Polish startups are getting stronger. “We are building the economy of tomorrow”

Everything starts with startups. Today they play a key role in shaping the economy based on innovation, technology and sustainable development. Increasingly, these are “Born Global” companies, which are already thinking about international expansion. We talk with Renata Kabas-Komorniczak, a managing partner and tax advisor in Rödl & Partner.

Beata Anna Święcicka, “Wprost”: During the European Economic Congress 2025 Rödl & Partner announced the launch of the SmartStart incubator. Where did the idea for this initiative come from?

Renata Kabas-Komorniczak, managing partner and tax advisor at Rödl & Partner: We see the key role of startups in economic transformation and we believe that the future of the economy is created by companies operating at the interface between industry, technology and sustainable development. We support companies that develop intelligent production, new energy sources, innovative solutions for transport, construction and automation. Thanks to our international experience and comprehensive legal, tax and business consulting, we can help startups not only achieve regulatory compatibility, but also effectively grow and gain new markets. We are convinced that through cooperation with the most innovative companies, we jointly build the economy of tomorrow – based on technology, responsibility and global look. The resulting incubator is aimed at supporting innovative companies by providing them with access to expert knowledge, contact network and resources necessary to scale operations to foreign markets.

What is the condition of the startup market in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe today?

A decade ago, the region of Central and Eastern Europe was seen as a source of qualified programmers in a world of technology rather than as a center of global innovations.

Today, the situation has changed radically – and Poland is in the heart of this transformation. As the “Central and Eastern Europe start-ups’ report shows, the value of the entire startup ecosystem in the CEE region at the end of the first quarter of 2025 was a record-breaking EUR 243 billion, of which the largest share falls to Poland. Of the over 275 companies classified as Scaleups in the CEE region, i.e. startups, which have already reached a phase of fast growth and obtained financing exceeding EUR 15 million, the most works in Poland.

What’s more, Polish companies are increasingly appearing on the lists of enterprises with the greatest potential to achieve the status of unicorn – a startup valued at at least a billion dollars. According to the “Polish Startups 2023” report prepared by the Startup Poland Foundation, there are over 3300 startups in Poland, which is almost 25 percent. startup ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe, where there are about 14,300 startups in total. Unfortunately, despite these positive trends, the region is still struggling with challenges, such as limited access to financing at the late stage of company development, which limits the possibilities of systematic creation of value and providing innovation. Although the Polish and region of Central and Eastern Europe show a significant increase in the startup sector, there is a need for further development of financial infrastructure and support for companies at later stages of development to fully use the innovative potential of the region.

What are the challenges of native startups today?

Startups usually work in a dynamic high -risk environment. Legal or tax errors can be very expensive and potentially threaten the further development of the company, therefore they need professional support to provide them not only to function, but also build foundations for safe development and acquisition of investments.

In Central and Eastern Europe we see a growing number of initiatives supporting young technology companies. According to the Dealroom report, startups from this region achieved good results in 2024, despite limited access to capital. Poland is a leader in terms of ecosystem value, and Lithuania has been developing the fastest since 2020.

However, in order to effectively scale activity, international expansion is necessary – half of the scaleups from this region are transferred to markets such as the USA, where the presence enables global development and easier access to capital in the growth phase. In 2023, Venture Capital Investments in Eastern Europe fell, which hindered the situation of technological startups, but the region is aimed at reflection, powered by the development of artificial intelligence and innovations related to green and digital transformation. Among the countries with the best results are Poland, Greece, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Romania.

The SmartStart incubator is therefore a response to these needs. How will he support the startups?

We can support startups in many ways that go beyond classic legal advice. We already help at the stage of establishing activities – we advise when choosing a legal form, support in the registration of the company, we prepare statutes, partners’ agreements or regulations. We also provide investment services, including the preparation and negotiating of contracts with investors. We advise tax, optimizing the structure of activity and supporting in planning foreign expansion, taking into account tax regulations. We help protect intellectual property by registering trademarks, patents or utility models, as well as developing and negotiating license agreements. We also advise on compliance with regulations – both general and sectoral, including personal data protection or regulations appropriate for fintechs, healthtechs and other industries. We support the corporate service of the startup, helping in keeping documentation, organizing partners’ meetings, KS updates or creating motivational programs. We also advise on foreign expansion processes, helping to establish subsidiaries or branches and adapt to local regulations. Finally, we are preparing companies for transactions – from restructuring and due diligence, through sales or fusion, to a stock market debut.

What companies joined the incubator at the inauguration stage?

As part of the opening, we invited two companies awarded in the ECC Startup Challenge 2025 competition in the “Modern Economy” category: the winner – Spaceform and the finalist – Gekko Photonics. Spaceform is a Warsaw startup from the Innoagh group, which develops 3D printing technology from metal, ceramics and polymers – both on Earth and in microgravity – eliminating the need for supporting structures and enabling the production of components in space. In turn, Gekko Photonics from Wrocław creates advanced solutions in Raman’s spectroscopy, enabling quick and non -invasive chemical analyzes in real time – used, among others in the chemical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and medicine industries.

Why startups from the Modern Economy category?

First of all, because these are companies operating in key areas of the economy: industry 4.0, renewable energy, transport of the future, ecological construction, robotics or process automation. For Rödl & Partner, specializing in servicing industrial, energy and technological companies, cooperation with these startups means building relationships in future sectors of the economy.

Startups operating in the Modern Economy area often need support in complex processes: regulatory, international, tax, intellectual properties and market expansion, and our office offers a full spectrum of advisory services – from law, through taxes, to tax consulting and audit. Companies creating solutions in Modern Economy are often “Born Global” – from the beginning they think about scaling their activities abroad.

We have offices in 50 countries, so we can offer such startups support for expansion to foreign markets, which is crucial in their development. Modern Economy is not only technologies, but also sustainable development, new management models and care for ESG standards.

Thank you for the interview.

BIO: Renata Kabas-Komorniczak-managing partner at Rödl & Partner, is responsible for the company’s activities, including in Poland, southeastern Europe and for the global BPO area. A graduate of the Faculty of Law at the University of Warsaw, European and American law programs, a doctor of economics, lecturer in SGH. Expert in the field of taxes, compliance, lean management and transformation of business processes. In Rödl & Partner since 2004. He conducts projects related to digitization, tax planning and construction of shared service centers. Winner, among others the title “The most dynamic woman-entrepreneur” (The Europe Entrepreneur 2024) and distinctions “25 lawyers in business” for Forbes Women.