What Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge does

Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge (PUSB) is a Warsaw-based acceleration and support program operated by the Cooperation Fund Foundation (Fundacja Fundusz Współpracy), a Polish nonprofit, since 2018. The program is commissioned by Poland's Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy under the Polish Aid development assistance framework initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its primary customers are Ukrainian technology entrepreneurs seeking access to Polish and European capital, mentorship, and market entry pathways; secondary stakeholders include Polish VC funds, mentors, and ecosystem institutions.

PUSB delivers a multi-component service stack rather than a software product. Core components include the Acceleration Program (offering up to 100,000 PLN, roughly 23,000 EUR, in equity-free funding to 10 selected startups in the 2025-2026 Edition 3.0), the Startup Competition anchored on the annual Kyiv Tech Hub conference (with a 50,000 PLN main prize), a dedicated coworking space in Warsaw opened in September 2022, a Startup Support Centre providing pitch and financial plan consultations, a mentorship program staffed by Polish and Ukrainian experts, regional meetups across Ukrainian cities, and recurring ecosystem research publications. Demand generation relies on open online applications, regional meetups, and the annual Kyiv Tech Hub and Warsaw Demo Day events, with channel partnerships extending to the Warsaw Stock Exchange, Ukrainian Startup Fund, ICU Ventures, Sigma Software, and seven Polish VC funds including Simpact VC, Shape VC, and SMOK Ventures.

The program's revenue model is grant-based rather than commercial: funding flows from Polish Aid appropriations through the Cooperation Fund Foundation, which then disburses equity-free support to selected startups. There is no subscription, transaction, or licensing revenue. Operating geographies are limited to Poland and Ukraine, with strategic significance tied to bilateral Polish-Ukrainian innovation policy rather than market-based competitive dynamics.

Name

Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge

Legal name

Cooperation Fund Foundation

Website

https://startupbridge.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge is a grant-funded Warsaw-based acceleration program operated by the Cooperation Fund Foundation under Poland's Polish Aid initiative, providing Ukrainian technology startups with up to 100,000 PLN equity-free funding, mentorship, coworking space, and access to Polish VC funds via the annual Kyiv Tech Hub conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Acceleration Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPADAEAB), Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration
• Entrepreneurship support
• Venture mentorship
• Government grants
• Ecosystem development

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding (Polish Aid program): The program is funded by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Polish Aid initiative, commissioned by the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy. Operated by the Cooperation Fund Foundation, the program provides equity-free financial support to selected startups.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge (PUSB) is a grant-funded acceleration program operated by the Cooperation Fund Foundation that connects the Polish innovation ecosystem with Ukrainian technology startups. The program offers equity-free financial support (up to 100,000 PLN per project), mentorship, workshops, regional meetups, an annual Kyiv Tech Hub conference with a startup competition, and a dedicated coworking space in Warsaw. It is commissioned under the Polish Aid program of Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy.

Product overview

Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge is an acceleration and support ecosystem for Ukrainian technology startups, operated by the Cooperation Fund Foundation as part of Poland's 'Polish Aid' program. The organization offers a multi-component support structure including an Acceleration Program providing up to 100,000 PLN in funding, a Startup Competition with Kyiv Tech Hub conference as its centerpiece event, a dedicated coworking space in Warsaw, Startup Support Centre for consultations, Mentorship Program with Polish and Ukrainian experts, Regional Meetups across Ukrainian cities, and annual research publications on the Ukrainian startup ecosystem. These components work together to connect Ukrainian founders with Polish investors, mentors, and venture capital funds while supporting startups through funding, education, and networking opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acceleration Program A multi-month acceleration program for Ukrainian technology startups that provides equity-free financial support (up to 100,000 PLN per project), mentorship from Polish and Ukrainian experts, workshops on business growth, scaling, international expansion, and EU compliance, plus networking with investors and other European startups.
• Startup Competition An annual pitch competition held during the Kyiv Tech Hub conference where top startup projects from Ukraine pitch to an international VC community; winners receive cash prizes including 50,000 PLN for the main winner.
• Kyiv Tech Hub Conference A large-scale international two-day conference held in Kyiv that links Polish VCs with promising startups and scientific projects from Ukraine, featuring startup competitions, panel discussions, and B2B matchmaking meetings with venture capital funds.
• Coworking Space in Warsaw A dedicated coworking space in Warsaw available at 2 PLN per month to eligible Ukrainian startups, providing workspace, business meeting facilities, and opportunities to connect with Polish investors and business environment institutions.
• Startup Support Centre

