Connecting
Corporates & startups to invent the future
One more time we brought top-class international startups to Gdańsk, Poland. We support their growth within the Polish market. The accelerator is financed by Poland Prize program.
Why it’s worth it?
Poland Prize powered by Space3ac benefits for startups
Up to 65 000 € equity free in cash
Soft landing in Poland
Demo Day
Gdańsk: TOP 5 "Destinations on the Rise" by Trip Advisor.
Business Partners
Business and technical mentorship
Dedicated patron for each team
Place to work
Great networking opportunities
Webinar for startups: How to get 65 000€ equity-free & grow your business in Poland?
Find out how to get 65 000€ equity-free in cash and a large customer on the Polish market. During the webinar you will learn:
- Principles of effective cooperation between corporates & startups
- How equity-free acceleration program could help you in starting your business in Poland
- Main rules and formal stuff
- The schedule of the program and its phases
- Challenges from our industry partners
- Details about admission & evaluation criteria
- Paths for startups interested in getting clients or investment
- Q&A – fell free to talk with us about the Poland Prize program 🙂
Join Poland Prize powered by Space3ac
Poland Prize accelerator is eligible for:
» Teams (companies, scientific and academia teams, TT center spin-offs) of at least 2 people.
» At least 50% of their company shares must belong to founders/team members from abroad (outside Poland).
» Technology readiness: TRL 3+
» At least one Board member must be from abroad (outside Poland).
» Capability of answering the technical challenges defined by our Partners (tech recipients).
Previous editions:
Industries:
Space sector
Smart City
Transportation & Logistics
Sector Agnostic
Challenges for startups
Our Poland Prize powered by Space3ac industry partners are looking for solutions for some crucial problems. They not only would like to test your solutions but also to pay for them. Your chances for the acceleration phase will grow if you help our partners with their pains. A full list of challenges will be published soon. You can still apply outside challenges and try to attract our Partners with your team & technology.
Challenge 1
ICT solutions exerting new capabilities of the 5G technology.
Industry Partner: Orange Polska SA
Challenge 2
IoT solutions based on LTE-M technology with integration capabilities with Orange Live Object platform.
Industry Partner: Orange Polska SA
Challenge 3
Green solutions supporting limitation of the negative environmental impact.
Industry Partner: Orange Polska SA
Challenge 4
System for monitoring the technical condition of the quays of the Port of Gdansk. Automatic IoT system for measurement and aggregation of data on the technical condition of the port infrastructure, e.g. wall piles thickness measurement, sheet wall tightness monitoring and testing, concrete quality testing etc.
Industry Partner: Port of Gdansk Authority SA
Challenge 5
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 6
Air cargo management and warehousing systems.
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 7
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 8
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 9
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 10
Displaying/exporting the work schedule as an online version. A platform for managing the work schedule and publishing live updates for employees
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 11
An application for PPP Leaders that shows in real time the schedule and informs about changes of agents
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 12
An application made for modifying and identifying the status of the maintenance crew and daily handling of airport equipment and operational vehicles, with the possibility of adding instructional videos: daily service and emergency malfunction
Industry Partner: WELCOME Airport Services
Challenge 13
Automation & robotics. Including technologies for intelligent control of devices and machines
Business Partner: Solidarity Transport Hub Poland
Challenge 14
IoT, sensors and smart sensor networks
Business Partner: Undisclosed
Challenge 15
Power engineering, including smart electricity grids, intelligent storage systems, efficient technologies for the production and processing of energy from renewable sources.
Business Partner: Undisclosed
Challenge 16
Project management & productivity tools
Business Partner: Solidarity Transport Hub Poland
Challenge 17
Software for infrastructure projects planning and management
Business Partner: Solidarity Transport Hub Poland
Challenge 19
Development of downstream services based on data gathered by satellite platforms or unmanned aerial vehicles.
Business Partner: Silesian Science and Technology Centre of Aviation Industry Ltd.
Challenge 20
Measurement and 3D control of composite structures for automotive and aerospace sectors.
Business Partner: Silesian Science and Technology Centre of Aviation Industry Ltd.
Challenge 21
Implementation of modern composite materials for the production of lightweight components in automotive and aerospace applications.
Business Partner: Silesian Science and Technology Centre of Aviation Industry Ltd.
