Startup Launchpad:
By collaborating with experienced colleagues, the younger entrepreneurs have created a better business
Startup Launchpad is a mentoring programme aimed at developing the local startup scene. For three months in 2023, young entrepreneurs were supported by mentors who helped them develop their business projects. Startups at a very early stage of development took part in the venture; a business idea was all they needed. It was also a condition of participation that they knew their target group and that a minimum of two people were involved in their business.
In turn, the mentors in the programme were owners of Wrocław startups who have already secured funding from investors ( PreSeed, Seed), already have their first customers and a team committed to the development of the company.
“The project is proof of how great the Wrocław startup ecosystem is. The founders were the ones who came up with the idea to support young start-ups with their knowledge and experience.”
-Paulina Muszyńska, Head of Startup Wroclaw
They benefited from the knowledge of experienced colleagues
As Paweł Szumada from 71Debt says, participation in Startup Launchpad allowed his company to focus on the most important aspects and reduce distractions. According to him, the organisers selected the mentors perfectly.
“Unquestionably, the mentor’s help was invaluable. His advice and comments on the project and the sequence of actions to be taken, his experience and having already walked the path that we were just embarking on, influenced the shaping of our activities and his support in rebuilding the team.”
-Paweł Szumada, 71Debt
Anna Grzebita from Kraftly, on the other hand, believes that her company has made tremendous progress thanks to Startup Launchpad, and that the intensive three-month collaboration with the mentor was incredibly inspiring.
“We were able not only to better validate our project, but also to develop a better approach for further development. The level of commitment from the organisers and mentors was far greater than we could have ever expected.”
-Anna Grzebita, Kraftly
Collaboration that has changed perceptions of business
Meanwhile for Jakub Pietrucha from Unit Mower, the Startup Launchpad programme turned out to be one of the three best things that has happened to his company in the past year.
“We stood at a crossroads as a start-up, but thanks to fruitful discussions with our mentor, we gained a new perspective and set a concrete goal for the coming years.”
-Jakub Pietrucha, Unitem Mower
Gracjan Pasik from Staffect also found the programme incredibly motivating.
Collaboration was great and taking part in the competition changed his perception of business. It also allowed him to understand the process of creating and operating a startup..
“Our mentor didn’t tell us what to do, but directed us to various ideas and methods to check if the idea of our startup was the right one. He also shared his experiences with us, both the positive and the negative.”
-Gracjan Pasik, Staffect
Happy and proud mentors
Ernest Szydelski, CEO at Hustro, enjoyed working with the start-up as part of the Launchpad programme.
“Their commitment, their creative and their determination meant that during the course of the programme we were able to jointly develop and implement an effective business strategy that was successfully validated by the market in a remarkably short period of time.”
-Ernest Szydelski, CEO Hustro
While for Karol Bochenski, CEO at Buylando and COO at Rating Captain, being a mentor on the programme was a great chance to share experiences and watch young entrepreneurs develop their ideas into practical businesses.
“It is inspiring to see how much creativity and innovation can be discovered among the participants. I value this opportunity to have a direct impact on shaping the future of the startup industry and to share knowledge that can be crucial for young companies. In terms of added value, the programme seems to be an invaluable resource that allows participants to avoid many potential mistakes. With advice and support, young startups can ‘navigate’ their business much better.”
-Karol Bocheński, COO Rating Captain
Value not only for start-ups
According to Jakub Karkocha, CEO at LightApply, the Startup Launchpad programme has given a lot of value not only to the startups themselves, but also to the mentors and the entire startup community in Wrocław.
“Being able to work on an early-stage project was a big refreshment for me and a chance to take a breather after three years of working on my own business. I think every entrepreneur should occasionally refresh their head in this way..”
-Jakub Karkocha, CEO LightApply
While Mateusz Piwnicki, CEO at Rating Captain, is pleased that the startup ecosystem in Wrocław is developing so rapidly, opening up new opportunities for creative minds.
“As a mentor, I have had the pleasure of working with extremely talented young entrepreneurs, ready to change the world with their innovative ideas.”
-Mateusz Piwnicki, CEO Rating Captain
Confirmed participant successes
According to Jan Jakub Cendrowski, director of the University Business Incubator inQUBE, which co-organised the Startup Launchpad programme, it was not always easy to meet the expectations set by the mentors, but the majority of projects managed to achieve substantial business progression.
“I am extremely pleased that as inQUBE we were able to co-organise the Startup Launchpad programme. I would like to thank all the mentors who were involved in this project, but above all to congratulate the participants. In particular, it is gratifying to see the progress of Unitem Mower, confirmed among other things by the distinction and award at the PitchMeetUp University for Startups event.”
-Jan Jakub Cendrowski, director at inQUBE
