8th November | Puzl CowOrKing Budapest
ME.E.T. CEE
Full-Day Networking /Budapest
The unconference of the year co-organized by 25+ partners. MEET VCs, Founders, Organizations and Media.
Register
IT’s free so don’t be shy
Not your Typical Event
You know how networking is always the best part? That’s an unconference for you. Join a Full Day event prioritizing making connections above all else. While we’re also including valuable content; the real focus is to MEET, network and collaborate.
And at night? MEET again but this time with music, drinks and food.
Register on LinkedIn Event for Updates
Pitch your Startup
Raising your next round? 10+ Regional VCs & Medias are co-organizers. Casually MEET or book Office Hours & Interviews.
Networking
It’s not everyday that CEE gathers in Budapest. Roam around all day and night to MEET super cool IT Humans. It’s like speed dating - without the awkward goodbyes!
Eating & Drinking
Needing a boost? Taste our coffee and tea or grab stronger stuff in the evening. Ah! It's the munchies you've got! Finger bites in the evening - Food trucks all day & night.
Learn & Grow
Talks, Round Tables, Meetups and Masterclasses. The IT Hub for #Funding #AI #E-commerce #Fintech #Design.
Chilling & Relaxing
We ain’t all extroverts. So just hangout, relax and take what comes to you. Who knows, you may MEET your match.
Open Coworking
If you’ve gotta work - you’ve gotta work! Take a seat and get cracking. Lightning fast internet, phone booths, meeting rooms, all you need is love 🎵.
Agenda ~ WIP
We’re gathering a diverse group of amazing Investors, Experts, Founders, and IT Humans ready to share their insights and maybe give you some tough love (don’t worry, it’s all in the spirit of growth!). You can shape your experience; network over coffee all day or dive into fun learning opportunities with the sessions below. Your Call!
VC Office Hours
Book 30 min sessions with the coolest VCs in CEE. Be good! Make sure you're a match!
Focus:
fintech
Noemi Szabo
CVC of Raiffeisen, investing in Series A stage fintech startups with a min TTM revenue of € 1 M. Happy to speak with Seed and Series A startups and fellow VC investors.
Ticket Size:
€1-3M – Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
deep tech
Svetoslava Georgieva
EIC has a budget of €10.1 billion to support game changing innovations throughout the lifecycle from early stage research, to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and of start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, through grants and equity.
Ticket Size:
up to €2.5m - Seed, Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
fintech, AI, cybersecurity
Baiba Rozenberga
Looking to support and invest in promising Fintech, AI and Cybersecurity startups in the CEE region. We are driving innovation in digital finance, with a track record in startup mentoring, business scaling, and ecosystem development.
Ticket Size:
€150k - Pre-seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Sector agnostic
Peter Langmar
Looking to back companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
€100k - Pre-seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Sector agnostic
Aurel Pasztor
Happy to speak with teams developing B2B SaaS products and will be looking for funding or interested in building their investor network.
Ticket Size:
€500k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Mobility, Energy, Sustainability, B2B services and software
Henrik Néninger
Intersted to meet with B2B SaaS scale-up founders whose product/service has been validated by the market, teams on a strong growth path in need of capital of EUR 1 million or more.
Ticket Size:
€1M-€10M - Seed, Series A and Series B scaleups
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Fintech, Healthcare, Future of Work, Sustainable Food
Gergana Stoichkova
Looking to chat with pre-seed and seed founders in the following verticals - Fintech, Healthcare, Future of Work, Sustainable Food. Open to some "opportunistic" deals.
Ticket Size:
€300K-€2M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Robert Hegedüs
Looking to chat with pre-seed and seed founders about their current challenges and fundraising, or bounce some ideas with people thinking about starting a startup soon.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k -
Pre-seed, Early Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Mary Alcantara
Looking to invest in early-stage Hungarian and other Central European entrepreneurs at the Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A stages.
Ticket Size: €100k-€2М -
Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Vert Máté
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Szántó Károly
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Várhelyi Veszna
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size:
€50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, B2B SaaS, MRR: €10k+
Peter Parragh
Looking for €10k MRR+ B2B SaaS companies from Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria to invest into.
Ticket Size
€100k-€400k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, Tech Companies - All verticals.
Matěj Micek
Looking to back tech companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
up to €5M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, Tech Companies - All verticals.
Guillaume Fournier
Looking to back tech companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
up to €5M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Large Scale Problems in any Industry
Petar Tsachev
Enterprise and consumer-focused companies across all industries.
Ticket Size:
€300k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Large Scale Problems in any Industry
Stephane Ganchev
Enterprise and consumer-focused companies across all industries.
Ticket Size:
€300k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Presentations & Round Tables
Bright Speakers for a bright(er) future.
Start:
10:00-10:15
Opening Remarks: The Importance of Collaboration and Communities in the CEE region
Csongor Biás, Managing Director at Startup Hungary
Csongor Biás is opening the presentation part of the event with insights on how building a strong startup community can lead to shared resources and collective success.
Start:
10:15 - 11:00
Innovation Begins with Communication
David Trayford, Educator, creator of talkware - the personal and business operating system, owner at Wow Media
The moment anyone has an idea they should be talking about it but the startup world seems to think "a pitch deck" is the only way to communicate. How many good ideas are lost or investment opportunities missed due to bad communication? Let's change the approach to something more effective and "innovative"!
