• Huge Thing’s commences its partnership with Visa Foundation to reward the aspiring female founders from Poland and Ukraine
• The second edition of the Female Fundraising Academy accepts applications until September 30th and launches in October
• Acknowledging the feedback from the first edition, the second edition will pay special attention to ESOP and company visibility

Started in 2012 by SpeedUp Group, Huge Thing became one of Poland’s pioneering startup acceleration programs. Since then, it has played a vital role in fostering the startup ecosystem across Central and Eastern Europe. Today, in addition to helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses, the Huge Thing team applies its extensive knowledge to assist both private and public sector organizations in driving innovation.

This September, Huge Thing, in collaboration with the Visa Foundation, is launching the second edition of its Female Founders Fundraising Academy. This initiative is designed to provide training and support to women entrepreneurs from Poland and Ukraine.

1st Edition in a Nutshell

The inaugural edition of the Academy began in February and wrapped up in May. Huge Thing’s program manager Katarzyna Maryańska tells ITKeyMedia that the organizers are extremely pleased with the success of the first edition of the Female Founders Fundraising Academy. Out of more than 100 applications, 15 top candidates were selected, all of whom were incredibly dedicated and eager to absorb the knowledge shared with them.

Huge Thing brought in leading specialists, business practitioners, and startup CEOs to deliver insights in a clear, workshop-style format. To cater to individual needs, there also were 1:1 sessions which helped solidify the knowledge gained during the workshops. The program concluded with a VC speed dating event, giving the participants a chance to test their skills directly with investors.

BinderLess, for example, is the developer of an all-in-one construction documentation management platform that‘s been present on the Polish market for several years now.

‘My goal was to gain knowledge that I could apply to strengthen our position in the national market and prepare for international scaling. Both the workshops and the mentoring support were highly practical for the real world, which is undoubtedly a significant value of this program,’ the startup’s CMO Aleksandra Owczarek comments.

PocketIP’s founder and COO Olena Polosmak admits that being part of Huge Thing’s Female Founders Fundraising Academy was a real game changer for her and her startup. Having tried other programs in the past, Ms Polosmak points out this one as the most rewarding and enlightening experience.

‘Even though the 8 weeks felt like they flew by, each session and mentor meeting were packed with so much valuable content and engaging discussions that I found myself inspired to dive deeper into the world of startups. I can’t thank the organizers and mentors enough for their unwavering support and guidance – they made such a difference in my journey, and I’m so grateful for everything they did to help us along the way. I recommend all women startups to try their way with this program!’ Ms Polosmak shares.

Indeed, it may be harder for female founders to take risks as they are reasonably more afraid of ridicule. Hence, a constant challenge for women entrepreneurs is simply having the courage and belief in their own abilities.

‘That’s why in each of our programs aimed at women, we place a strong emphasis on education through workshops and 1:1 mentoring sessions. The goal is to create a space for open, courageous conversations and to discuss the individual priorities of the accelerator’s participants. We want women to leave the Academy feeling more confident and unafraid to engage in serious discussions with investors,’ Ms Maryańska explains.

‘This program didn’t just fill my head with knowledge or give me experience in presenting; it really helped me believe in myself more than ever before. Because of that newfound confidence, I’ve even been invited to be an advisor for a really exciting AI project Cabina.AI from my country with the powerful women on the team – a new challenge for me. Intellectual property and AI are close. So, with new projects we will all grow faster. It feels amazing to see how far I’ve come. My achievements, newfound knowledge, and victories all started to unfold at an intense pace with Huge Thing’s Female Founders Fundraising Academy,’ Ms Polosmak confirms.

What the 2nd Edition Brings

Huge Thing’s senior program manager Maria Tyka-Majewska underlines that when designing programs, the organizers emphasize practical knowledge from experienced experts. In addition to a series of workshops, participants can expect mentoring, the opportunity to build a broad international network, and access to the Female Founders Club where Huge Thing offers additional activities. The Club also serves as a space for founders to share experiences, knowledge, and support one another.

With close attention to feedback from our participants, Huge Thing adds several new elements that can further support the development of their projects in the upcoming edition of Female Founders Fundraising Academy. As a result, the second edition will feature workshops on ESOPs (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) and building effective company visibility.

Founders are welcome to apply here before September 30th 2024. The organizers will then take their time until October 11th before announcing the 15 successful applications. The program itself begins on October 15th 2024 and runs in fully-remote mode for 8 weeks. It will conclude on December 12th 2024 with the Final Demo Day.

For more information, please see the Program’s page and follow Huge Thing’s LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Before applying, you are welcome to get familiar with the Academy’s mentors pool and detailed schedule.