Poland has quietly turned into Europe’s startup hotspot
SMOK Ventures supports early-stage IT startups in Central and Eastern Europe
Looking back with the eyes of today, Poland’s startup landscape has undergone significant transformation since 2007. Notable tech successes like Brainly, Booksy, Docplanner, Ramp, and others have emerged. Today, it was reported that Poland’s SMOK Ventures successfully closed its second fund, reaching a total of $25 million, further indicating the ongoing momentum in the scene.
Before dismissing that amount, consider the region it operates in. SMOK Ventures supports early-stage software tools, SaaS, AI, and gaming startups in Central and Eastern Europe, contributing to a new wave of venture capitalists in the area. Moreover, Poland looks forward to experiencing economic advantages following the removal of its socially conservative government, which has held back societal progress. This change follows the victory of former EU chief Donald Tusk.
Borys Musielak, the general partner at SMOK, who previously sold Filmaster to Samba TV and co-founded with Diana Koziarska, the former CEO at ReaktorX, mentioned that the majority of their investments focus on software development tools and game development. These are the dominant sectors in Poland, where engineers, with their deep understanding of engineering tools, create solutions for fellow engineers. These strengths define Poland’s position in these industries.
