Funding Horizons

Join us for an exciting hybrid event where we present the pathways to financial success for startups  and kickstart the third year of CEE Startup Voucher competition. Discover how to access the EU grants and investments through two engaging panel discussions featuring funding experts, investors, and successful founders. Gain insights into funding strategies, entrepreneurial journeys and complex landscape of startup financing. Following the panels, take part in the speed dating session, where startups and investors connect!

Agenda 

Opening: Growing the tech company in the Central and Eastern Europe (incl. formal launching of the CEE Startup Voucher competition) by organisers and partners of the event  

Panel 1: How to grow a tech startup with an investor: We will discuss the specifics of investing in high-risk technology startups, when and how to approach an investor and share experiences and recommendations from successful startups by the (deep) tech investors and startups in different stages of fundraising  

Panellists:

• Michal Nespor (LinkedIn),      partner in Crowdberry -      Early-stage VC in Slovakia and Czechia - investing in promising seed and      growth stage companies with international and global growth profiles
• Oskar Koristka (LinkedIn),      COO & co-founder Supernova,  Oskar      is a successful startup entrepreneur whose startup Supernova.io is the      ultimate platform that helps you build, mature, and scale your design      system with ease. With his team they were the only Czech startup to be      accepted into the prestigious US accelerator Y Combinator.

Moderator: Jan Slavicek (LinkedIn)

Panel 2: Public funding for early stage and market entry: We will explain where to find EU public funding for the development, testing and market validation of innovative products and services, how to prepare and implement projects, practical experience from successful start-up beneficiaries and tips and tricks for your success. by the funding experts, project EIC evaluators and jury member, startup grant beneficiaries

Panellists:

• Martin Basila (LinkedIn), CEO and Co-Founder of Sensoneo, a global enterprise-grade smart waste management solutions provider. Sensoneo enables cities, businesses, and countries to manage their waste efficiently, lower their environmental footprint, and improve the quality of services. Sensoneo is one the first CEE beneficiaries of the blended finance (grant+equity) from the prestigious EIC Accelerator Pilot.
• Miroslav Mandel (LinkedIn), VP at Atomtrace, Miroslav's leadership earned them awards and the esteemed EIC Accelerator Seal of Excellence. He even guided Atomtrace as the first Czech startup in the EIT Raw Materials Booster Program.
• Ivan Filus (LinkedIn), startup advisor for innovation and growth in BIC Bratislava (SK) and MSIC (CZ), EU project manager, innovation advisor, financial and administrative coordinator of Enterprise Europe Network Slovakia, Horizon Europe National Contact Point for EIC in Slovakia, co-designer of public funding schemes for deep tech startups and innovation/startup ecosystems.

Moderator:Adela Hradilova (LinkedIn)

Networking and speed dating: (onsite only) - Meet the speakers - Consult your project idea with the experts - Get know to the CEE startup ecosystem and meet the support organisations - Networking with participants