Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) and Beesfund, the biggest Polish equity crowdfunding platform are joining forces to help Polish startups. Inspired by similar ventures abroad, they’re launching an Accelerator GPW programme together to support networking within the startup ecosystem and promoting startups among listed companies.

“We’ve been inspired by other such partnerships abroad. At the same time, our Accelerator is a customised project fitting our regional needs,” says Arkadiusz Regiec.

Jarosław Grzywiński, acting President of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and Arkadiusz Regiec, CEO at Beesfund signed an agreement which will bring Accelerator GPW to life. It aims to enable networking within the community and to raise interest in startups among listed companies. It’ll also help the companies to build a relation between them and startups. What does it mean for the startups? Better opportunities for gaining new investors.

“We believe the capital market can support innovative companies in their early stages and prepare them to later enter NewConnect or Main (stock) Market,” says Jarosław Grzywiński, acting President of the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Accelerator will work with other already existing acceleration programmes, VC funds, and foundations to give the best of the best to the participants. GPW will offer the startups an alternative way of getting new funds.

“Beesfund is the youngest child of the capital market and equity market is within GPW’s scope of interests. Our issuers are mainly joint-stock companies and partnership limited by shares companies, for whom we ensure the dissipation of assets. On average 140 investors participate in an issuance. These factors help everyone involved to succeed on NewConnect, build the market’s liquidity and the investors’ trust. That’s exactly why GPW is our natural ally. We’re a Polish company and we believe that it’s exactly here, with the support of such a partner, where the heart of the Central European startup ecosystem will beat,” says Arkadiusz Regiec, the Beesfund CEO.

Right now, the registrations are open and all interested startups are encouraged to sign in. You don’t have to be a Polish company to be eligible. You’ll be fine as long as you’re stationed in Eastern Europe.