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More than 80 percent of investment in the development of Polish start-ups is state-funded. The reason for this is the still underdeveloped private-funds market. The Polish market for high-risk start-ups is slowly catching up with the world in professionalism. About 10-20 percent of venture-capital funds in Poland can already be considered as top-performing funds. However, the percentage of those that aren’t working well is still too high.

Publico24 has created a model for the digital distribution of the press, based on subscriptions, resembling Netflix. Thanks to small transmitters installed in public places, readers with an app installed on their mobile phones can have unlimited access to their favourite papers or individual articles The service is free for readers, and the subscription cost is covered by businesspeople or owners of venues, for whom this is an opportunity to expand their range of services. The company is already working on providing access to the digital press for individual users based on monthly subscriptions.

A company from Poland might just know how to improve air quality in cities. Green stops are to clean the air we breathe in while waiting for a tram or bus to arrive. The first stops are to be constructed within three months after an investor is found. Each year, air pollution brings death to several million people.

The earnings of women working in the same positions as men are lower, they are less willing to start their own companies and less often perform managerial roles. This is a global problem faced by the largest world economies. In Poland, despite the fact that managerial positions are in 40% occupied by women, their earnings are much lower than those of men. Together with the spreading popularity and significance of start-ups, it is easier for women to enter the labour market and find their way to sectors which previously were considered to be typically male. This is facilitated by the numerous competitions organised for women’s start-ups and a growing number of women performing the roles of business angels.

The sources of financing start-ups have changed considerably over the last few years. The accessibility of EU funding via national institutions is growing. Venture capital funds are also gaining in importance. A relatively new form of financial support is equity crowdfunding. This year, limits for obtaining funds under this model have been increased to as much as EUR 1 m. Poland and eastern-European markets are becoming more attractive for investors.