Challenge 25
Strategy, processes and Marketing Automation class tools that will allow to increase sales funnel, customer education.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 26
Creating an effective employer branding strategy to increase loyalty of employees and improving the efficiency of recruitment processes.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 27
Tools supporting sales for people working in the field, applications, digitization.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 29
Gamification platforms to increase the effectiveness of teams expressed by growth of the operational and sales Key Performance Indicator levels.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 30
Automatic assessment of conversations conducted by consultants using AI, evaluation of emotions, if there are such solutions.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 31
Platform for managing information on energy consumption, consumption management, power management.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 32
Building effective supply chains during developing new services and products for customers, e.g. design, construction, operation and service of renewable energy and heating installations based on natural gas. Digitization, visualization.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 33
Development of the sales offer – Smart home and smart metering devices, medical devices, wearables.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 34
Optimization of heat and power production (modeling the optimal one on-line operating point).
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 35
Implementation of an IT tool that calculates online the energy effects of the new technology in the context of current regulations and prices of CO2 emission allowances with the function
forecasting.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 36
Optimization of repair costs and equipment availability (power engineering and heat engineering).
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 37
New production forecasting tools en. electricity and heat taking into account changing technical and economic environment.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 38
Implementation of an internal communication tool for the purpose of sharing knowledge on the subject of projects, technologies and potential contractors.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 39
Development of a system for managing the circulation of information and the circulation of documents in the process of preparing offers, contracts, sales and debt collection with the necessary database (required integration of the solution with systems operating in the company, e.g. with the system TETA) with mobile access for field workers.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 42
Deep Tech focus – startups working across various sectors.
Business Partner: Black Pearls VC
Challenge 43
Ambitious entrepreneurs who want to build companies with a global reach.
Business Partner: Black Pearls VC
Challenge 44 – high priority!
Test automation
- Challenge: After adding a new functionality, we run automatic tests to check whether it will have a negative impact on the operation of the entire system (looking for errors). Currently, some tests are carried out manually by testers, which is costly and generates overtime.
- Looking for: We’re looking for a tool that will automate the creation and execution of tests during the development stage (interface tests).
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 45 — high priority!
Neuron network for data correction
- Challenge: Errors in the documents make it difficult to verify them. Incorrect postal code, change of the street name, or the lack of diacratic signs (written Lodz instead of Łódź), or a wrongly entered number of the Land and Mortgage Register make it difficult to identify the document. In the Bank, we have a database of 400k records to verify their correctness. Currently, documents are checked manually by employees and a solution is being sought to automate the processes
- Looking for: We’re looking for a neural network that will verify the correctness of the entered data and, if necessary, correct it.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 46 – high priority!
HR: IT Recruitment
- Challenge: We want to expand the recruitment of IT specialists from abroad (especially from the Balkan countries). We do not have recognized recruitment paths outside Poland and the best methods for concluding contracts.
- Looking for: On the one hand, we are looking for tools that will help us recruit in IT, e.g. developer testing systems, recruitment tools etc. On the other hand, we want to cooperate with entities that reach foreign contractors.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 47 – high priority!
HR: VR & onboarding
- Challenge: Covid-19 has changed the way we hire and onboard employees. Everything is now done remotely, making it difficult to build a sense of belonging to the company.
- Looking for: We’re looking for tools that will help us onboarding new employees using VR. We’re considering conducting health and safety training using VR or virtual walks around the Bank’s premises. We’re also open to new initiatives that will help us better deploy employees during a pandemic.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 48
Payments: International money transfer
- Challenge: Money transfer to a foreign account takes a long time and is very expensive nowadays. The money must follow a strictly defined path before it is deposited on the account of the foreign contractor.
- Looking for: A new solution that allows for fast and safe transfers between accounts in different countries. An additional bonus for solutions that efficiently verify a foreign contractor.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 49
Payments: Smart payments
- Challenge: Our customers demand faster, safer and more convenient payment methods. We develop contactless payment methods.
- Looking for: We’re looking for tools that will make online payments easier and safer. We are interested in tools that use biometrics. Or those that allow for instant payment at regularly visited points of sales.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 50
Web application
- Challenge: Our ambition is to make our web application the best on the market. We are working not only on increasing the number of hits, but also on the quality of the user experience.
- Looking for: Startups that can help us building the best customers experience. We’re also open for ideas what we should add to our service.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 51
Cybersecurity
- Challenge: The number of attacks in the banking and financial sector in Poland reaches the average of 870 per week. We are willing to increase the security of our systems and strengthen security.
- Looking for: Solutions that will help us prevent and protect our systems, customers data and money.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 52
Teens (Challenge 1)
- Challenge: Teens who do not have their own budget are particularly interested in various discounts.
- Looking for: We’re looking for a discount aggregation tool for teenagers. The ability to personalize the list of companies with discounts is important to us.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 53
Teens (Challenge 2)
- Challenge: Teenagers already have their monthly budgets, but don’t know how to manage them yet.
- Looking for: We’re interested in strengthening our offer for teenagers. We are looking for tools to teach financial management through gamification.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 54
Identity Verification and signing of documents (Challenge 1)
- Challenge: In large companies, the process of concluding contracts and signing them consists of many stages. For example, when our client concludes an investment loan agreement, certain people (according to the company’s status) must sign it. Most often, assistant to the management board organizes the signatures of the appropriate people and sends us the signed contract, and we verify it. The process is long and often error-prone.
- Looking for: A tool that will be able to verify whether a given person is authorized to sign the document (according to the company’s status) and will create and manage the optimal signature path.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 55
Identity Verification (Challenge 2)
- Challenge: Tools to help determine if a customer is not a robot.
- Looking for: Anti-fraud control tools.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 56
Subscription management
- Challenge: Our clients use many services and products in a subscription model. We can show them in our banking application, but we will not manage them effectively.
- Looking for: We’re looking for a startup that will not only collect subscription services, but also be able to manage them. The product should enable changing the type of subscription or its termination (e.g. sending an appropriate application).
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 57
VaS
- Challenge: Expanding the VaS offer for our clients
- Looking for: VaS making the Bank a better service provider.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 58
ESG: Accessibility
- Challenge: We are aware that our remote and offline channels could be better adapted to different social groups (incl. the elderly, the disabled).
- Looking for: We want to introduce solutions that increase the availability of our remote channels and customer service. This is important as a large group of the bank’s retail clients are elderly people.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 59
ESG: Impact investing
- Challenge: Our clients want to make investment decisions taking into account the aspect of positive environmental or social impacts.
- Looking for: Solutions introducing possibilities to finance projects and enterprises positively impacting both the environment and the society. Offers potentially offsetting carbon footprint
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 60
ESG: Carbon footprint (Challenge 1)
- Challenge: We would like to help our retail clients measure their carbon footprint and help them change their habits. We are looking for ways to show that group activities can have a positive impact on the environment. We want to raise ecological awareness through banking products and functionalities
- Looking for: Digital tools measuring, limiting and offsetting carbon footprint (especially digital carbon footprint solutions). Technologies based on data analytics (e.g. spending behaviours) that will help our customers be more eco-friendly and will educate them. Digital advisory functionalities supporting the pursuit of climate neutrality.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 61
ESG: Carbon footprint (Challenge 2)
- Challenge: We want to help our business clients reduce their carbon footprint. Decisions made by large companies can have a significant impact on our environment. We want to show how to manage them taking into account the ESG goals.
- Looking for: Solutions that can help us and our business customers to measuring, limiting and offsetting carbon footprint. We’re also interested in a solution supporting in business decision making base on ESG goals.
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 62
Other areas
- Cash Flow Manager – Tools for managing cash-flow in small and medium-sized companies
- Personal Financial Manager – Tools for managing cash-flow for retail customers
- Solutions monitoring condition of finances and spending behaviours
- Financial management and financial health technologies – Supporting data-driven business decisions making
- e-governance services
Business Partner: Bank Pekao
Challenge 63 – high priority!
GRC area – tools for managing the risk of non-compliance with applicable regulations and internal procedures, ensuring constant monitoring of regulatory and legal requirements, in particular for public companies. In this area, we are particularly concerned with risk management, i.e. the processes of identification, assessment, and control of financial, legal, strategic, operational, and security-related risks. Also in terms of cybersecurity and the security of information resources.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 64 – high priority!
Business continuity management – IT tools supporting business continuity management and ensuring IT security.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 65 – high priority!
Corporate aspects of cybersecurity
PGNiG is looking for a tool that will support the entire vulnerability management process – vulnerability scans, vulnerability management, security tests, etc. This can be carried out in the form of a test platform or a “cyber polygon”. The specificity of this challenge is the need for the startup team to be available for intensive and responsive cooperation with PGNiG experts during testing and evaluation of results.
Business Partner: PGNiG
Challenge 66
An innovative system for servicing lighting poles by highways and expressways, which, thanks to a unique structure folding system, will significantly reduce repair and service costs as well as improve the safety and ecology of road use.
Business Partner: Valmont Poland
Challenge 67
Innovative electric charging system for vehicles and mobile devices powered fully or partially electrically. The developed solution will be compatible with the existing street infrastructure, as well as will be used to implement new products from the SMART-devices family.
Business Partner: Valmont Poland
Challenge 68
Development of a dedicated payment system for electric charging devices with multi-currency support. The solution will also have a number of additional SMART functions that will complement the full functionality of the charging system, such as real-time indication of the charging level or information about a free slot to connect.
Business Partner: Valmont Poland
Challenge 69
Design of a vessel tug (dedicated to flying machines), lifting capacity up to 2500 kg (for helicopters), remotely controlled, use of brushless motors (BLDC) -36V, power 800-1500W; 3 batteries (MARINE class) with a capacity of 85AH, lift arm with a 3t hydraulic cylinder, wheels with a rubber tread, of the max 300mm diameter.
Business Partner: Valmont Poland
Poland Prize powered by Space3ac organizer:
How does it work?
I. Application & evaluation phase
Step 1 – The rules
Check program regulations and conditions. Learn more about business needs of our Industry Partners which might be your first big clients in Poland
Step 2 – Get more details
Join one of our information meetings or webinars and learn more about the program
Step 3 – Apply
Fulfill application form, wait for an interview with our team and the results of the evaluation process. At least 15 teams will be selected for next phase of evaluation – Preparation Camp.
II. Preparation Camp
Step 4 – Meetings with Industry Partners
Visit Gdansk and talk with representatives of Industry Partners, mentors and startup patrons that will help you during acceleration phase
Step 5 – Pitch
Prepare 5-minute pitch about things that you’re doing and show the idea of your solution for the pains of Industry Partner that you would like to work with
Step 6 – Access to the accelerator
Accelerator will select at least 8 teams that will get access into acceleration phase and receive equity-free funding
III. Soft landing
Step 7 – Visit Gdansk
Our team will help you in accommodation and show you the local startup ecosystem, mentors, business partners and help you in better understanding the rules of making business in Poland
Step 8 – Company registration
We will help you in registering your company in Poland and prepare formal documents for acceleration phase
Step 9 – Acceleration agreement
Sign acceleration agreement and receive the first tranche of equity-free funding – up to 10 000 €
IV. Acceleration phase
Whole Poland Prize powered by Space3ac acceleration program will be hosted in the biggest coworking place in Poland – O4. We’ll provide you a place to work, meeting rooms, access to hardware lab, social area and chillout space, unlimited tea and coffee and a lot of side events around Olivia Business Centre.
Step 10 – Mentorship
For a couple of months you will get up to 80 hours of technical and business mentorship. The rest of the time you will spend on really hard work and business development
Step 11 – Work with corporate or VC business partner
Prepare a test implementation plan for your solution and deliver it to a Corporate Partner or work with one of our VC funds. Receive more equity-free funding, a total up to an additional 55 000 €.
Step 12 – Demo Day preparation
Prepare final pitch deck and improve your presentation – use wisely access to 150+ investors and companies looking for innovations during Demo Day.
V. Demo Day
VI. Post-acceleration
Step 13 – Lighthouse deal
Negotiate conditions of commercial cooperation with your Industry Partner and make a lighthouse deal!
Step 14 – Investment round
Get extra funding from investors and move your business to the next level
Step 15 – Alumni network
Get additional support and become a part of our alumni network. Help other startups in making their first steps in cooperation with large business partners
Poland Prize powered by Space3ac latest batch agenda
Summer batch:
Recruitment: January – March 2022
Soft landing & growth: April – May 2022
Acceleration phase (individual: 3-8 months): May -…
Demo Day: December 2022
© copyright by Blue Dot Solutions
Space3ac is trademark and brand of Blue Dot Solutions
The Programme is financed under the Smart Growth Operational Programme, Priority Axis II Support for the environment and capacity of enterprise for R&D&I activity, Measure 2.5 Acceleration Programs – Poland Prize
The total amount of received funds is 7 353 000 PLN.