Our offer

For startups

Huge Thing as one of the oldest and the most renowned accelerators in Poland running a broad range of programs for startups. We support startups in building their products, validating and testing their ideas, working with corporations and acquiring investments. We collaborate with top level mentors who provide helpful guidance and solutions to all your business needs.

Current editions

Ongoing project initiatives

1st Edition (2023)
Collabor8
Collabor8 powered by Huge Thing is an innovative modular training program designed to empower startups to effectively cooperate with corporates and venture capital funds.

Through this comprehensive program, startups gain the knowledge and resources necessary to identify, negotiate and execute successful partnerships with larger entities.
Partners
2nd Edition (2023)
Żabka Future Lab
Żabka Future Lab is the flagship acceleration program of Żabka Group, the ultimate convenience ecosystem in Poland, with more than 3 million consumers using their services every day. We partner with Żabka Group in organizing this program edition.
Partners
13th Edition (2022)
Poland Prize
The 13th edition Poland Prize powered by Huge Thing aims to attract startups to Poland and help them validate their business models with dedicated partners. We partner with Veolia, Coca-Cola HBC Poland & Baltics, Żabka Polska, EIT InnoEnergy, Black Pearls VC, Innovation Nest, Market One Capital, CofounderZone, Enterprise Singapore.
Partners

Below you can find our offer dedicated to startups. Take a look and let us know how we can work together!

Support for startups:
Service design
Service design
If you are eager to develop your startup, but you feel that you still need to re-define the product and existing business model, enters the Huge Thing team!
What is the result?
Using service design tools, our experienced team will help you verify and re-define the assumptions about your startup so that the offered solution may fulfill the customers’ real needs.
Our new offer!
Support for startups:
Marketing strategy
for startups
Marketing strategy
for startups
If your product or service is ready but you need support in reaching out to customers.
What is the result?
With the support of our top experts, we can comprehensively help you re-dfine your communication strategy, create a product offer, verify the target group or plan your foreign expansion.
Our new offer!

Connecting with investors and corporates

Finding the right partner is essential to scale your business.

Connecting with investors and corporates:
Building startup readiness to corporate collaboration
Building startup readiness to corporate collaboration
We have identified key challenges which startups face in the process of establishing a successful collaboration with corporate clients. In this program, we teach startups how to win new corporate clients during a comprehensive 1-month tailor-made program run by our top experts.
What is the result?
  • identifying success&failure factors in startup-corporate relations,
  • assessment of startups’  corporate readiness,
  • designing an action plan for startups to prepare for collaboration with corporate clients
Our new offer!
Connecting with investors and corporates:
Building the fundraising readiness
Building the fundraising readiness
We have an extensive expertise in helping startups understand the fundraising processes and the perspective of the investors. We support startups in finding an investor and teach them how to run the whole process via a comprehensive 3-month tailor-made program.
What is the result?
  • assessment of startups’ fundraising readiness,
  • onboarding the investors in a short period of time,
  • managing the group of investors and their expectations,
  • startup valuation,
  • analysis of financial aspects.
Our new offer!
Connecting with investors and corporates:
Matching
with corporates
Matching
with corporates
We show startups how the ‘Innovation path’ works inside the corporation. We also help to reconcile startup’s and corporate’s needs on their joint venture.
What is the result?
  • 1:1 consultations with corporates,
  • peer-to-peer learning based on case studies of startups which successfully worked with corporate client
Our new offer!
Connecting with investors and corporates:
Looking for a VC fund?
Looking for a VC fund?
Huge Thing is part of the SpeedUp Venture Capital Group which is one of the leading VC funds in our region. Over the last several years it has invested in over 100 companies across Europe with more than 50 startups in their current portfolio.
What is the result?
  • An opportunity to connect with to one of the best Polish VC funds,
  • SpeedUp Group supports your business needs related to the business model, market research, etc.,
  • possibility to gain up to EUR 1M financing,
  • access to the fund’s wide range of Smart Money (e.g. Mental Health support, Partnership Base, lot of tools discounts, free tickets for best startup events, etc.)
  • funds analytics support with your PitchDeck and further fundraising rounds
Meet several of their portfolio companies:​
Questions?