Start:
11:00 - 11:15
From 0 to 1: Navigating the beginning of a Startup Journey
József Gyarmati, Managing Director at Future Founders
Join us to explore how incubators and VC partnerships play a crucial role in supporting early-stage startups, with insights into the Future Founders program as a prime example of successful startup mentorship and growth support.
Start:
11:20 - 12:00
VC Roundtable - Opportunities and Challenges in the CEE Startup Ecosystem
Moderator: Csongor Biás, Managing Director at Startup Hungary
Mary Alcantara from Interactive Venture Partners, Stephane Ganchev from Launchub, Guillaume Fournier from Credo Ventures and Elemér Eszter from Impact Ventures to discuss the region's strengths, barriers for growth and ways to address these challenges collectively.
Start:
12:00 - 13:00
Lunch Break
Start:
13:00 - 13:45
AI's Next Frontier: What the Coming Two Years Hold
Petar Petrov, AI Partner, 11 Venture Capital
What are the anticipated advancements in artificial intelligence over the next two years, exploring emerging technologies and trends that will shape the future? Discover how these innovations will impact industries, create new opportunities, and what startups and investors can do to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Start:
13:45 - 14:00
Super Apps in the Age of AI
Atanas Raykov, VP of Global Marketing & Growth at Rakuten Viber
As the Vice President of Marketing and Growth at Rakuten Viber, a leader in private and secure messaging, Atanas will delve into the synergy between super apps and AI, showcasing AI's potential to revolutionize digital interactions. Gain insights into how AI will impact core values like trust and safety in human communication, and learn how past experiences can help bridge the gap between emerging technologies and risk awareness.
Start:
14:00 - 14:15
Coffee Break
Start:
14:15 - 14:40
From Hype to Hope: Where Are the AI-Accelerated Drugs?
Balint Farkas, Engineering Lead at Turbine
AI has been hailed as a revolutionary force in drug discovery, promising to drastically reduce costs and accelerate timelines. Yet, despite these bold claims, our pharmacies aren't stocked with a surge of AI-developed medications. This session explores the gap between the hype and the reality of AI in pharma, delving into why the anticipated breakthroughs haven't fully materialized and what it will take for AI to truly revolutionize drug development.
Start:
14:40-15:10
Transforming Professional Upskilling with AI
Theodor Panayotov, Co-Founder at Ethermind
Discover how AI transforms the way professionals upskill and reskill in their careers. This presentation dives into AI-powered tools that make learning personal, automate skill checks, and keep upskilling dynamic and adaptable. See how organizations and individuals alike can use AI to stay ahead in fast-paced industries, nurture a culture of lifelong learning, and close the skills gap in today's digital world.
Start:
15:10 - 15:20
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday TECH Tasks
Rado Stankov, CTO coach at ProductHunt
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Rado uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your own tech tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
Start:
15:20 - 15:30
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday DESIGN Tasks
Stan Kirilov, Founder at Stan+Vision
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Stan uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your design tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
Start:
15:30 - 15:40
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday MARKETING Tasks
Filó Angéla Katalin, Owner & Generative AI Specialist at Marketing Mentor
5-10 minute talk showcasing Angela's specific AI applications and the tangible benefits she's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your marketing tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
Start:
15:40 - 15:50
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday BUSINESS Tasks
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Stan uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your business tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
Start:
15:50 - 16:05
The Impact Requirements – How Impact and ESG Principles Are Redefining the Future of Companies
Eszter Elemér
Can we envision a healthier economy where the focus shifts from maximizing shareholder value to optimizing stakeholder value? Impact investing offers a path to a more sustainable environment and society. With the region's startup ecosystem still maturing, we have a unique opportunity to nurture more ventures that prioritize social and environmental impact as the ecosystem grows.
Start:
16:15 - 17:00
Demystifying Term Sheets: VC, Founder and Lawyer Standpoint on the Key Clauses of Fundraising Contracts
Marton Medveczky, Assoc. Partner at Flashpoint, Andras Feher, Principal at Day One Capital and Petra Knall, Attorney in association with Taylor Wessing will unpack the complexities of term sheets from multiple perspectives, exploring the nuances of term sheet negotiation, sharing insights on key clauses such as valuation, liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, and control rights.
Meetups & Master Classes
When CEE Organizations come together to share more!
Start:
11:00 - 12:00
Masterclass: Professional Talent Acquisition from the Get-go / Lessons Learned from Working with Early-Stage Startups
Gábor Antal - Head of Recruitment at IseeQ
An open discussion where we’ll explore how to get to grips with the most fundamental aspects of talent acquisition. If you are a first-time founder, leader of an early-stage startup, or looking forward to your first big scaling endeavor, or planning to open a satellite office, this masterclass should be able to point you in the right direction to be able to provide a first-class recruitment experience to your prospecting candidates as well as to your team.
Start:
13:00 - 14:00
Unlock the Future of Your Organization: Masterclass on Implementing Multi-Agent AI
Victor Minchev - CEO & AI Consultant at Tessier.ai
Don't miss this masterclass where you'll learn about how to integrate AI agents into your organization. Understand the new roles needed with the advent of AI, and how to train your team to switch their thinking from "How to use AI so I can do my work?" to "How to use AI to do the work for me? We're going to map out the existing AI tool space available today and upcoming in the short-term future, evaluate the solutions and understand why the traditional AI copilots often fall short in team settings.
