Shows
VC in the CEEEp 15 - Gytenis Galkis - Superhero CapitalIn this episode, we venture into the heart of the New Nordic startup scene with Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital — an early-stage VC firm backing bold founders across Finland and the Baltics. From founding startups to shaping Lithuania’s angel investor ecosystem, Gytenis brings a rare blend of founder empathy and investor insight to the table.We dive deep into the economic and cultural currents shaping the region’s startup landscape — and how understanding them can make or break your go-to-market strategy.🔍 Episode Highlights:🌍 The New Nordic Perspective: How regional differences between Finlan...2025-04-2241 min
VC in the CEEEp 14 - Michał Chabowski - Rubicon PartnersIn this episode, we explore venture building, technical risk, and investor psychology with Michal Chabowski, Managing Partner at Rubicon Partners — a firm blending venture funding with transaction advisory services in high-impact sectors like deep tech, energy, and new materials.Michal brings a refreshing lens to startup investing, challenging conventional wisdom and offering deep insight into what really matters when backing early-stage companies.🔍 Episode Highlights:⚙️ Technical Risk vs. Market Risk: Why Rubicon Partners embraces complexity in product development — but avoids untested markets.🚫 The First-Mover Myth: Michal explains why being early isn’t always being r...2025-04-0943 min
VC in the CEEEp13 - Alexandru Agatinei - How To WebIn this episode, we sit down with Alex Agatinei, CEO of How to Web, the premier startup and technology conference in Eastern Europe. But How to Web is more than just an event—it’s a driving force behind the region’s innovation ecosystem, publishing influential reports on venture deals and startup growth trends. Their latest report just dropped last week, and Alex gives us an exclusive look at what’s inside.🔍 Episode Highlights:📈 Evolution of Eastern Europe’s Startup Ecosystem: Alex shares how the How to Web report has evolved over the years to become...2025-02-2643 min
VC in the CEEEp 12 - Jonė Vaitulevičiūtė - FIRSTPICKIn this episode, we delve into the dynamic world of venture capital in the Baltic region with Jonė Vaitulevičiūtė, Partner at FIRSTPICK, a leading early-stage VC firm that’s reshaping the startup ecosystem in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Jonė shares her experience driving investment efficiency and fostering innovation across the region’s thriving startup landscape.🔍 Episode Highlights:💼 Evaluating 1,000 Startups Annually: Discover how FIRSTPICK maintains incredible deal-flow efficiency, making investments almost every month in 2024.🌍 Baltic Founders’ Global Mindset: Why startups in the Baltic region are uniquely positioned for global success from day one.📊 202...2024-12-1647 min
VC in the CEEEp11 - Diana Stefanova - BrightCap VenturesIn this episode, we dive into the world of venture capital with Diana Stefanova, Managing Partner at BrightCap Ventures, an early-stage VC firm investing in the CEE region with a special focus on Bulgaria and Romania. Diana shares her journey from working with startups in Silicon Valley to scaling VMware’s Bulgarian operations and transitioning to BrightCap, first as a Venture Partner and now as a Managing Partner.🔍 Episode Highlights:💼 Navigating the World of VC: Diana explains the differences between being a Venture Partner and a Managing Partner and how these roles shape investment strategies.💰 Building a...2024-12-0537 min
VC in the CEEEp 10 - Jędrzej Szymczyk - LLWIn this episode, we sit down with Jędrzej Szymczyk, Partner at LLW, a law firm providing legal support to both investors and founders in the startup ecosystem. LLW has collaborated with prominent VC funds like Sunfish Partners, Shape VC, and Hard 2 Beat. Jędrzej sheds light on the often-overlooked legal aspects crucial in shaping successful startups.🔍 Episode Highlights:📄 Decoding the Term Sheet: Jędrzej breaks down various legal aspects of the term sheet, explaining how Poland's evolving VC ecosystem has influenced changes in its format and clauses.🔎 The Value of Legal Due Diligenc...2024-11-2538 min
VC in the CEEEp9 - Bogdan Iordache - Underline Ventures“In a technical organisation, getting towards excellence, salespeople are less important than technology people. And the reality of this is that if you don’t do sales on your own, I think that chances of being able to succeed are trending towards zero”In this episode, we had a chat with Bogdan Iordache, General Partner at Underline Ventures. The company invests in seed-stage startups and in our conversation Bogdan shares his journey from technical founder to investor as well as his unique perspective on venture capital in Romania and the CEE region. Bogdan is also the founde...2024-09-3036 min
VC in the CEEEp 8 - Andrius Milinavičius - Baltic Sandbox Ventures“But we are still hungry. And while we will be hungry, I think this ecosystem will be flourishing.”In this episode, we sat down with Andrius Milinavicius, General Partner at Baltic Sandbox Ventures, to uncover the secrets behind their success in supporting startups and raising funds in the competitive Baltic ecosystem. 🇱🇹From helping founders through incubation and acceleration programs to creating investment opportunities, Baltic Sandbox Ventures is playing a pivotal role in the region’s innovation landscape. 🌍🔍 Episode highlights:🚀 How incubation and acceleration programs help Baltic Sandbox Ventures discover top startups.🧠 An inside...2024-09-2350 min
