NativeHash in the Startup Platform "Start-in Podkarpackie"

A New Era of Innovation

The “Start-in Podkarpackie” Acceleration Program is a unique initiative that has gained recognition among innovators and entrepreneurs. Implemented under Action 1.1.1. Startup Platforms for New Ideas, it offers comprehensive support for developing young companies through individual mentoring and substantive support, from the registration of a capital company to the creation of a minimum viable product (MVP) and the preparation of a business model.

Established as part of the project, the Expert Panel selects the best ideas for the incubation process, considering criteria such as innovation, competitive advantages, business potential, and the team's experience and qualifications. Additionally, ideas that incorporate ecological or social aspects of sustainable development are given extra credit.

Project Objective

The main objective of the Start-in Podkarpackie Startup Platform project is to support startups and new ventures with the potential to introduce breakthrough solutions to the market. It also aims to create a comprehensive, individualized incubation plan to transform business ideas into products, adapting them to market needs using established methodologies (such as Customer Development, Lean Startup, or Design Thinking). The program's goal is to establish a strong startup ecosystem that will enhance the competitiveness of regional businesses and attract investments to Podkarpacie.

The project is aimed at individuals with business ideas related to the aviation, automotive, IT, or construction industries. Upon completing the incubation process and receiving a positive project recommendation, participants may apply for a grant of up to 1,000,000 PLN to develop their business within the framework of the "Development of Startups in Eastern Poland" competition. Therefore, if accepted into the incubation process, the startup must be registered in this region.

Transforming Ideas

Within the “Start-in Podkarpackie” program, startups have the opportunity to participate in intensive incubation processes, which include mentoring sessions, workshops, and meetings with investors. The program focuses on supporting startups from the idea stage to market entry, offering business consulting, technical support, and access to a wide network of industry contacts.

“Start-in Podkarpackie” is one of the key elements of the innovation development strategy in the Podkarpacie region. The program is structured to support startups from the ideation stage to market introduction. Startups have the opportunity to participate in intensive incubation processes, which include mentoring sessions, workshops, and meetings with investors. The program is divided into several incubation rounds, each aimed at developing and validating business ideas.

Professional Support

The leader of the project is Rzeszów Regional Development Agency S.A. (RARR). The operational partners are ARR "MARR" S.A., HugeTECH Sp. z o.o., and Kielce Technology Park.

Project Leader

Rzeszów Regional Development Agency S.A. (RARR) is a business support institution that has been promoting entrepreneurship in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship for 30 years. For 20 years, it has included the Podkarpackie Science and Technology Park Aeropolis, which, based on its material and institutional infrastructure, supports companies at every stage of their development. Since 2016, RARR S.A. has been actively involved in implementing projects related to startup incubation. In 2016-2017, RARR S.A. was a partner in the Technopark BiznesHub Startup Platform project, which incubated 22 startups. From 2019 to 2023, RARR S.A. was the leader of the Start-in Podkarpackie Startup Platform project, which incubated 311 startups.

MARR S.A.

The Regional Development Agency MARR S.A. has been supporting economic development in Podkarpacie for over 30 years. It offers a range of services for entrepreneurs, as well as individuals who want to start a business. The agency implements grant and training projects and manages one of the largest Loan Funds in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. Within its structure, it includes the IN-TECH network of business incubators, which provide office and production space. ARR MARR also operates an accounting office, a Prototyping Workshop, and a Calibration Laboratory.

Kielce Technology Park

Kielce Technology Park has been supporting companies at every stage of development for years, offering a wide range of tailor-made business and development services, assistance in finding business partners, and incubation and acceleration for startups. KPT provides property services, including the rental of office, production, and conference spaces on preferential terms. It implements national and international projects related to digitization, startup development, digitalization, incubation, and acceleration.

SpeedUp

SpeedUp Venture Capital Group is a group of funds investing in the early stages of development of technology companies. They focus on companies and entrepreneurs with global aspirations who are developing innovations in areas related to climate, sustainable development, education, and health.

Accelpoint

Accelpoint is an operator of national and international acceleration programs with an extensive network of contacts and partnerships worldwide. It is a leading technology accelerator operating in Central and Eastern Europe, with experience in conducting acceleration projects, particularly in the fintech, insurtech, medtech, cleantech, and IT/ICT sectors.

The platform is also supported by a law firm: M. Wojciechowska i Wspólnicy Law Firm Sp.K.; a private investor: BLDG Venture Sp. z o.o.; a higher education institution: The State University of Applied Sciences in Jarosław; and entrepreneurs such as Erbud Operations Sp. z o.o., Tarapata Jan Production and Trading Plant Spare Parts Wholesale, SAGITUM S.A., Futurum Technology Ltd. Limited Partnership, Fotoacc Grzegorz Łobodziński, and SZEL-TECH Grzegorz Szeliga.

Forms of Support

As part of the development of their ideas, startups will have access to basic and specialized services, as well as support from Experts and Mentors. Additionally, each startup will receive support from an Incubation Manager, who will assist in preparing the business model.

Basic services:

- provision of space for business operations,

- accounting, legal services, and tax consulting,

- visual identity and logo creation,

- preparation of presentations for pitching sessions,

- workshops and training in public speaking,

- banking services for startups,

- opportunities to participate in industry events.

Specialized services:

- specialized services related to business model creation (e.g., market analysis, competitive analysis, market validation, financial analysis, etc.),

- specialized services related to creating an MVP (landing page, clickable mockups, explainer videos, MVP in software form, etc.),

- specialized legal services,

- patent services – prior art search.

New Horizons

“Start-in Podkarpackie” is an excellent example of effective support for innovative ventures and startups. Thanks to the commitment of the organizers and mentors, young companies have the opportunity to develop their ideas in an inspiring environment. “Start-in Podkarpackie” is a great opportunity for startups looking for support at the beginning of their journey.

During our participation in “Start-in Podkarpackie,” we had the chance to collaborate with many experts and specialists from various fields who helped us refine our project. The program provided us with valuable substantive and practical support, which significantly contributed to the development of our initiative. Through this experience, we gained not only knowledge but also valuable contacts that could be crucial for the further growth of our startup.

We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program, which greatly contributed to the development of our project, and we recommend it to all innovators who wish to develop their ideas and pursue their ambitions in the Podkarpacie region. We appreciate this valuable opportunity and are confident that the program will continue to contribute to the advancement of innovation in our region.

_Source:

_{https://startin.pl/}

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_{https://www.parp.gov.pl/component/grants/grants/platforma-startowa-start-in-podkarpackie}