Start:
14:00 - 15:30
Masterclass: Ensuring Success: Sales & Marketing Power Play
Remco Veenenberg - Senior Sales & Marketing Coach/Investor Relations at Startup Wise Guys
Discover the impact of aligning sales and marketing for business growth. Learn how to anticipate and overcome stakeholder objections, before even discovery - creating a strategy that closes deals faster.
Start:
16:00 - 17:00
UI/UX Meetup - Design Leadership in Practice
Peter Klein, Design Strategist & Leadership Advisor
Orsolya Jaksa, Product Designer
Join this practical knowledge-sharing event where you'll work in small groups on various topics to help you manage the projects entrusted to you more effectively. This includes improving communication, fostering understanding, and even sharing different tools. We’ll discuss emerging problems and their possible solutions and you can immediately try out the methods you've learned. This event is open to professionals of all levels, not just those with experience. You can also be a passive participant if you can resist the urge to engage actively. Designated mentors will support the process. Here, you can find your own voice.
Speed Mentoring
Chat with founders that have been there and done it
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Focus:
business development
Ivaylo Ivanov
Ivaylo brings valuable expertise in product and business development, making him an ideal mentor for founders at slightly more advanced stages. His insights can help refine your pitch, enhance product strategy, and drive business growth. With a focus on supporting founders through the critical stages of development, Ivaylo provides the guidance needed to take your venture to the next level.
Focus:
pitch, market fit, idea validation
Ivan Germanov
Ivan can help you refine your pitch and pitch deck, evaluate the potential of your idea, and assess market fit. Ivan’s guidance is best applied for idea and early-stage founders, providing the critical support needed to validate and strengthen their ventures from the start.
Focus:
ai, strategy
Petar Petrov
Petar delivers expert guidance in enterprise AI transformation, helping organizations adopt and integrate artificial intelligence solutions through a holistic and comprehensive strategy. He enables VCs, startups, and established companies to achieve successful digital transformation via data strategy, employee upskilling, process optimization, and long-term AI development.
Focus:
sales, startup programs
Abel Iacovides
Book a session with Abel to discuss cloud, growth scaling on cloud, startup programs and benefits, marketing, sales, GTM.
Focus:
legal, intelectual property
Fruzsina Kónya
IP is your startup’s backbone! We’ll help protect your innovations, from trademarks to software rights, and ensure your IP strategy supports your growth. Ask us about the essentials to secure your tech and brand assets.
Focus:
legal, intelectual property
Zoltan Novak
IP is your startup’s backbone! We’ll help protect your innovations, from trademarks to software rights, and ensure your IP strategy supports your growth. Ask us about the essentials to secure your tech and brand assets.
Focus:
legal, employment, corporate
Zsombor Lenner
Ready to expand your team? We can advise on founder agreements, employee stock options, and setting up contracts for flexible working arrangements. Let’s make your startup’s employment structure as agile as you are!
Focus:
legal, employment, corporate
Petra Knall
Ready to expand your team? We can advise on founder agreements, employee stock options, and setting up contracts for flexible working arrangements. Let’s make your startup’s employment structure as agile as you are!
Focus:
legal, data protection, ai
Patrícia Kristóf
Building a data-driven app? We’re here to make sure it’s done right! From user privacy and GDPR compliance to data handling best practices, our team can guide you on keeping any application - AI, mobile, or software - both compliant and user-friendly. Let’s cover the privacy essentials so you can focus on scaling.
Focus:
legal, data protection, ai
János Kopasz
Building a data-driven app? We’re here to make sure it’s done right! From user privacy and GDPR compliance to data handling best practices, our team can guide you on keeping any application - AI, mobile, or software - both compliant and user-friendly. Let’s cover the privacy essentials so you can focus on scaling.
Focus:
recruitment, people strategy
Tamás Püski
Book a session with Tamás to discuss recruitment A-Z, thriving in fast-paced and volatile environments, talent management and leadership, work-life balance and mental health.
Focus:
finance, funding
Peter Iliev
Book a session with Peter to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
finance, funding
Ognyan Kolarski
Book a session with Ognyan to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
finance, funding
Georgi Georgiev
Book a session with Georgi to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
sales
Viktor Hatfaludi
Book a session with Viktor to discuss sales systems, demand generation throughout the sales cycle, buyer enablement and social selling.
Focus:
sales, marketing, investment
Remco Veenenberg
Remco can assist with Sales & Marketing Mentoring with the aim to define a clear Go-To-Market strategy as well as Pitch Coaching & Investment advice.
Focus:
Design, Webflow
Stan Kirilov
Stan can assist with anything related to Product Design, Web Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Design Systems, Branding and Visual Identity.
Focus:
GraphQL, React, JavaScript, Ruby, management, product development, remote work
Radoslav Stankov
Rado can assist with anything related to GraphQL, React, JavaScript, Ruby, management, product development, remote work, or software engineering in general.
Networking & INTERVIEWS
Your opportunity to connect and MEET like-minded IT Humans. If You’re mama kept telling you’ve got a lot to say? Now is your time!
