The Poland Prize
The Poland Prize, run by Startup Hub Poland, was a successful acceleration program aimed at bringing foreign startups to Poland and helping them integrate into the local market. It focused on sectors such as energy, ICT, fintech, and other technological areas, providing participants with valuable resources to develop their businesses in the Polish ecosystem.
The program officially ran from 2018 to 2019 and supported three cohorts, each featuring startups from various countries. Across these batches, hundreds of startups applied, with the final selection process narrowing down to around 26 companies that received specialized mentorship, financial support, and business connections in Poland. The selected startups were offered grants of up to 50,000 EUR, equity-free, to help them cover early-stage costs such as legal advice, business consultations, and technical development.
The Poland Prize offered a soft-landing phase, which helped participants establish legal and operational foundations in Poland. This phase included visa support, assistance in opening bank accounts, and securing business premises. The second phase of the program focused on acceleration, where startups that secured partnerships with Polish companies received further support in scaling their operations and accessing the Polish market
A key aspect of the Poland Prize was the emphasis on attracting cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to Poland. Startups in areas such as energy, IoT, fintech, and SaaS were encouraged to apply, and those selected had the chance to collaborate with corporate partners and investors to accelerate their growth(Idea Global Poland Prize)(PArP).
Although the program has ended, it played a significant role in fostering international entrepreneurship in Poland, successfully integrating foreign startups into the local ecosystem and helping them expand into Central and Eastern Europe.