walczak, PFR Ventures
🔹 19:25-19:40 – Introduction to the workshop, Greg Albrecht, Albrecht & Partners
🔹 19:40-20:30 – “For Better or Worse: How to Establish Relationships Among Founders? Prevention and Treatment” – experience exchange workshop moderated by Greg Albrecht, Natalia Suska
🔹 20:30-22:00 – Networking party
💬 Speakers
✅ Benjamin Kuna – CBO and Founder of Tylko, a brand offering user-designed furniture through an app, which has captured the world’s affection. The company has sold globally around 300,000 pieces of furniture and increased its net sales from 35 million EUR in 2020 to 59 million EUR in 2022. Tylko has raised approximately 36 million EUR in several investment rounds and secured 7.5 million EUR in financing from the EBI. From the outset, Ben placed significant emphasis on acquiring the best talent and building strong partnerships to grow the company. As a result, Tylko currently employs 160 people and is ranked among the top ten most valuable Polish startups.
✅ Jakub Dwernicki – CEO and founder of cyber_Folks, a holding company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, providing digital products to over 350,000 customers worldwide. Jakub is a growth leader – under his leadership, cyber_Folks’ market capitalization increased sevenfold to over 1.3 billion PLN. He specializes in scaling businesses through the implementation of comprehensive strategies in areas such as product development, marketing, sales, and pricing strategies. He is also involved in AI activities, actively participating in expanding the company’s AI product portfolio. He has achieved numerous successes in capital raising, being involved in both sides of the process: he participated in 2 IPOs (cyber_Folks in 2017 and Vercom in 2021) and over 50 M&A processes, including the acquisition of MailerLite – one of the largest investments by Polish technology companies in 2022 (transaction value: 400 million PLN).
✅ Jakub Pawelski – CEO and Founder of LiveKid, a comprehensive platform for managing nurseries and preschools (utilized by over 3,500 facilities in Poland, Spain, Germany, and Mexico) as well as a mobile application for parents, which has over 400,000 users. In 2023, the company achieved a GMV of 171 million EUR and secured 14 million PLN in funding. Jakub is a recipient of awards in numerous competitions (including Forbes 25 under 25, Forbes 30 under 30, E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year) and business rankings (such as Deloitte Technology Fast50).
✅ Małgorzata Walczak, Investment Director at PFR Ventures – entrepreneur, investor, and business angel. Since 2021, she has been managing the PFR Green Hub FoF Fund of Funds, which invests in VC funds focusing on clean technologies, as well as the PFR NCBR CVC program. She represents PFR Ventures in Investor Boards and Investment Committees. With over 20 years of professional experience and 14 years in the VC market in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, she has invested in 5 startups as part of her angel activities. Previously, she co-created the first corporate CVC fund focused on multi-stage investments in the Polish energy sector with ENEA S.A.
✅ Greg Albrecht – entrepreneur, mentor, and advisor. Founder of Albrecht & Partners – a company supporting business owners and management teams in optimising business strategy and leadership development. He implements global mentoring projects, including for Google for Startups. He is an ICC certified coach and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach. He publishes the newsletter – Business Unlimited. Creator of the “Greg Albrecht Podcast – All Faces of Business“.
✅ Natalia Suska – social psychologist, expert in emotions and communication. For over 4 years, she managed a research-technological company introducing innovative solutions to market research. For over 14 years, she has collaborated with major brands in Poland and abroad, including retail, finance, pharmaceuticals, and technology sectors. At Albrecht & Partners, she leads strategic projects for business owners and management teams.
🔵 Host
✅ Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder: We are a venture capital and venture building fund. We co-create global technological businesses. In addition to financing, we offer our startups technical, business, and marketing expertise, as well as a network of contacts that allow them to accelerate, outpacing the competition. Our portfolio includes companies such as Selmo.io, GAMIVO, Wellbee, PerfectBot. In building businesses, we are supported by RedSky, a startup studio with over 17 years of experience, which has given rise to startups such as RemoteMyApp and PlumResearch.
🔵 Partners
✅ Google for Startups: Startups solve problems. And when they succeed, the world takes another step. And another. That’s why Google for Startups created campuses to support a global network of top technology centres, accelerators, and diversity-focused organisations in 125 countries. We connect our community with the best of Google.
✅ Albrecht & Partners: We support business owners and management teams in reaching the next level of development and improving the functioning model of the organization. We specialize in growth strategy, transformation, and leadership. Based on over 20 years of experience with hundreds of companies, we have created our proprietary method – Business Unlimited. Our team of experienced experts uses, among other things: in-depth diagnosis of needs, strategic workshops, as well as coaching and mentoring work.