Focus:
Founder Hotseat Pitch Contest
A "Founder Hotseat Pitch Contest" event is a dynamic, interactive session where founders present their startups to a panel of mentors and peers for candid, constructive feedback. Following the Founder Institute methodology, the event includes the unique "No Thees Allowed" rating system, where feedback is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 — but no one can rate a 3. This ensures founders receive clear, decisive input, whether strongly positive or critical, pushing them to address weak points and solidify their business strategies. It’s a rare chance to gain valuable insights, improve quickly, and build resilience — essential traits for any successful entrepreneur.
Focus:
LAUNCHub Venture Blender
What sets this event apart? It's the perfect opportunity for meaningful connections between VCs and founders across the region, helping bridge geographical gaps. Grab a sticker identifying your role at the door and make sure to wear it —Startup Founder, VC, Angel Investor, or Ecosystem Builder—so the right people can find you.
Focus:
The Recursive Media Zone
The Recursive, one of the leading startup and tech media outlets in the region, will be joining us throughout the day to conduct interviews and podcasts with members of our ecosystem. This is a fantastic opportunity for startups, investors, and industry experts to share your stories, insights, and innovations with a wider audience.
TokePORTAL.Com Partner zone
Brought to you by Tőkeportál join a carefully crafted FinTech Program.
Start:
12:30 - 12:40
Official Opening of the Crowd Age Powered by TokePortal
Start:
12:40 - 12:55
From a Teenager Entrepreneur to an Impact Investor
Peter Zaborszky
Start:
12:55 - 13:10
Hungarian-British Bridges
Susanna Toth Lee, Founder and CEO of HBBA
Start:
13:15 - 13:50
Pitching Competition
Jury members: Nora Szeles, Schuszter Péter , Samuel Eisenberg, István Fetter
Start:
13:55 - 14:00
Closing Remarks
David Trayford, Educator, creator of talkware - the personal and business operating system, owner at Wow Media
VC Office Hours
Book 30min sessions with the coolest VCs in the region
Focus:
fintech
Noemi Szabo
CVC of Raiffeisen, investing in Series A stage fintech startups with a min TTM revenue of € 1 M. Happy to speak with Seed and Series A startups and fellow VC investors.
Ticket Size:
€1-3M – Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
deep tech
Svetoslava Georgieva
EIC has a budget of €10.1 billion to support game changing innovations throughout the lifecycle from early stage research, to proof of concept, technology transfer, and the financing and of start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs, through grants and equity.
Ticket Size:
up to €2.5m - Seed, Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
fintech, AI, cybersecurity
Baiba Rozenberga
Looking to support and invest in promising Fintech, AI and Cybersecurity startups in the CEE region. We are driving innovation in digital finance, with a track record in startup mentoring, business scaling, and ecosystem development.
Ticket Size:
€150k - Pre-seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Sector agnostic
Peter Langmar
Looking to back companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
€100k - Pre-seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Sector agnostic
Aurel Pasztor
Happy to speak with teams developing B2B SaaS products and will be looking for funding or interested in building their investor network.
Ticket Size:
€500k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Mobility, Energy, Sustainability, B2B services and software
Henrik Néninger
Intersted to meet with B2B SaaS scale-up founders whose product/service has been validated by the market, teams on a strong growth path in need of capital of EUR 1 million or more.
Ticket Size:
€1M-€10M - Seed, Series A and Series B scaleups
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Fintech, Healthcare, Future of Work, Sustainable Food
Gergana Stoichkova
Looking to chat with pre-seed and seed founders in the following verticals - Fintech, Healthcare, Future of Work, Sustainable Food. Open to some "opportunistic" deals.
Ticket Size:
€300K-€2M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Robert Hegedüs
Looking to chat with pre-seed and seed founders about their current challenges and fundraising, or bounce some ideas with people thinking about starting a startup soon.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k -
Pre-seed, Early Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Mary Alcantara
Looking to invest in early-stage Hungarian and other Central European entrepreneurs at the Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A stages.
Ticket Size: €100k-€2М -
Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Vert Máté
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Szántó Károly
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size: €50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Healthcare, Robotics, Sustainability, AI
Várhelyi Veszna
OUVC is a 10B HUF venture capital fund, that invests with tickets ranging between 20-300M HUF in businesses working towards a more liveable future.
Ticket Size:
€50k-€750k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, B2B SaaS, MRR: €10k+
Peter Parragh
Looking for €10k MRR+ B2B SaaS companies from Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Bulgaria to invest into.
Ticket Size
€100k-€400k
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, Tech Companies - All verticals.
Matěj Micek
Looking to back tech companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
up to €5M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
CEE, Tech Companies - All verticals.
Guillaume Fournier
Looking to back tech companies from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Ticket Size:
up to €5M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Large Scale Problems in any Industry
Petar Tsachev
Enterprise and consumer-focused companies across all industries.
Ticket Size:
€300k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Focus:
Large Scale Problems in any Industry
Stephane Ganchev
Enterprise and consumer-focused companies across all industries.
Ticket Size:
€300k - €3M - Pre-seed, Seed
Book Office Hours
Presentations & Round Tables
Bright Speakers for a bright(er) future
Start:
10:00-10:15
Opening Remarks: The Importance of Collaboration and Communities in the CEE region
Csongor Biás, Managing Director at Startup Hungary
Csongor Biás is opening the presentation part of the event with insights on how building a strong startup community can lead to shared resources and collective success.
Reserve a spot
Start:
10:15 - 11:00
Innovation Begins with Communication
David Trayford, Educator, creator of talkware - the personal and business operating system, owner at Wow Media
The moment anyone has an idea they should be talking about it but the startup world seems to think "a pitch deck" is the only way to communicate. How many good ideas are lost or investment opportunities missed due to bad communication? Let's change the approach to something more effective and "innovative"!