Agnieszka Cichocka

Head of Acceleration

Don’t hesitate to reach out.
We are more than happy to answer!

We enjoy sharing our knowledge

Because innovations grow in open environment.

Samorządy&innowacje – podręcznik dla samorządów

Ten podręcznik do pracy z innowacjami to unikatowy zbiór wiedzy, dobrych praktyk oraz informacji o narzędziach, które mogą być pomocne w pracy samorządów z innowacjami. Powstał w wyniku połączenia doświadczeń naszego zespołu w pracy z organizacjami, które wdrażają innowacje, wiedzy na temat specyfiki działania startupów oraz obserwacji zebranych w trakcie realizacji programu GovTech Inno_lab*, którego celem było wsparcie jednostek samorządowych w zamawianiu produktów i usług opartych na nowych technologiach.

Culture of innovation – new podcast episode!

🥁🥁🥁....and here it is! the next episode of our podcast created together with MamStartup and with the support of Google for Startups 🚀 This time our guest was Tamara Bińczak, Principal Expert Innovation Lead at ING Polska with whom Zuzanna and Maryla talked about the culture of innovation 🤔 📌 What is a culture of innovation? 📌 How to start building it in a company? 📌 How to involve employees in building a culture of innovation ? 📌 How does it affect the functioning of the company? Sounds interesting, doesn't it? 🙌

Can innovation be measured?

Can innovation be measured? 🤔 That was the main topic of conversation of our next podcast episode created together with MamStartup and with the support of Google for Startups 🚀 Zuzanna and Maryla's guest was 🎙️ Jan van der Saar, Head of Innovation Lab at Bank Pekao S.A. 🙌 Sounds great? 🤔

How to match the sources of innovation with the stage and readiness of the company?

How to match the sources of innovation with the stage and readiness of the company? 👉 that's the main question we're looking to answer in the next episode of our podcast created together with MamStartup and with the support of Google for Startups 💙 This time Zuzanna and Maryla invited to the conversation 🎙️ Katarzyna Wszola, Director of Innovation at Veolia Poland 🚀 Grab your headphones and check it out 🎧

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Maryla Wojcieszek

Interim Head of Knowledge, Innovation Shaper

As Innovation Shaper at Huge Thing, Maryla supports large organizations in processes related to innovation. That includes, among others:  ‘as is’ diagnosis, analysis and (re-)design of processes, innovation framework design, structuring the work of innovation teams, and facilitating cooperation with startups. As the Interim Head of Knowledge, Maryla is responsible for the materialization and transfer of knowledge as well as talent management within the Huge Thing team. She designs and creates new products/services based on internal knowledge resources as well as new models of delivery and dissemination. She’s also a workshop designer and facilitator.

Experienced designer of (public) programs supporting the startup ecosystem in Poland. In her professional experience, as an Expert in the Startup Development Department at PARP, Maryla co-created, among others, the Scale UP program – the first public acceleration program connecting startups and corporations.

A gardener and a LEGO fan.

Nala

Cummunity Builder

Since 2022 Nala has been working like a dog to build the Huge Thing community.

She’s always happy to welcome you in our office and you can be sure to get a huuuge hug from her!

PS: don’t forget to bring some treats.

Mateusz Szymański

Junior Program Manager

Tech and innovation enthusiasts, especially those with positive social impact, Greentech, and health tech solutions. In Huge Thing, Mateusz is responsible for co-running acceleration programs. In 2022 he was co-running the 12th edition of the Google for Startups pre-acceleration program. 

Previously he worked in the sales and product departments, where he was responsible for outreach activities and product communication. He’s also gained experience in project coordination and internal communication, working as a Spokesperson for Poznań’s department of NGO organization The Polish Forum of Young Diplomats. He was a co-creator of the social campaign “Paragraphs without blunder” which mission was to educate high school students about their rights.

During his spare time, he likes to read about international politics and the economy. Strategic games enjoyer. He’ll surely like to play chess with you.

Kaja Kulas

Program Manager

Kaja joined the Huge Thing team in May 2022. For several years she’s been connected with the startup ecosystem. She helps international startups in growing their businesses in Poland and across Europe.

