“Into the (un)known” – Startup WRO Meetup #2 about expansion

“Expansion is often a difficult challenge for startups, requiring proper management and in-depth market analysis. That’s why we decided to dedicate the second event in the Startup WRO Meetup series to this very topic and present on stage cases of both successful and unsuccessful exits abroad. The last meetup, which attracted more than 150 people, shows how much interest there is in such events. Feel invited!”
– says Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Board of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency

Polish startups want expansion

“Foreign expansion is an important stage of scaling a business. We already have many examples of how a startup that conquers international markets can also be created in Poland. The successes of companies such as Booksy, DocPlanner, or Brainly have become a kind of benchmark for many domestic founders. There are voices that the current difficult situation related to the war behind our eastern border and the crisis – energy and inflation – may even cheer startups to look for customers outside Poland.”
– says Tomek Snażyk, CEO of Startup Poland

Whether a startup is considering expansion abroad is also important information from the point of view of investors, for whom going to markets other than Poland is a basic measure of the potential for the development of a business run by a startup. Here is where a challenge arises – Poland, as well as the entire CEE region, is treated more cautiously by international capital than before February 24 this year.

“Polish startups are getting better and better prepared to expand abroad, but to achieve full success, it is worth paying special attention to important aspects – strategy. expansion, and above all – the finances of companies trying to enter external markets. In an era of greater caution on the part of investors financing startup expansion, proper preparation is key, as overinvestment and, for example, entering too many foreign markets at the same time, can end in bankruptcy, even for companies that are very successful on the domestic market.”
– says Mateusz Cybula, Senior Innovation Specialist at Bank BNP Paribas

In the context of expansion abroad, it is also worth noting a disturbing trend described in the Startup Poland report. The foundation’s data shows that nearly half of the country’s startups are considering not so much expansion as moving their business permanently out of Poland altogether.

“We are indeed noticing such a trend. However, it is caused by a number of factors. The main reason is not always the current geopolitical situation or a less friendly legal and tax system in Poland. For a number of startups looking for funding, foreign investors are the only option. These, however, are not willing to invest directly in Polish structures. Often the flip of a Polish company to the US is the only way to attract a foreign investor. This only confirms that compared to solutions operating in other countries, the Polish legal system still lacks flexible solutions to facilitate investment.”
– says Tomasz Szarek, Managing Partner, SDZ Legal Schindhelm

On stage experts after successful and unsuccessful expansion

The #2 Startup WRO Meetup x Let’s get (c)loud will take place on April 26 at 5:00 pm at “Barbara”, 8B Świdnicka Street in Wroclaw. The agenda includes a panel discussion with experts, four keynote speeches by mentors and experienced founders, and pitch decks by local startups.

The April event is organized in cooperation with “Let’s get (c)loud,” an acceleration program for startups and scaleups, implemented by OChK and Google Cloud.

“The main goal of the “Let’s get (c)loud” program is to support startups and scaleups in the effective use of cloud technologies. They can count not only on advice and mentoring at every stage of development in the cloud, but also on favorable financial terms and valuable networking. At OChK, we work with companies such as Booksy, Brainly and Synerise, which gives us a very good understanding of the goals and challenges facing startups today that want to grow in international markets.”
– says Paweł Roguski, Head of SMB at OChK

See how it was at the last meetup: