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In the last few decades, the demographic structure has undergone a radical change. The elderly constitutes majority in the society due to the fact that less and less children are born. Moreover, the fast development of medicine and technology makes the average life span longer. Not only are people older, but the pace of life and lack of time are also burning issues. Our ageing population living in the world deprived of time needs technologies and devices that would make their lives simpler and more comfortable.

It all started in Slupsk in January 2015. At the Slupsk Technology Incubator (Slupski Inkubator Technologiczny) there met people who wanted their ideas to become business reality. Startup Roadshow – a contest that aims to bring innovation to smaller Polish towns was created for them. During 6 editions of the contest, several teams won 100 000 PLN to develop their business idea and gained necessary mentoring support from our Black Pearls VC experts. Nowadays, the final and special edition has been launched!

The knowledge necessary to make good match between startup needs and the right type of an investor is usually a nuisance for beginners. However, the number of options startups have is constantly growing. Nowadays, it is often like choosing the right wine in a store piled with bottles. It is even more difficult when you realize that choosing the right investor varies depending on a country where you start your business. In Poland the approach is different than, for instance, in the US. Part 1 of this article focuses on the situation outside Poland and describes a few tips on how to choose your investor well there.

Galileo Masters ends by the end of June. Its main aim is to find the best ideas connected with satellite navigation. It is still time to take part in this exceptional European competition and, judging by the main prize – 20 000 euro, it is definitely worth trying. Apart from money, there are a number of other prizes within your reach: internships in space sector companies, virtual offices, co-working spaces and mentoring necessary for getting funds. Moreover, all finalists will have the opportunity to present their ideas to investors and receive an objective judgement of the commercialization potential.

For two days, Gdańsk became the capital of IT and new technologies. A number of startups, entrepreneurs and technology freaks came to AmberExpo to be a part of this extraordinary celebration. “infoShare – the biggest in CEE Region Tech & New Media festival” – can be read on the official website of the event. All of those who took part in this year’s edition, became convinced that this slogan is far from idle bragging. More than 4500 participants, 80 international speakers, 5 stages and more than 150 exhibitors  – the numbers are impressive. Today, all participants have already started another week of work and challenges. Nevertheless, I’m sure that the majority of us feel stronger and wiser after this amazing festival. Being full of energy and feeling positive impact infoShare had on us, we are ready to face another exciting week. In the meantime, however, let’s go back to infoShare for a while and read about our impressions and memories.

On Tuesday, 9 June, Sopot’s horse-riding track became the heart of eco-friendly technological solutions used in modular construction. Our portfolio company – Rebel Module – organized a conference titled “Modular construction – from an idea to implementation” (“Budownictwo modułowe – od idei do realizacji”), an event whose main aim was to present an alternative way of building houses and convince people of its safety and efficiency. Among speakers, there were crucial partners of Rebel Module – companies like Cembrit, Fermacell, Steico and Structview, which provide certified elements used by the host of the conference. Participants could also listen to the conference’s patron the President of Sopot – Jacek Karnowski. In an opening speech, he admitted that he is fond of the development of energy-efficient construction and willing to support initiatives whose aim is to make people aware of its value and long-range importance.

Graphene is said to be the great hope and the future of technological industry. There are less and less people in Poland who have never heard of it yet. It is because graphene is also a chance for the country, as Polish scientists formulated a cheap way of producing it. Due to its recent price (about 100 mln $ for 1 cm2) some time ago, it was claimed to be the most expensive material on Earth.