VC in the CEEEp 7 - Maciej Zawadziński - Hard2Beat🎙️ Dive into the entrepreneurial journey with Maciej Zawadziński as he transitions from startup founder to VC investor in Poland's vibrant tech scene. Maciej is a founding partner of Hard2Beat, one of the newest VC fund in the Polish investing ecosystem. Before focusing on investing in startups and helping founders, Maciej was a serial founder and served as CEO of Piwik PRO. Hard2Beat focusses on early-stage startups operating mostly in the B2B and enterprise software sectors.🔍 Discover how Maciej's unique insights can shape your startup strategy and investment understanding:💼 Fundraising Success: Learn how Hard2Bea...2024-08-2631 min
VC in the CEEEp6 - Diana Koziarska🎙️ Get ready for an insightful discussion about investing in early-stage startups, the differences between VC ecosystems in CEE countries, and why founders need to be 'cockroach superheroes' with today's guest, Diana Koziarska, Founding Partner at SMOK Ventures. Before SMOK Ventures, Diana co-founded ReactorX and helped numerous first-time founders develop their startup ideas. SMOK Ventures invests primarily in software and gaming companies, and in their portfolio, you can find companies like Alokai (previously known as Vue Storefront), inSTREAMLY, and SunRoof.Explore key insights: 📈 Differences in raising SMOK’s first and second funds. 🌍 Regional influences on...2024-07-1541 min
VC in the CEEEp 5 - Paweł Maj🎙️ Get ready for an insightful dive into the world of venture capital and angel investing with today's guest, Paweł Maj. With over 20 years of experience as a Polish Business Angel and VC investor, Paweł brings a wealth of knowledge from his tenure at renowned funds like Skyline Ventures, bValue, and Warsaw Equity Group. As a board member of over 30 startups and companies, Paweł is a prominent figure in the Polish VC ecosystem, renowned for his thought-provoking articles and data-driven insights shared on platforms like LinkedIn and Medium.Discover:The divergent approaches to evaluati...2024-04-2842 min
VC in the CEEEp 4 - Arvin Khanchandani - Warsaw Equity Group🎙️ Excited to share today’s podcast episode featuring Arvin Khanchandani, Head of Climatetech Investments at Warsaw Equity Group. Operating since the 1990s, Warsaw Equity Group is a Family Office with a diverse portfolio spanning private equity, venture capital, and fund of funds investments across Polish and European markets. Notable investments include companies like Artifex Mundi, Contec, and Vigo Ventures, with past involvement in Gadu Gadu, a prominent Polish instant messaging platform.In this episode, Arvin passionately discusses his passion for Climatetech, shedding light on potentially underinvested sectors within the Climatetech landscape. We also delve into Warsaw Equity...2024-03-2143 min
VC in the CEEEp3 - Marcin Hejka - OTB Ventures🎙️Today’s episode guest is Marcin Hejka, Co-Founder, and General Partner at OTB Ventures, who shares his extensive experience in venture capital, particularly focusing on deep tech startups with strong ties to the CEE region. With a keen eye for innovation, OTB Ventures specializes in supporting early-growth startups across FinTech, Cybersecurity, AI & Automation, and SpaceTech domains. Noteworthy investments include ICEYE, Silent Eight, and Kevin, contributing to OTB's status as the largest VC firm originating from CEE, managing a substantial portfolio exceeding $300M.Marcin's journey to VC investor offers unique perspectives, influenced by his previous roles as Vice Pr...2024-03-1734 min
VC in the CEEEp2 - Artur Banach - Movens CapitalToday I talk with Artur Banach from Movens Capital 🎙️.Artur is a Partner at Movens Capital, a Polish venture capital firm focusing on the CEE region. The firm invests in Seed and Series A startups aiming to disrupt traditionally large industries through process automation and AI. Movens Capital’s portfolio includes startups like Vue Storefront, VersaBox, and Woltair.Artur is an experienced entrepreneur and investor with over 10 transactions in the tech industry. Before joining Movens Capital, Artur was the founder and CEO of Netsprint Group. As an entrepreneur, he pivoted the company from the largest...2024-01-0833 min
VC in the CEEEp 1 - Izabela Bany - Aper VenturesIn this episode, I have the pleasure to speak with Izabela Bany, Head of Communication at Aper Ventures. Aper Ventures is a Polish early-stage VC company focused on deep tech and hardware startups.You'll hear why all startups should focus more on communication, ways to improve this aspect within the venture capital ecosystem, as well as some interesting statistics about the deep tech sector. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-10-2948 min
VC in the CEEEp 0 - The trailerHi! Here's Adrian. This is the trailer of what I'm working on. Hope you'll find it as interesting as I do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-09-3003 min