Reserve a spot
Start:
11:00 - 11:15
From 0 to 1: Navigating the beginning of a Startup Journey
József Gyarmati, Managing Director at Future Founders
Join us to explore how incubators and VC partnerships play a crucial role in supporting early-stage startups, with insights into the Future Founders program as a prime example of successful startup mentorship and growth support.
Reserve a spot
Start:
11:20 - 12:00
VC Roundtable - Opportunities and Challenges in the CEE Startup Ecosystem
Moderator: Csongor Biás, Managing Director at Startup Hungary
Mary Alcantara from Interactive Venture Partners, Stephane Ganchev from Launchub, Guillaume Fournier from Credo Ventures and Elemér Eszter from Impact Ventures to discuss the region's strengths, barriers for growth and ways to address these challenges collectively.
Reserve a spot
Start:
12:00 - 13:00
Lunch Break
Reserve a spot
Start:
13:00 - 13:45
AI's Next Frontier: What the Coming Two Years Hold
Petar Petrov, AI Partner, 11 Venture Capital
What are the anticipated advancements in artificial intelligence over the next two years, exploring emerging technologies and trends that will shape the future? Discover how these innovations will impact industries, create new opportunities, and what startups and investors can do to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Reserve a spot
Start:
13:45 - 14:00
Super Apps in the Age of AI
Atanas Raykov, VP of Global Marketing & Growth at Rakuten Viber
As the Vice President of Marketing and Growth at Rakuten Viber, a leader in private and secure messaging, Atanas will delve into the synergy between super apps and AI, showcasing AI's potential to revolutionize digital interactions. Gain insights into how AI will impact core values like trust and safety in human communication, and learn how past experiences can help bridge the gap between emerging technologies and risk awareness.
Reserve a spot
Start:
14:00 - 14:15
Coffee Break
Reserve a spot
Start:
14:15 - 14:40
From Hype to Hope: Where Are the AI-Accelerated Drugs?
Balint Farkas, Engineering Lead at Turbine
AI has been hailed as a revolutionary force in drug discovery, promising to drastically reduce costs and accelerate timelines. Yet, despite these bold claims, our pharmacies aren't stocked with a surge of AI-developed medications. This session explores the gap between the hype and the reality of AI in pharma, delving into why the anticipated breakthroughs haven't fully materialized and what it will take for AI to truly revolutionize drug development.
Reserve a spot
Start:
14:40-15:10
Transforming Professional Upskilling with AI
Theodor Panayotov, Co-Founder at Ethermind
Discover how AI transforms the way professionals upskill and reskill in their careers. This presentation dives into AI-powered tools that make learning personal, automate skill checks, and keep upskilling dynamic and adaptable. See how organizations and individuals alike can use AI to stay ahead in fast-paced industries, nurture a culture of lifelong learning, and close the skills gap in today's digital world.
Reserve a spot
Start:
15:10 - 15:20
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday TECH Tasks
Rado Stankov, CTO coach at ProductHunt
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Rado uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your own tech tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
Reserve a spot
Start:
15:20 - 15:30
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday DESIGN Tasks
Stan Kirilov, Founder at Stan+Vision
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Stan uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your design tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
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Start:
15:30 - 15:40
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday MARKETING Tasks
Filó Angéla Katalin, Owner & Generative AI Specialist at Marketing Mentor
5-10 minute talk showcasing Angela's specific AI applications and the tangible benefits she's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your marketing tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
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Start:
15:40 - 15:50
Optimizing Efficiency: AI Tools in Everyday BUSINESS Tasks
5-10 minute talk showcasing the specific AI applications Stan uses and the tangible benefits he's experienced. Discover practical ways to integrate AI into your business tasks to boost productivity, streamline processes, and drive innovation in your field.
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Start:
15:50 - 16:05
The Impact Requirements – How Impact and ESG Principles Are Redefining the Future of Companies
Eszter Elemér
Can we envision a healthier economy where the focus shifts from maximizing shareholder value to optimizing stakeholder value? Impact investing offers a path to a more sustainable environment and society. With the region's startup ecosystem still maturing, we have a unique opportunity to nurture more ventures that prioritize social and environmental impact as the ecosystem grows.
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Start:
16:15 - 17:00
Demystifying Term Sheets: VC, Founder and Lawyer Standpoint on the Key Clauses of Fundraising Contracts
Marton Medveczky, Assoc. Partner at Flashpoint, Andras Feher, Principal at Day One Capital and Petra Knall, Attorney in association with Taylor Wessing will unpack the complexities of term sheets from multiple perspectives, exploring the nuances of term sheet negotiation, sharing insights on key clauses such as valuation, liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, and control rights.
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Meet(ups) § Master Classes
When CEE Organizations come together to share more!
Start:
11:00 - 12:00
Masterclass: Professional Talent Acquisition from the Get-go / Lessons Learned from Working with Early-Stage Startups
Gábor Antal - Head of Recruitment at IseeQ
An open discussion where we’ll explore how to get to grips with the most fundamental aspects of talent acquisition. If you are a first-time founder, leader of an early-stage startup, or looking forward to your first big scaling endeavor, or planning to open a satellite office, this masterclass should be able to point you in the right direction to be able to provide a first-class recruitment experience to your prospecting candidates as well as to your team.
