Wrocław – the startup capital! Emotions like at a boxing gala and prizes worth a fortune

01.07.2025

Pięcioosobowy panel dyskusyjny na scenie podczas wydarzenia

For two days, the capital of Lower Silesia became the center of innovation, technology, and business. All thanks to Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase – an event for startups whose representatives came to Wrocław not only from all over Poland but also from abroad. They also gathered here to compete in a pitching contest, where the winner received exceptionally valuable prizes. Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase is a two-day event for startup representatives, combining business excitement with practical knowledge and a unique competition format. It was organized with development, networking, and inspiring young entrepreneurs in mind.

Entertainment and sports

According to Paulina Muszyńska, Head of Startup Wroclaw, this year’s event took place in a slightly different atmosphere than in previous years.

“This year, we’ve made some changes to the event. To its core parts – the conference and workshops – we added new elements such as the Space Connect Meetup and a concert. The whole meeting this year had a sporty vibe. We wanted to refresh the event’s format a bit, so we decided to bring in a bit more entertainment, of course still combined with substance.”
— Paulina Muszyńska

Energetic and inspiring

Although the official start of Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase was scheduled for June 24th, the organizers, along with partner Startup Founders, invited guests to an informal opening the day before. Attendees could take part in a wakeboarding session combined with outdoor networking. In the following days, participants joined an intensive workshop session divided by skill level. Topics included marketing, business models, and working with VC funds. There were also free tax and legal consultations available. Meanwhile, the Space Connect Meetup, organized in cooperation with the European Space Agency, took place at Barbara. The highlight of the event, however, was the unique evening conference, which featured not only engaging discussion panels but also inspiring talks about, among other things, startup funding

The brave faced off in the ring

One of the most important points of the event was the Showcase Contest – a unique pitching competition styled as a boxing match. In the first round, each startup had 3 minutes to pitch and 1 minute for Q&A. In the final round, the top three participants had 2 minutes each to defend their vision and convince the jury that their idea deserved to win. First place went to Owl Sentry – a startup focused on automation in rodent control.

This is a really great distinction, and most importantly, a chance to tell a broader audience about what we do. It also gave us the opportunity to present ourselves at Web Summit and to talk with other investors, especially since we are currently in the middle of a funding round. So this is a big step for us.”
— Marcin Matuszewski, co-founder of Owl Sentry

Prizes that matter for startups

The jury of the competition included representatives from renowned funds such as SMOK Ventures, Movens Capital, and Underline Ventures. The winning startups received exceptionally valuable prizes: over €180,000 in grants from OVHcloud, PLN 40,000 in cash, and tickets to top startup events in Europe. Evolutions: Meetup & Showcase is organized by Startup Wrocław, the Wrocław Agglomeration Development Agency, and the OVHcloud Startup Progra