A year full of startup successes! Wroclaw is growing in strength on the innovation map

The Startup Wroclaw project, operating within the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency, has had an exceptionally intense year. Over the past 12 months, thanks to its activities, the startup ecosystem has had the opportunity for further dynamic development. Paulina Muszyńska, manager of Startup Wroclaw:

At Startup Wroclaw, we have focused on real relationships and practical knowledge from the very beginning. This year has shown that the Wrocław ecosystem is maturing, founders are becoming more aware, investors are becoming more involved, and cooperation between business, science, and institutions works very well in practice.

Startup WRO Meetup - from AI to FinTech

The flagship series of substantive and networking events, Startup WRO Meetup, attracted a total of over a thousand participants during five editions held in 2025 at Concordia Design on Słodowa Island. Each edition combined expert presentations with informal networking, becoming a meeting place for founders, investors, students, and corporate representatives.

The year began with a February meeting on exit strategies and business scaling, attended by Mateusz Tałpasz (SmartLunch) and Krzysztof Górka (Lowercap), among others. In April, the “Humanity: Unplugged” edition focused on artificial intelligence and the human aspect of business, and Michał Piosik's presentation on ADHD as a “business superpower” became one of the most quoted moments of the season.

In September, the tenth anniversary edition was dedicated to FinTech and cryptocurrencies, and the November edition of “Ctrl + Secure” attracted international authorities – Dr. Olga Malinkiewicz and Jeni Chang from Silicon Valley. The year culminated in December with a collaboration with Pitch Me Baby, combining financial education with startup presentations.

Tech Contest – the culmination of Made in Wroclaw

The Tech Contest, which was the culmination of the Made in Wroclaw economic conference, took place on the evening of October 16, 2025, at The Bridge hotel, gathering an audience of nearly 400 people, including investors and business representatives.

The main prize was won by the startup Awakast (e-commerce solutions). Second place went to Neural (security and AI), and a special prize was awarded to Orthoget (medical implants). The Tech Contest is not just a competition for money. The organizers and participants emphasized its educational and promotional value.

VC Demo Day, or 3 minutes that can change everything

This year's Made in Wroclaw conference was also accompanied by the second edition of VC Demo Day, an event connecting the world of startups with big capital. This time, it attracted 200 participants, including company founders, investors, and representatives of science, making it a unique platform for networking and seeking financing.

Each of the selected startups had only three minutes to convince investors of their idea. Guests included Jeni Chang (Silicon Valley), Dr. Gabriele Tatzberger (Vienna Business Agency), and Dr. Kamila Pruchnik (European Investment Fund).

The region's startup bible

In 2025, the “Wrocław & Lower Silesia Startup Ecosystem Report” was also prepared, dubbed the “startup bible of the region,” which presents a reliable picture of the innovation ecosystem of Lower Silesia—its strengths and challenges. The authors focused on authenticity, and the report itself describes the ecosystem “honestly and without sugarcoating,” presenting both the upsides and downsides of starting a startup in the region. The document is aimed at a wide audience: from students and company founders, through investors, to academic circles and business environment institutions.

The report was published in a hybrid form and is available both in paper form at Startup Wroclaw events and digitally. The nearly 200-page publication is based on hundreds of interviews and surveys with seven stakeholder groups, including investors and founders. The document is intended to provide new investors and entrepreneurs with a “soft landing” in Wrocław, serving as a navigation map for the local market. The report was premiered during the Made in Wroclaw conference.

They combined substance with a sporting spirit

In June 2025, Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase, organized by Startup Wroclaw and OVHcloud, turned the capital of Lower Silesia into a vibrant center of innovation, attracting a total of nearly 340 participants. The event stood out with its unusual, sporty formula under the slogan “Startup Is a Sport: Train Hard, Play Smart, Win Big” - participants integrated during wakeboarding and outdoor networking sessions, building relationships in a relaxed atmosphere.

The substantive part of the event began at the Wrocław campus of Coventry University, where a series of workshops divided into levels of advancement were held, covering topics such as cooperation with VC funds, marketing, business models, and legal consultations. The event included a Space.Connect MeetUP meeting in Barbara with the participation of representatives of the European Space Agency, among others, and a conference at the Nowe Horyzonty Cinema, during which the analogies between running a business and competitive sports, as well as coping with pressure and risk, were discussed.

The highlight of the event was the Showcase Contest, held in the spectacular format of a boxing match, where startups competed in the “ring” in pitching rounds judged by a jury from funds such as SMOK Ventures, Movens Capital, and Underline Ventures. The winner of this contest was the Wrocław-based startup Owl Sentry, which deals with the automation of pest control, winning a prize pool of PLN 40,000 in cash, tickets to European industry events, and over €180,000 in cloud grants from OVHcloud.

Investors, mentoring, and long-term ecosystem development

In 2025, Startup Wroclaw also developed formats dedicated to investors. In Karpacz, during the WallStreet Startupy conference, business angels were educated on investing in innovation. In March, Concordia Design hosted the pioneering WRO Venture Connect meeting, which brought together business angels and VC funds for the first time.

The year also saw the launch of the WrocUP Mentoring program – a workshop format for B2B startups that already have their product and first customers. Experienced entrepreneurs became mentors.

When designing our initiatives, we consistently think about the long-term impact on the development of companies, rather than short-term visibility. We want startups operating in Wrocław to have access to knowledge, capital, and relationships that really help them scale their business and compete in international markets.

Paulina Muszyńska

Wrocław on the global startup map

In 2025, Startup Wroclaw was also present at key international events, from Web Summit in Lisbon, through Berlin and Vienna, to San Francisco and India. Wrocław startups also presented themselves as part of the Pitch Me Baby series, the sixth and seventh editions of which took place in the capital of Lower Silesia.

In 2025, Paulina Muszyńska was awarded the title of Business Angel of the Year in the ecosystem mentor category, and the Startup Wroclaw team was included in the ranking of the 50 Most Creative People in Business.

In total, over 1,700 participants took part in all the events organized by Startup Wroclaw, eating 370 pizza slices together.