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Start:
13:00 - 14:00
Unlock the Future of Your Organization: Masterclass on Implementing Multi-Agent AI
Victor Minchev - CEO & AI Consultant at Tessier.ai
Don't miss this masterclass where you'll learn about how to integrate AI agents into your organization. Understand the new roles needed with the advent of AI, and how to train your team to switch their thinking from "How to use AI so I can do my work?" to "How to use AI to do the work for me? We're going to map out the existing AI tool space available today and upcoming in the short-term future, evaluate the solutions and understand why the traditional AI copilots often fall short in team settings.
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Start:
14:00 - 15:30
Masterclass: Ensuring Success: Sales & Marketing Power Play
Remco Veenenberg - Senior Sales & Marketing Coach/Investor Relations at Startup Wise Guys
Discover the impact of aligning sales and marketing for business growth. Learn how to anticipate and overcome stakeholder objections, before even discovery - creating a strategy that closes deals faster.
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Start:
16:00 - 17:00
UI/UX Meetup - Design Leadership in Practice
Peter Klein, Design Strategist & Leadership Advisor
Orsolya Jaksa, Product Designer
Join this practical knowledge-sharing event where you'll work in small groups on various topics to help you manage the projects entrusted to you more effectively. This includes improving communication, fostering understanding, and even sharing different tools. We’ll discuss emerging problems and their possible solutions and you can immediately try out the methods you've learned. This event is open to professionals of all levels, not just those with experience. You can also be a passive participant if you can resist the urge to engage actively. Designated mentors will support the process. Here, you can find your own voice.
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Speed Mentoring
Chat with founders that have been there and done it
Focus:
business development
Ivaylo Ivanov
Ivaylo brings valuable expertise in product and business development, making him an ideal mentor for founders at slightly more advanced stages. His insights can help refine your pitch, enhance product strategy, and drive business growth. With a focus on supporting founders through the critical stages of development, Ivaylo provides the guidance needed to take your venture to the next level.
Focus:
pitch, market fit, idea validation
Ivan Germanov
Ivan can help you refine your pitch and pitch deck, evaluate the potential of your idea, and assess market fit. Ivan’s guidance is best applied for idea and early-stage founders, providing the critical support needed to validate and strengthen their ventures from the start.
Focus:
ai, strategy
Petar Petrov
Petar delivers expert guidance in enterprise AI transformation, helping organizations adopt and integrate artificial intelligence solutions through a holistic and comprehensive strategy. He enables VCs, startups, and established companies to achieve successful digital transformation via data strategy, employee upskilling, process optimization, and long-term AI development.
Focus:
sales, startup programs
Abel Iacovides
Book a session with Abel to discuss cloud, growth scaling on cloud, startup programs and benefits, marketing, sales, GTM.
Focus:
legal, intelectual property
Fruzsina Kónya
IP is your startup’s backbone! We’ll help protect your innovations, from trademarks to software rights, and ensure your IP strategy supports your growth. Ask us about the essentials to secure your tech and brand assets.
Focus:
legal, intelectual property
Zoltan Novak
IP is your startup’s backbone! We’ll help protect your innovations, from trademarks to software rights, and ensure your IP strategy supports your growth. Ask us about the essentials to secure your tech and brand assets.
Focus:
legal, employment, corporate
Zsombor Lenner
Ready to expand your team? We can advise on founder agreements, employee stock options, and setting up contracts for flexible working arrangements. Let’s make your startup’s employment structure as agile as you are!
Focus:
legal, employment, corporate
Petra Knall
Ready to expand your team? We can advise on founder agreements, employee stock options, and setting up contracts for flexible working arrangements. Let’s make your startup’s employment structure as agile as you are!
Focus:
legal, data protection, ai
Patrícia Kristóf
Building a data-driven app? We’re here to make sure it’s done right! From user privacy and GDPR compliance to data handling best practices, our team can guide you on keeping any application - AI, mobile, or software - both compliant and user-friendly. Let’s cover the privacy essentials so you can focus on scaling.
Focus:
legal, data protection, ai
János Kopasz
Building a data-driven app? We’re here to make sure it’s done right! From user privacy and GDPR compliance to data handling best practices, our team can guide you on keeping any application - AI, mobile, or software - both compliant and user-friendly. Let’s cover the privacy essentials so you can focus on scaling.
Focus:
recruitment, people strategy
Tamás Püski
Book a session with Tamás to discuss recruitment A-Z, thriving in fast-paced and volatile environments, talent management and leadership, work-life balance and mental health.
Focus:
finance, funding
Peter Iliev
Book a session with Peter to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
finance, funding
Ognyan Kolarski
Book a session with Ognyan to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
finance, funding
Georgi Georgiev
Book a session with Georgi to discuss financial forecasting for startups, cash flow management and funding strategies.
Focus:
sales
Viktor Hatfaludi
Book a session with Viktor to discuss sales systems, demand generation throughout the sales cycle, buyer enablement and social selling.
Focus:
sales, marketing, investment
Remco Veenenberg
Remco can assist with Sales & Marketing Mentoring with the aim to define a clear Go-To-Market strategy as well as Pitch Coaching & Investment advice.
Focus:
Design, Webflow
Stan Kirilov
Stan can assist with anything related to Product Design, Web Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Design Systems, Branding and Visual Identity.
