In this episode, we venture into the heart of the New Nordic startup scene with Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital — an early-stage VC firm backing bold founders across Finland and the Baltics. From founding startups to shaping Lithuania’s angel investor ecosystem, Gytenis brings a rare blend of founder empathy and investor insight to the table.We dive deep into the economic and cultural currents shaping the region’s startup landscape — and how understanding them can make or break your go-to-market strategy.🔍 Episode Highlights:🌍 The New Nordic Perspective: How regional differences between Finland and its neighbors shape everything from pitch styles to product-market fit.🧠 From “No” to “Not Yet”: Why investor rejection isn’t a dead end — and how founders can turn it into momentum.👼 Building the Angel Ecosystem: Gytenis reflects on launching Lithuania’s Business Angels Association — and what’s changed since.🤖 Pre-LLM AI Startups: A behind-the-scenes look at how AI was perceived before ChatGPT changed the game.🚀 The Founder-to-Investor Journey: Lessons learned from both sides of the table — and why it makes a difference when your VC has been in your shoes.Whether you’re pitching across borders or building the next big thing in tech, this episode is full of practical takeaways on navigating the evolving venture landscape.🎧 Hit play and discover what it really takes to thrive in the New Nordics! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ep 14 - Michał Chabowski - Rubicon Partners
In this episode, we explore venture building, technical risk, and investor psychology with Michal Chabowski, Managing Partner at Rubicon Partners — a firm blending venture funding with transaction advisory services in high-impact sectors like deep tech, energy, and new materials.Michal brings a refreshing lens to startup investing, challenging conventional wisdom and offering deep insight into what really matters when backing early-stage companies.🔍 Episode Highlights:⚙️ Technical Risk vs. Market Risk: Why Rubicon Partners embraces complexity in product development — but avoids untested markets.🚫 The First-Mover Myth: Michal explains why being early isn’t always being right — and what founders often get wrong.📈 Business Models That Actually Work: A practical investor's take on financial modeling, and which metrics matter most at the early stage.🦄 The Unicorn Illusion: Comparing private vs. public market valuations — and what today’s founders can learn from listed companies.⏳ When to Sell: Insights into timing an exit — and why storytelling might be your most underutilized growth tool.Whether you're a founder navigating your first round or an investor refining your thesis, this episode delivers sharp, actionable insights on building — and backing — companies built to last.🎧 Tune in now to rethink risk, value, and storytelling in the venture space! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ep13 - Alexandru Agatinei - How To Web
In this episode, we sit down with Alex Agatinei, CEO of How to Web, the premier startup and technology conference in Eastern Europe. But How to Web is more than just an event—it’s a driving force behind the region’s innovation ecosystem, publishing influential reports on venture deals and startup growth trends. Their latest report just dropped last week, and Alex gives us an exclusive look at what’s inside.🔍 Episode Highlights:📈 Evolution of Eastern Europe’s Startup Ecosystem: Alex shares how the How to Web report has evolved over the years to become a critical resource for understanding startup dynamics in the region. We explore the big question: Is Eastern Europe growing as fast as we’d like?🇷🇴 Focus on Romania’s Venture Landscape: Dive deep into the state of venture capital in Romania, with a comparative analysis of the most significant changes between 2023 and 2024. What do these trends reveal about the future of Romania’s startup scene?🌐 Regional Growth and Challenges: We discuss the broader startup ecosystem in Eastern Europe, uncovering growth drivers, challenges, and opportunities that could shape the region’s tech landscape in the coming years.Whether you’re an investor, founder, or just curious about the fast-paced world of startups in Eastern Europe, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.🎧 Tune in now to get a fresh perspective on venture capital and innovation in Eastern Europe! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ep 12 - Jonė Vaitulevičiūtė - FIRSTPICK
In this episode, we delve into the dynamic world of venture capital in the Baltic region with Jonė Vaitulevičiūtė, Partner at FIRSTPICK, a leading early-stage VC firm that’s reshaping the startup ecosystem in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Jonė shares her experience driving investment efficiency and fostering innovation across the region’s thriving startup landscape.🔍 Episode Highlights:💼 Evaluating 1,000 Startups Annually: Discover how FIRSTPICK maintains incredible deal-flow efficiency, making investments almost every month in 2024.🌍 Baltic Founders’ Global Mindset: Why startups in the Baltic region are uniquely positioned for global success from day one.📊 2024 Baltic Startup Funding Report: Key insights into pre-seed and seed round dynamics, angel investment trends, and their impact on the regional ecosystem.💡 Wellness Tech Evolution: Exploring how cultural nuances in CEE shape innovation in one of the region’s most exciting verticals.🚀 Gender Equality in VC: Learn about FIRSTPICK’s approach to diversity and why it serves as a model for other firms.This episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, investors, and anyone curious about the fast-paced world of venture capital in the Baltics.🎧 Tune in now to gain a fresh perspective on startup success in one of Europe’s most innovative regions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ep11 - Diana Stefanova - BrightCap Ventures
In this episode, we dive into the world of venture capital with Diana Stefanova, Managing Partner at BrightCap Ventures, an early-stage VC firm investing in the CEE region with a special focus on Bulgaria and Romania. Diana shares her journey from working with startups in Silicon Valley to scaling VMware’s Bulgarian operations and transitioning to BrightCap, first as a Venture Partner and now as a Managing Partner.🔍 Episode Highlights:💼 Navigating the World of VC: Diana explains the differences between being a Venture Partner and a Managing Partner and how these roles shape investment strategies.💰 Building a $60M Fund: Insights into the challenges and triumphs of raising BrightCap’s second fund and how portfolio exits influenced the process.🌍 Gender Equality in VC: BrightCap sets itself apart with two out of three Managing Partners being women. Diana shares her perspective on gender diversity in the CEE venture ecosystem.🔮 Future of Work Startups: Exploring BrightCap’s investment focus on the future of work, including AI-driven innovations and HR tech.📈 Bulgaria's Startup Boom: A discussion on Sofia's rise as a top CEE startup hub and the impact of success stories like Payhawk on the local ecosystem.Don’t miss this insightful episode packed with valuable lessons for founders, investors, and anyone interested in the evolving venture capital landscape in the CEE region. 🎧 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hi! My name is Adrian and this is VC in the CEE. Podcast about the venture capital ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe.Just 10 years ago venture capital almost did not exist in the CEE region and now it is one of the most common ways of funding startups and technology companies. This podcast is about people who help startup founders turn their ideas and projects into real-live products and solutions. You'll hear here about their investment strategies, opinions about startup ecosystems as well as how they evaluate potential investment opportunities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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