In Huge Thing, Kaja is responsible for project management which include running educational programs for startups in their development and acceleration phase. She organizes events, workshops and trainings for the program participants. She monitors their growth and connects with partners and technology recipes. Also, Kaja takes care of relations, community building, recruitments and explorations of startups’ needs to bring them the best value of our programmes.

Before Huge Thing, she gained her experience in Poznan Science and Technology Park developing international projects funded by the European Commission. Kaja was a part of the PSTP Capital Fund and Regional Contact Point for Research Programmes of the European Union. She is passionate about travels, sports, music and dogs. Kaja is a happy “dog mom” of our team member – Nala whom you can pet while visiting us. :)

 

Zuza Kowala

Innovation Manager, Program Manager

Zuza joined Huge Thing in 2021. She is responsible for acceleration programs like GovTech Inno_Lab and Żabka Future Lab.

Also as Maryla, Zuza supports large organizations in processes related to innovation. That includes, among others: design of processes, innovation framework design, structuring the work of innovation teams and facilitating cooperation with startups.

Before joining Innovation Monsters, Zuza led projects at Żabka Polska, earlier connected with automotive at Volkswagen Group Polska. In Żabka, she was responsible for project management, coordinating the teamwork according to the best practice – she was looking for the best way to keep the process alive.
Zuza is also a sportaholic, innovation seeker, and book lover.

Magda Stachowiak

Project Manager

Magda joined Huge Thing in 2021. Responsible for our Gov Tech inno_Lab acceleration programs and cooperation with the public administration. She runs projects for smart city. She is also responsible for building bridges between innovators – corporations, startups and the administration.

Previously, since 2015, she cooperated on our projects for Gov Tech and corporations. Connected with the Poznań Startup Community. Experience in organizing events for the MedTech community. She worked in advertising and interactive agencies, creating brand campaigns and loyalty programs. She helped implement technologies into the organization.

Passionate about personal development, psychobiology, and supporting women in creating businesses. The creator of the projects Kobiecy Poznań Przebudzenie and Joy of Life.

Damian Wielechowski

Senior Marketing and Communication Manager

Damian manages the external and internal communications of SpeedUp Group, including Huge Thing. He joined the team in 2017 and since then has been working with business representatives, business environment institutions, public administration, media, and the academic community.

In addition to activities related to Speedup Group, Damian supports the fund’s portfolio companies in the area of marketing and PR. He has served on the jury of many competitions, including ImpactCEE, and acted as a mentor at startup events such as hackathons and Startup Weekend.

Damian is also the author of the Poznan Startup Guide and co-author of the Krakow Startup Guide, as well as organizer of many events dedicated to startups and investors.

Agnieszka Cichocka

Head of Acceleration

Agnieszka joined Huge Thing in 2021. She is responsible for our acceleration programs. She is passionate about art, technology, and gendered innovations. Previously, Director of District Hall Warsaw and Startup Development Department Manager at Incubator Starter. 

Co-creator of Techseed.me technological acceleration program and the first coliving space in Poland for digital nomads. 

Natalia Sadownik

Delivery Lead, Senior Program Manager

Natalia joined Huge Thing in 2019. As a Senior Program Manager, she implements acceleration and educational programs (Poland Prize, PlusJeden do Rozwoju) in line with Huge Thing’s standards.

As a Delivery Lead, she focuses on the operation of Huge Thing as an organization, financial issues, team planning, and quality of activities carried out by the company. Natalia loves to sail around Masuria and Croatia, and on gray days eats sushi and watches tennis.

Monika Synoradzka

CEO of Huge Thing and managing partner at Speedup group

Monika together with the HT team is responsible for the company’s development in startup acceleration and activities aimed at supporting organizations from the private and public sectors in their work with innovations.

She specializes in implementing innovations in organizations and building a culture of innovation in companies from various sectors. For years, she has supported the development of Poland’s startup environment.

Monika is also a Managing Partner at SpeedUp Venture Capital Group.
Thanks to her knowledge and experience, she helps portfolio companies to understand the operation of large organizations and corporations and prepare to work with them. She also supports them in building business relationships.

Preparing the resources

Acquiring innovation

Preparing the resources

Acquiring innovation

Huge Thing Programs

Monetizing innovation

Acquiring innovation

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