This year was dominated by a biological disruption causing an acceleration toward digitalization. There has been plenty of human suffering and economic challenges to endure. Our resilience has been tested and we have all been forced to adapt. Yet on this demanding backdrop, the technology sector was thrust into the center of providing opportunities for solutions led by entrepreneurs and innovators. The Foundation has worked to optimize our operations and add additional value in the new normal.
Pre-Acceleration
The Foundation continued to lead pre-acceleration programs that help create and support the next generation of technology entrepreneurs. The beginning of this year featured our first batch of the Girls Up Mentoring Program aimed specifically to support 7 female entrepreneurs in the early stages of their venture. The Dragons Cave Pre-Accelerator accelerated another batch of 6 early-stage teams with expert-led workshops and one on one mentoring sessions. Both acceleration programs helped Founders register their companies, launch their MVPs and prepare for first users and financing.
Scale Up Value
In the early days of the pandemic, the Foundation launched Virtual Founders Breakfast, a monthly recurring early morning virtual event bringing together startup founders, industry experts, investors along enterprises to generate growth, exchange best practices and facilitate matchmaking. The event managed to attract over 70 participants including experienced founders and decision-makers like Talent Alpha, Bidroom, Edrone, Estimote, Airly and featuring international partners like TNW, Stripe, Credo Ventures. The Foundation has matured and increasingly understands scale-up teams’ needs. This has resulted in growing services around talent and recruitment along with connections to international partners.
Membership
Our MVP Member Dashboard was built and released this year and it automates many tasks like job posting, content submission and database updates. This is complemented by a Membership Slack channel functioning as a structured communication hub where decision-makers are a message away. The Foundation operations team works from here and is giving members more direct engagement opportunities in the Foundation initiatives.
Matchmaking
The Foundation is moving toward increasing conversion on its matchmaking goals. Our high-quality databases provide information as the groundwork for matchmaking. Data is first sourced from members along with in-house ecosystem R&D. There is an open channel of communication with decision-makers. The Foundation can now make market analyses, deliver key recommendations and facilitate beneficial connections. The Foundation leveraged Zoom on specific topics for target groups. Matchmaker Day proves a compelling format featuring key ecosystem updates, early-stage startup pitches and segmented matchmaking calls. The leading verticals where the Foundation has matchmaking capacity is with talent, investors and international partners.
Team
The Foundation’s team continued to grow and be reinforced. The Executive Board includes DominikaWalec as President, Filip Mościcki as Vice President and Paweł Kulon as Vice-President. Other team members: Taras Gopko is CTO. Tomasz Groń is Marketing Manager. Magda Błyskosz is Operations Associate. A new Foundation’s Management Board was sworn in with Sunny Vashistha, Anna Rys, Richard Lucas and Bartosz Józefowski.
