In 2015, Bogy Skowronski, Paweł Bochniarz and Krzysztof Gawrysiak joined together to bridge the knowledge, skills and network gap they saw in Poland’s startup sector. Combining their years of experience across sectors and their desire to support CEE startups to scale internationally, they set up the Foundation for Technology Entrepreneurship. It is one of the first Polish organizations to enable corporations and large organizations to work closely with startups.

Through its work and expansive network, the foundation guides both corporates and startups, acting as a connector and matchmaker. It helps large organizations to collaborate with startups and facilitates the building of mutually beneficial relationships. It also oversees and collaborates on a range of accelerator and innovation programs. The foundation was a partner on the MassChallenge International Accelerator Program and previously worked on the SmartUp Accelerator. It also operates the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Enterprise Forum Accelerator in the CEE area and plans to build innovation hubs in the region.

The foundation’s flagship project is the acceleration program aimed at the most innovative startups in the CEE area and recognized by and affiliated with MIT. The first edition, held in 2016, was aimed at deep-tech startups. It now takes place twice annually and offers a diverse range of open calls from industry that startups can apply to. The program consists of six core areas: workshops, mentoring sessions, proof-of-concept meetings in collaboration with corporate partners, pitching sessions, a demo day and a final bootcamp for the winners of the demo day. A fundamental part of the program is the workshop series, based on the twenty-four-step startup methodology by Prof. Bill Aulet from MIT called Disciplined Entrepreneurship. During the rigorous and intensive program, startups have the opportunity to collaborate with international corporate partners, present to a broad range of potential investors and join the foundation’s elite alumni club.

Have an MVP.
Be at the stage where we can test your products and where you have a deep understanding of your target market and potential competition.

Have a solid founding team.
We do not look for individuals but for teams. Your team is very important for the success of your business. We want you all to be motivated to succeed and have shared values with not only your team but with the corporate partners we work with. 

Be able to receive feedback, and be open to being mentored and coached.
Our aim is to help you reach your potential, but you must be receptive and open to learning. 

Have innovative minds and ideas.
We are looking for completely unique and individual ideas. We get excited about solutions that solve truly tricky worldwide problems – not just the problems of today, but of tomorrow.

mitefcee.org/accelerator