Techstars | All things startup in Warsaw №190
Welcome to Warsaw’s go-to newsletter for startup news and events! A quick review of last week’s highlights and must-attend events. Got news or an event to share? Let us know—we’d love to feature it!
Editor’s Edge
Poland didn’t just show up last week—it brought deeptech, venture muscle, and a €3B AI factory proposal like it was pitching for G20 MVP.
Unchained Robotics grabbed €8.5M to make factory robots easier than IKEA furniture. Movens Capital and KAYA VC dropped new funds like Spotify drops AI playlists, and Koobz is making sneakers with 3D printers because apparently shoes needed a reboot too.
And in case you missed it: Poland might build a Baltic AI GigaFactory with 100% green energy. Sovereign AI, folks—it’s not just for Silicon Valley billionaires anymore. Also, UZ’s venture studio is bringing startup grit to the lecture hall, and the EIC Pre-Accelerator is waving €500K at deeptechs like, “Come get your EU funding while it’s hot.”
Now, looking ahead:
This week’s event calendar is hotter than your laptop fan during Zoom pitch #5. RevDev returns with Revolut’s take on scalable fintech; Java Poland is blending backend wizardry with AI sauce; and Gemini API Sprints is giving your product team a free ticket to the AI lab.
And if that’s not enough? Java JUMP and Kobieta i Biznes are making sure the next generation of women founders and developers aren’t just in the room—they’re running it.
From €70M venture drops to weekend coding bootcamps on the beach, Warsaw’s startup scene isn’t just thriving. It’s plotting global domination—with extra caffeine and no apologies.
And with that, let’s dive in.
Last Week's NEWS
💎 Unchained Robotics Raises €8.5M to Democratize Factory Automation
Navivo Capital has co-led an €8.5 million Series A extension round in Germany-based Unchained Robotics, signaling Poland's growing influence in European deeptech investment. The capital will fund global expansion of the company's core product, LUNA OS—a hardware-agnostic operating system designed to integrate industrial robots from multiple manufacturers through a user-friendly interface. This significantly lowers automation barriers for SMEs. Read more. [deeptech, robotics]
💎 Movens Capital Launches €60M Fund to Fuel CEE Tech Startups from Pre-Seed to Series A+
Movens Capital has launched its second fund, targeting €60 million to support early-stage tech companies across Central and Eastern Europe. Already closed at €40 million in Q2 2025, the fund is backed by EBRD, PFR Ventures, and over 80 private investors, including top regional tech founders. It aims to bridge a critical funding gap in CEE, where venture investment remains at just €13 per capita compared to €85 in Western Europe. Read more. [venturecapital, cee]
💎 KAYA VC Raises €70M to Expand Startup Investments Across CEE
Prague-based KAYA VC has closed a €70 million fund, its fifth to date, to invest in up to 25 early-stage startups across Central and Eastern Europe. Known for early bets on Docplanner and Booksy, KAYA plans to invest €1–€3M at pre-seed to Series A stages, with capacity for €20M in follow-ons. The firm is expanding beyond Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia into Hungary, Croatia, and Bulgaria. Read more. [startups, cee]
💎 Koobz Raises €7.2M to Reinvent 3D Footwear Manufacturing
Ventura-based Koobz, founded by Polish entrepreneur Kuba Graczyk, has secured €7.2 million in funding to scale its 3D-printed footwear production. Led by Uncork Capital, the seed round will fund a new 10,000-square-foot factory in California, aimed at reshoring and automating shoe manufacturing. Koobz simplifies the complex footwear supply chain by reducing 30+ parts to 1–2 components via additive manufacturing. Read more. [hardware, manufacturing]
💎 Vestbee Syndicate Closes Investment in Voice AI Pioneer Respeecher
Kyiv-based Respeecher has secured funding from Vestbee’s first syndicate of 2025, co-led by Paweł Maj and Marcin Laczyński. Known for ultra-realistic speech synthesis, Respeecher has powered productions for Lucasfilm and ElevenLabs, with a strong ethical stance on consent-based voice cloning. The startup's AI Voice Lab enables dubbing, localization, and accessibility applications across sectors. Read more. [ai, voice]
💎 Poland Takes the Lead in Building Baltic AI GigaFactory
Poland has submitted a €3 billion proposal to the European Commission to build the Baltic AI GigaFactory—a massive AI infrastructure project supported by Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Backed by 65% private funding, including Allegro, Orange Polska, and Skeleton Technologies, the facility would enable pan-European training and deployment of generative AI models. The site will run on 100% green energy, enabling sovereign, scalable AI infrastructure. Read more. [ai, infrastructure]
💎 Poland’s Quiet Ascent: From Periphery to G20 Powerhouse
Poland is no longer defined by the past. As its GDP nears $1 trillion and it leads EU growth at 3.2%, Poland now outpaces Germany, France, and the eurozone average. Its military budget has surpassed 4% of GDP, and its manufacturing base is booming. Once considered peripheral, Poland is emerging as the EU’s strategic and economic backbone—a nation defined by confidence, growth, and geopolitical relevance. The Economist calls it Europe’s most overlooked power. That may not last much longer. Read more. [macroeconomics, geopolitics]
💎 UZ Venture Studio Launches Poland’s First University-Backed Startup Factory
The University of Zielona Góra, in partnership with The Heart, has launched Poland’s first university-affiliated venture studio. The initiative, funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, connects students and researchers with venture builders and corporate partners to commercialize academic research. Participants undergo a two-phase program—from business-readiness to startup incubation—with support from Perceptus, Santander X, InCredibles, and more. Read more. [education, innovation]
💎 EIC Pre-Accelerator Launches with €500K Grants for Deep Tech Startups
