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Extra Crunch Friday: 10 Poland-based investors discuss trends, opportunities and the road ahead

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Friday, September 11, 2020 By Walter Thompson

Welcome to Extra Crunch Friday

Welcome to Extra Crunch Friday image

Image Credits: Edwin Remsberg / Getty Images

As we’ve covered previously, the COVID-19 pandemic is making the world a lot smaller.

Investors who focus on their own backyards still have an advantage, but the ability to set up a quick coffee meeting with a promising investor is no longer one of them.

Even though some VCs are cutting first checks after Zoom calls, regional investors’ personal networks are still a trump card. Tourists will always rely on guide books, however, which is why we continue to survey investors around the world.

A Dealroom report issued this summer determined that 97 VC funds backed more than 1,600 funding rounds in Poland last year. With over 2,400 early- and late-stage startups and 400,000 engineers in the country, it’s easy to see why foreign investors are taking notice.

Editor-at-large Mike Butcher reached out to several investors who focus on Warsaw and Poland in general to learn more about the startups fueling their interest across fintech, gaming, security and other sectors:

  • Bryony Cooper, managing partner, Arkley Brinc VC
  • Anna Wnuk-BÅ‚ażejczyk, investor relations manager, Experior.vc
  • RafaÅ‚ Roszak, investment director, YouNick Mint
  • Michal Mroczkowski, partner, Market One Capital
  • Marcus Erken, partner, Sunfish Partners
  • Borys Musielak, partner, SMOK Ventures
  • Mathias Ã…sberg, partner, Nextgrid
  • Kuba Dudek, SpeedUp Venture Capital Group
  • Marcin Laczynski, partner, Next Road Ventures
  • MichaÅ‚ Rokosz, partner, Inovo Venture Partners

We’ll run the conclusion of his survey next Tuesday.

Thanks very much for reading Extra Crunch; I hope you have a relaxing and safe weekend.

 

Walter Thompson
Senior Editor, TechCrunch
@yourprotagonist

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