9th Edition (2021)

Pre-accelerator

Huge Thing Pre-acceleration Online Program is the second edition of the program run in partnership with Google for Startups.

12 pre-seed and seed-stage startups from CEE developed a draft version of MVP or first version of product together with mentors.

Pre-acceleration
in partnership with
Google for Startups.

Huge Thing Pre-acceleration Online Program in partnership with Google for Startups was dedicated for a pre-seed and seed-stage startups from CEE with a draft version of MVP or first version of product.

The Program was addressed to startups from CEE focused on various areas like finance, marketing, HR, medicine, sustainability, gaming, e-sport, IoT, energetics and others that have global potential. 

The Program’s aim was to validate a business idea and prepare for the first investment round. The goal was to give startups founders the tools and knowledge which will allow them to build strong and profitable businesses. 

Startups

Meet the Alumni of the 9th Program edition.

Alikeme

Alikeme is a digital platform for psychologists to monitor their patients between sessions to amplify therapy.

Element

It lets to recruit better talents with less time and cost.

Biobetter

Virtual biohacking assistant.

Vet for call

Vetforcall helps veterinary clinics offer remote consultations through online video appointments to their clients.

ZOYYA

Zoyya is an appointment management and scheduling app for all enterprise and commercial service providers whose business is based on appointments.

Underline

Translate words while you browse, learn them wherever you want and remember the ones that you actually need.

Paulai Tech

Paulai Tech is a personalized interactive platform to provide real experience for kids. Basing on augmented reality it shows how STEM disciplines are applied.

Seamore

SeaMore develops remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) dedicated for professional markets. Those robots can help with inspection of underwater structures.

Cyan Reef

Digital wealth management platform offering investments aligned with environmental, social, and governance standards.

Happy Kids

Fun exercises that transform mornings into an engaging and active experiences for you and your kids.

GetMeHired

Online platform that gathers real managers to help candidates decode interviews by offering in-depth feedback for their interview simulation.

Enabla

Enabla digitalizes universities educational content and makes it comfortable for students to work with.

Rules of 8th edition

Pre-acceleration program is addressed to startups from CEE focused on various areas like finance, marketing, HR, medicine, sustainability, gaming, e-sport, IoT, energetics and others that have global potential. Due to the current global situation, we are especially open to solutions that answer present-day problems.

To apply you will need to submit an online application (HERE). In addition, you will need to submit the 30-45 second YouTube video introduction. Share with us your motivation to be part of the Huge Thing Pre-acceleration Program and what makes you stand out.

Applications are open until May 17th. The recruitment process consists of 3 stages: collecting online applications followed by conducting online interviews verification with selected startups and online Bootcamp.

As the third part of the recruitment process, chosen teams will be invited to the online Bootcamp. It will last for 3 business days, between June 3th until 5th, 2020. Startups selected for the online Bootcamp will be announced on May 26th via an email.

Startups selected for the Huge Thing Pre-acceleration Program in partnership with Google for Startups will be announced on June 8th via an email. The Program lasts for 5 weeks between June 15th until July 15th, 2020 and will be held online.

The Program is based on the lean startup methodology which is a principled approach to new solution development. It consists of workshops, mentoring sessions and individual work on your projects.

Timeline

Partners

Thanks to working with partners, we create an unique value proposition for startups. ​

Google for Startups is Google’s initiative to help startups thrive across every corner of the world. We connect them with the best of Google’s products, connections, and best practices through our global network of partners and our seven Google for Startups Campuses.

SpeedUp Group is a group of venture capital funds, investing in enterprises in an early stage of development (pre-seed, seed, series A). We’re looking for innovations from areas such as consumer internet, fintech, martech, medtech, IoT and hardware. We’re interested in technologies like Machine Learning, Picture Recognition, AI, Augmented Reality, VR and Blockchain. The group’s portfolio includes, among others, companies such as StethoMe®, Salesbook, Survicate, Vitalia, and Prodio.

Testimonials

Frequently
Asked

Questions

Here is where you’ll find answers to all your questions about the Poland Prize II powered by Huge Thing.

If there is anything else you would like to know, please email us: hello@hugething.vc

Do we have to stay in Poland during the program?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

How do you check our budget spending?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Technology Recipient - who is that? What should the cooperation look like?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Who is the organizer?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Is the program free?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

When does the Program take place and how long does it last?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

What are milestones and when do we work on them?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Is there any to-do list before the program?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

How many people can be in the team? Who can open a company?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Is the Partner or a startup required to work together at the end of the Program?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

What kind of support can we count on during the program?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

What’s in it for us?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

What can we spend the grant on - what amount and at what stage?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

What does it mean that founders or the company cannot be linked to Poland?

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Optio, neque qui velit. Magni dolorum quidem ipsam eligendi, totam, facilis laudantium cum accusamus ullam voluptatibus commodi numquam, error, est. Ea, consequatur.

Documents

Rules of the acceleration program

PDF
2,5 MB

Rules of enrollment process

PDF
2,5 MB

GDPR and Privacy Policy

PDF
2,5 MB

Grant entrustment agreement also known as Acceleration agreement

PDF
2,5 MB

Annex to Grant entrustment agreement also known as Acceleration agreement

PDF
2,5 MB

Non-disclosure agreement for both parties to sign before the acceleration

PDF
2,5 MB

Do you have any
question?

We’ll be more than happy, to answer you!

Maria Tyka-Majewska

Senior Project Manager

Project manager, Expert in creating innovation and acceleration programs.

As a member of the Huge Thing team, she is responsible for the creation and coordination of acceleration programs and direct cooperation with startups.

Before joining the Huge Thing team, she gained experience at the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, Startup Academy and the Polish Development Fund, where she was responsible for coordinating incubation and acceleration projects. 
 
Italian and Spanish cuisine enthusiast.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. :)

 

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.

Marta Truś

Innovation Designer

Marta joined Huge Thing in 2023 and strengthened the consulting team. Together with Maryla and Zuza she 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, Marta worked in consulting and was involved in business process mapping, user experience research and design. She is interested in digital accessibility and the changes that digital reality brings to our lives. A careful observer of change. Hackathoner, yogi and dog mom.
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.

Download this resource

In order to download this resource, we ask you to fill a form. After that you’ll receive the download link diretcly to your inbox!

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.

Download this resource

In order to download this resource, we ask you to fill a form. After that you’ll receive the download link diretcly to your inbox!

Download this resource

In order to download this resource, we ask you to fill a form. After that you’ll receive the download link diretcly to your inbox!

Dziękujemy za wypełnienie formularza.

Kontakt
Sektor publiczny

Magda Stachowiak

Project Manager

We want to share our Playbook with you.

In order to get Playbook, we ask you to fill out a form. After that, you’ll receive the download link directly to your inbox!

Wkrótce otrzymasz Playbook na podany adres email.

Kontakt
Sektor publiczny

Magda Stachowiak

Project Manager

Download this resource

In order to download this resource, we ask you to fill a form. After that the file will download automatically. 

Preparing the resources

Acquiring innovation

Preparing the resources

Acquiring innovation

Huge Thing Programs

Monetizing innovation

Acquiring innovation

Skip to content