Focus:
GraphQL, React, JavaScript, Ruby, management, product development, remote work
Radoslav Stankov
Rado can assist with anything related to GraphQL, React, JavaScript, Ruby, management, product development, remote work, or software engineering in general.
Networking
Bright Speakers for a bright(er) future
Focus:
Founder Hotseat Pitch Contest
A "Founder Hotseat Pitch Contest" event is a dynamic, interactive session where founders present their startups to a panel of mentors and peers for candid, constructive feedback. Following the Founder Institute methodology, the event includes the unique "No Thees Allowed" rating system, where feedback is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 — but no one can rate a 3. This ensures founders receive clear, decisive input, whether strongly positive or critical, pushing them to address weak points and solidify their business strategies. It’s a rare chance to gain valuable insights, improve quickly, and build resilience — essential traits for any successful entrepreneur.
Focus:
LAUNCHub Venture Blender
What sets this event apart? It's the perfect opportunity for meaningful connections between VCs and founders across the region, helping bridge geographical gaps. Grab a sticker identifying your role at the door and make sure to wear it —Startup Founder, VC, Angel Investor, or Ecosystem Builder—so the right people can find you.
Focus:
The Recursive Media Zone
The Recursive, one of the leading startup and tech media outlets in the region, will be joining us throughout the day to conduct interviews and podcasts with members of our ecosystem. This is a fantastic opportunity for startups, investors, and industry experts to share your stories, insights, and innovations with a wider audience.
Podcasts & Interviews
You’re mama always said you’ve got a lot to say? Now is your time!
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Organizers
The Secret Sauce to a Successful Event? Easy - Instead of creating 10 individual events, join forces to create something bigger [and better]. We believe in a unified CEE IT ecosystem - one where we don’t just network, collaborate and support each other locally but regionally. Join us as we bring this vision to life. Come MEET with all of us. Who are we?
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Day One Capital
Day One is an early-stage investment fund from Hungary focusing on the CEE region. We are early investors in Colossyan, Commsignia, Recart, Turbine, Volteum from Hungary and has been in AImotive. Apart from Hungary, we have invested in 10 countries, from North Macedonia to Estonia. Our sweet spots are Pre-Seed and Seed-stage tech companies, and our average ticket size is around EUR 1M.
Startup Grind Budapest
Startup Grind is dedicated to fostering the growth of early-stage companies from bootstrapped beginnings through Series A rounds.
Founder Institute
The Founder Institute is the world's most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses.
Elevator Ventures
Elevator Ventures is the venture capital firm of Raiffeisen Bank International and manages funds of 100m€+ to elevate the growth of technology companies in Fintech and Beyond Banking.
EIC Fund
The EIC Fund is the venture investment arm of the European Innovation Council (EIC). With a budget of €3.5 billion, it supports start-ups through patient capital to minimize the risk for private investors.
Future Founders
Future Founders Club empowers university students with practical knowledge and builds bridges between them and the entire startup ecosystem.
MBH Fintechlab
MBH Fintechlab is the leading innovation lab, driving digital transformation in the financial sector.
Taylor Wessing
Global law firm that partners with the most innovative companies, including IT and tech-driven startups, to navigate complex legal challenges.
Tessier
Tessier helps organizations integrate AI Assistants on a Team level, instead of having a bunch of experts using co-pilots.
Turbine
Turbine is building the world’s leading predictive simulation of patient biology, empowering the biopharma industry by informing the right experiments that identify and validate disease-driving hidden effects.
Flashpoint Venture Capital
Flashpoint is a London-based fund manager managing ~$500m across 3 strategies: Venture Capital, Growth Debt, and Direct Secondary. Focused on immigrant founders out of Europe and Israel, Flashpoint has made 70 investments & 19 exits, including selling Shazam to Apple, Chess.com to General Atlantic, Marketman to PSG.
Marketing Mentor
AI, marketing
Marketing Mentor provides AI-driven solutions and personalized strategies designed to optimize business processes and decision-making for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups.
Revenue Ramp
sales
Providing frameworks to generate demand, speed up the sales cycle, and sell the value of your products.
Portfolion Capital Partners
VC, funding, startups
PortfoLion Capital Partners is the venture capital and private equity arm of OTP Bank. The company is present in the CEE region, investing actively in small and medium enterprises of various industries.
Lead Ventures
vc, private equity, scale-ups
Lead Ventures is a Budapest-based venture capital and private equity firm, specialist of financing scale-ups in Central Europe.
Wow Media
communication, education
Using their own proven system - talkware- Wow Media works globally with individuals of any age, schools, universities and companies of any size or stage of development.
FinDep
finance, CFO, strategy
FinDep offers top-notch financial services tailored to the specific needs of tech startups, scale-ups, and venture capital funds.
Eleven
early-stage, investment
Eleven is an early-stage VC investing in technology companies in Central and Eastern Europe.
Product Hunt
tech, product, website
Product Hunt is a place for product-loving enthusiasts to share and geek out about the latest mobile apps, websites, hardware projects, and tech creations.
HUNBAN
association, insvestment
Hungarian Business Angel Network (HUNBAN) is the official angel investor association of Hungary. Its aim is to welcome and unite all business angels who are interested in investment opportunities not only on a local but a regional level as well.
