- Huge Thing opens applications for the new edition of its Startup Booster’s Industry Test track this November
- The Track targets mature startups, offering corporate collaboration, mentorship, and equity-free grants up to EUR 80K
- Corporate partners include Orlen, Veolia, PZU, and BNP Paribas on the lookout for cutting edge solutions addressing business and sustainability challenges
- Applications are due to be submitted until November 21st
This November, Huge Thing—one of Poland’s first startup accelerators—opens applications for the Industry Test track of its Startup Booster program. It supports startups in validating and scaling solutions through partnerships with corporate leaders like Orlen, PZU, Veolia, and BNP Paribas, offering tailored mentorship and equity-free grants up to EUR 80K. Startups are welcome to apply before November 21st.
Huge Thing in a Nutshell
Huge Thing has spent over a decade designing and delivering corporate innovation programs and acceleration initiatives across diverse industries. Originally one of Poland’s first startup accelerators, it has evolved into a full-scale innovation partner for corporations, combining acceleration, ecosystem building, and strategic consulting.
Today, Huge Thing connects startups with enterprises while also helping large organizations design, implement, and scale innovation strategies. It has collaborated with leading companies, including Rossmann, Żabka, PZU, PKO Bank Polski, BNP Paribas, and Novartis, supporting them in defining innovation priorities, launching intrapreneurship programs, and creating frameworks for effective startup collaboration. Through these efforts, Huge Thing has established itself as a trusted partner for innovation-driven transformation in the CEE region.
The impact of its approach is evident in previous editions of the Startup Booster program. This program helped startups like cybersecurity firm Riffsec and proptech company Simpl.rent begin partnerships with PZU, one of Poland’s largest financial and insurance groups. These collaborations enabled startups to refine solutions in real market conditions and accelerate commercial growth.
Maria Tyka-Majewska, Acceleration Lead at Huge Thing
‘These examples show how collaboration between startups and corporates can lead to measurable results. Our mission is to be that bridge, by helping startups turn innovation into real business impact, and helping corporates make innovation part of their daily operations,’ Huge Thing’s acceleration lead Maria Tyka-Majewska states.
Industry Test Track
Huge Thing’s Startup Booster connects early-stage innovation with corporate needs through three specialized tracks tailored to startups at different stages of growth. In particular, the Industry Test track, currently open for applications until November 21st 2026, targets startups with mature products ready for real-world deployment and testing in corporate environments. Participants collaborate directly with leading organizations to co-develop and pilot solutions that address critical business and sustainability challenges.
Startups in the Industry Test track engage closely with top industry players tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges:
- Orlen, a leading European energy company, seeks technologies in thermal energy storage and precision farming sensors to improve efficiency and sustainability
- Veolia Poland is exploring AI-powered water quality monitoring, telemetry solutions for heating systems, and circular-economy innovations in waste management and energy recovery
- PZU, the largest insurer in the region, is looking for process automation, data-driven underwriting, and pricing optimization solutions
- BNP Paribas focuses on tools for personalized communication, AI-driven customer interaction analysis, and real-time onboarding support for new clients.
Through this track, startups gain unparalleled access to corporate expertise, enabling them to refine products, validate solutions, and accelerate growth in real-market conditions.
‘Many startups struggle to prove their value beyond prototypes. Through our program, we give them access to corporate ecosystems where their solutions can be tested, improved, and scaled. It’s about creating win-win collaborations. Startups get validation and traction, while corporations gain access to fresh innovation that directly addresses their business challenges,’ Ms Tyka-Majewska comments.
Kostiantyn is a freelance writer from Crimea but based in Lviv. He loves writing about IT and high tech because those topics are always upbeat and he’s an inherent optimist!