The European Innovation Council has opened its EIC Pre-Accelerator call, targeting startups in underfunded EU regions. Selected startups can receive up to €500,000 in funding and coaching, along with fast-track access to the EIC Accelerator. The program is open until November 18, 2025, and supports early-stage deep tech ventures at TRL 4–6. The €20M budget aims to bridge national, regional, and EU-level financing. Read more. [deep tech, EU funding]
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My notes:
💎 Polish Venture Capital in 2025: Between Recovery and Recalibration
Poland’s VC market saw a record-breaking start in January 2025, with PLN 812 million raised, driven by a single large Series C round. But momentum quickly faded, with May funding dropping to just 10% of January’s volume. This mirrors broader European trends, where Q1 2025 funding declined 16% YoY. Read more. [VC, Poland]
💎 Why “Work” Must Be Redefined in the Age of AI
The future of human dignity may depend on decoupling identity from productivity. As machines absorb more tasks, redefining work becomes urgent. Rather than clinging to outdated productivity metrics, experts call for recognition of care work, imagination, and presence as valuable societal roles. Universal Basic Income pilots across Europe and the U.S. have shown positive results. Read more. [future of work, AI ethics]
💎 16 AI Strategy Playbooks You Can’t Ignore
Top firms, including Accenture, Amazon, BCG, and Bain, have published AI strategy playbooks to help organizations align automation with outcomes. These guides, free and battle-tested, cover frameworks for value creation, CX transformation, risk management, and AI maturity. Read more. [AI, strategy]
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This week's events
📅 Monday, June 30
Revolut | RevDev Warsaw #2 [EN] [FREE] [programming, fintech, engineering]
Best for: Software Engineers, Backend Developers, FinTech Enthusiasts
Hosted at the iconic Fabryka Norblina, RevDev Warsaw returns for its second edition—an evening designed for engineering minds building the future of finance. Revolut invites software engineers and tech lovers to dive into the real architectural and operational backbone of one of Europe’s most disruptive fintech companies. The event features live talks from key engineering leads and a deep dive into Revolut’s approach to scalable, high-performance systems—from domain-driven design to mass platform migrations. Read more.
📅 Tuesday, July 1
Tech Talk | MeetUp #9 | Fullstack & dev.js [PL] [EN] [FREE] [programming, JavaScript, accessibility]
Best for: JavaScript Developers, Fullstack Engineers, Accessibility Advocates
Join Wrocław’s vibrant developer community for Tech Talk | MeetUp #9, hosted at the iconic Hard Rock Cafe. This evening meetup focuses on hands-on techniques for fullstack development and JavaScript mastery, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and quality in API tooling. Two deep-dive talks will explore: Postman beyond REST clients — writing API tests, avoiding anti-patterns, and integrating with CI/CD. Accessibility-Driven Development — real-world lessons in building inclusive web apps from the ground up. Read more.
📅 Wednesday, July 2
Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI [EN] [FREE] [startup, AI, content creation]
Best for: Startup Founders, Growth Marketers, Content Creators
Creating great content takes time, and founders often don’t have much of it. This free online workshop shows you how to use AI tools to create value-driven, authentic content without losing your voice or wasting your day. Join Trevor Longino, founder of CrowdTamers, as he walks you through real use cases—from ChatGPT and Gemini to video content tools like OpusClip and Descript, and launching on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or LinkedIn. Read more.
📅 Thursday, July 3
Java Poland Community Meetup #8: Engineering Java – Efficiency and AI in Focus [EN] [FREE] [Java, AI/ML, backend]
Best for: Java Developers, AI/ML Engineers, Software Architects, Tech Leads
The Java Poland Community returns with its 8th meetup, exploring Java's evolving role in AI and performance. Ahmed Samy Bakry Mahmoud presents advanced data compression techniques for responsive backend systems. Igli Myrta explains how to build Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines in Java using Spring AI. Victor Vieira shares JPC community updates and vision for AI-infused backend solutions. This online event provides practical tools for production-grade systems. Read more.
📅 Friday, July 4
Gemini API Sprints – Warsaw [EN] [FREE] [AI/ML, startup, cloud]
Best for: Founders, Startup Builders, AI Engineers, Product Teams
Gemini API Sprints is a full-day, hands-on event helping startup teams transform AI concepts into real, deployable products. Hosted at Google Campus Warsaw, teams work with experts from Google, DeepMind, GDG, and Operator Chmury Krajowej. From API walkthroughs to live mentorship, you'll leave with working prototypes built with the Gemini API and AI Studio. Read more.
📅 Saturday, July 5
Java JUMP Summer Bootcamp 2025 [PL], [EN] [FREE] [education, women, Java]
Best for: Women aspiring to enter IT, career switchers, Java beginners
Java JUMP is a free 90-hour online bootcamp for women who want to start a career in Java. Offered in both Polish (weekends) and English (weekdays), it includes live workshops, real project building, certificates, and access to HSBC's 2-year tech employment track in Kraków. Read more.
📅 Sunday, July 6
Kobieta i Biznes: Jak Założyć Firmę [PL] [FREE] [entrepreneurship, women, workshop]
Best for: Aspiring women entrepreneurs, freelancers, career changers
Join this empowering live workshop at Plaża Wesoła designed for women exploring how to start a business in Poland. Covering legal setup, funding, accounting, and mental preparation, the event fosters knowledge and confidence among early-stage founders. Led by female professionals, it offers practical guidance and peer learning. Read more.