Viber
chats, calls, communication
Rakuten Viber is a calling and messaging app that connects people–no matter who they are, or where they're from.
Óbuda Uni Venture Capital
funding, early-stage
Obuda Uni Venture Capital’s (OUVC) mission is to partner with visionary innovators shaping humanity’s future. Offering more than just financial support – OUVC provides expertise and a robust network to empower innovative startups right from their first steps.
Impact Ventures
social, innovation, funding
Impact Ventures invests in and provides business development support for social enterprises with sustainable, scalable business models.
Ethermind
training, upskilling
Ethermind is an AI-powered training copilot designed to assist training companies by automating tasks and delivering personalized, high-quality training at scale
Oktogon Ventures
early-stage, funding
Oktogon Ventures is a Budapest-based, fully private backed early stage venture capital firm looking for €10k MRR+ B2B SaaS companies from CEE to invest into.
Recursive
innovation, tech, statups
The Recursive is an independent community-born online tech media focused on the emerging innovation and startup ecosystems in CEE.
TokePortal.com
crowdfunding, fintech, platform
Founded in Budapest, TokePortal was the first Hungarian equity crowdfunding platform that successfully launched several equity campaigns.
Interactive Ventures Partners
pre-seed, seed, series-a, funding
IVP is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs achieve their ambitions by investing in early-stage CEE entrepreneurs at the Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A stages.
Credo Ventures
pre-ceed, seed, funding, startup
Credo looks to invest in outstanding technology founders from the CEE region, from the idea stage to the early signs of product market fit, in any vertical.
Fiedler Capital
pre-seed, funding, startup
Fiedler Capital is a first-check investor helping overlooked founders from peripheral European ecosystems defy the odds and create breakout companies.
Startup Hungary
startup, community
Fueling the growth of the Hungarian startup ecosystem through curated content, research, and events that cultivate a thriving community
LAUNCHUB Ventures
fundraising, early-stage, startups
LAUNCHUB is a leading early-stage venture capital fund that invests in startups in South-Eastern and Central-Eastern Europe.
What you're waiting for?
Discover the Coworking Venue
Puzl CowOrKing is on a mission to Connect IT Across CEE. Puzl is the home of 1,000+ IT Humans in Sofia – Bulgaria - ranging from freelancers to startups and scaleups of 100+, Budapest is the first regional expansion of Puzl with the conversion of an old Textile Factory into an IT Hub for 850+ IT Humans and ME.E.T. CEE is how we wanted to say ("Hello, World!").
All-inclusive to keep it simple.
No credits, no upselling, no nonsense – this is your home. We are all-inclusive and always will be. We don't charge you extra for using a meeting room. Or for delivering your mail. Not even for 24/7 access. You pay once and get access to all of our amenities. Simple as that.
Flexible Rental Terms.
Our Motto? Why pay today for your needs of tomorrow. Upgrade or downgrade your monthly plan with a 1 to 3-month notice.
From Individual Desks to Private Offices all the way to Managed Offices; we want to be there for you from the moment you launch till you become a Unicorn! 🦄
Connect to a large family.
By joining Puzl, you become part of a CEE-wide network of members, experts, partners, and investors. The more dynamic and engaged our community, the greater the value for us all. We're psyched to welcome Budapest’s IT ecosystem into our growing family!
Cannot attend but wanna visit?
We believe in a strong CEE Collaboration.
"Hubs like Puzl CowOrKing offer more than just a collection of square meters and desk space. They provide community, serendipitous connections, inspiring content, and the opportunity to expand your network and improve the interconnectedness of the regional ecosystems. We need stronger bridges between the CEE hubs of startups and weare stoked to build them with Puzl."
Csongor Biás
Managing Director, Startup Hungary
Managing Director, Startup Hungary
"Innovators in CEE often face the challenge of operating in smaller domestic markets, which can limit opportunities but also encourage international expansion. This makes stronger integration of the startup and venture ecosystems crucial for driving growth and global competitiveness. By connecting founders, investors, and research institutions, the region can pool resources, attract international investment and top talent, and showcase its engineering excellence on the global stage"
Irina Obushtarova
Co-Founder and CEO, The Recursive
Co-Founder and CEO, The Recursive
We start at 7PM
Puzl CowOrKing
Budapest
Launch party
The Launch!
Join us in celebrating the Launch of Puzl CowOrKing Budapest! We wouldn’t be here without you. It's our first regional growth so it's gonna be a biggy!
Food & Drinks
We’ll have delicious drinks, and tasty food to keep the vibe lively. For those that want special treats – #FoodTruck ♡
Network
The Party will be a super chilled networking focused type of event. Keep you daily convos going or MEET the new crowd joining for the evening – Control is yours.
Music
Let loose and have fun! Just remember, what happens at the party stays at the party... Unless you post it on socials!
Accommodation & Extra program
We’ve got your travel needs covered! Enjoy exclusive hotel rates to make your stay even sweeter. Let’s make your experience as hassle-free as possible—because the only thing you should be scrambling for is a good spot to network, not a place to sleep! We've even got a city tour planned for the next day!
SATURDAY 9th OF NOVEMBER
Want more? Next day Tour & Detox
Tour of Budapest
Museums
Detox lunch
Hours shweating and more...
Special rates
We’ve also negotiated Rates in two hotels close to location for you.
RESERVATION - VERDI AQUINCUMCONTACT KIMPTON BEM - Mention Puzl