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of Ukrainian startups surveyed are confident their solutions will help rebuild Ukraine
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cooperation Fund FoundationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Project operator responsible for coordinating operational activities for the Ukrainian audience. Operates the PUSB program from Warsaw headquarters.
• CEE Startup Bridge FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-organizer of the Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge project alongside Cooperation Fund Foundation.
• Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy (Poland)coreOthersCommissioning authority for the Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge project as part of the Polish Aid program.
• Polish Ministry of Foreign AffairscoreOthersInitiator of the Polish Aid program under which PUSB operates.
• GPW (Warsaw Stock Exchange)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Ukrainian startup ecosystem reports and host venue for Demo Day events. Partner since 2021.
• Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey co-organizer of startup ecosystem research reports. Strategic partner for Ukrainian startup support.
• Sigma SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwedish IT consulting company supporting IT_EUREKA startup contest. Sigma Software Labs drives the competition. Contributed to PUSB research reports.
• DentonssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational law firm providing workshops on legal aspects of startups in Ukraine and Poland. Covers company formation, IP rights, and investment processes.
• 1991supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian ecosystem institution partnering in 2025 research on Ukrainian startup resilience.
• ISE Corporate AcceleratorsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian accelerator contributing expertise to PUSB research and startup ecosystem support.
• WinWinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian ecosystem institution partnering in 2025 research on Ukrainian startup resilience.
• YEPsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian ecosystem institution partnering in 2025 research on Ukrainian startup resilience.
• TechsystemsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian ecosystem institution partnering in 2025 research on Ukrainian startup resilience.
• EFC (Enterprise Founders Club)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-based startup support organization and partner.
• FNP (Foundation for Polish Science)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Polish science foundation supporting innovation ecosystem.
• 360GROWTH Ltd.supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK/Poland-based consulting firm founded in 2017, helping entrepreneurs secure financing from public or private sources. Clients have secured over PLN 50 million in financing.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• ISE Corporate Accelerator: Ukrainian corporate accelerator that contributes to PUSB research and ecosystem support. Comparable to PUSB in supporting Ukrainian founders through structured programs, but with corporate-sponsorship-driven funding rather than government aid.
• CIVITTA: Emerging Europe consulting and innovation firm running accelerator programs and founder support across CEE and Ukraine. Comparable to PUSB in regional focus and founder-support services, with overlapping partner ecosystems.
• 1991 Accelerator: Ukrainian accelerator and VC that partners with PUSB on ecosystem research. Directly comparable as a Ukrainian-focused accelerator supporting early-stage startups with mentorship and investment, though it takes equity rather than providing grants.

Regional players

• Startup Wise Guys: CEE-focused accelerator with cohorts in the Baltics and emerging Europe. Highly comparable to PUSB in regional focus and B2B SaaS emphasis, but operates as a commercial equity-taking accelerator rather than a grant-funded development program.

Direct peers

• MassChallenge: Nonprofit global accelerator offering equity-free support to early-stage startups. Comparable to PUSB in its nonprofit, zero-equity model and cohort-based program structure, but operating at larger global scale rather than a single bilateral corridor.
• Fledge: Mission-driven global accelerator network focused on for-profit, impact-oriented startups. Comparable to PUSB in its emphasis on impact-driven founders and equity-free or favorable terms, though operating globally rather than Poland-Ukraine specifically.
• Ukrainian Startup Fund (USF): USF is a direct strategic partner of PUSB and operates as a Ukrainian state-backed fund providing equity-free grants to Ukrainian startups. It is the closest analog by mission and funding structure, focusing on Ukrainian founders with seed-stage grants and ecosystem support.

Others

• Eastern European Development Network (EEDN): Network of organizations supporting civil society and entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe. Comparable to PUSB in mission and cross-border Polish-Ukrainian development focus, though broader in scope than startup acceleration specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Impact Hub: Global network of innovation hubs and accelerators with strong presence in CEE and Ukraine. Comparable to PUSB's coworking and community-led support model, particularly its Warsaw coworking space and founder community programming.
• Techstars: Global accelerator with structured mentorship, demo days, and VC networking. Comparable to PUSB by offering acceleration programs with mentorship and investor connections, though Techstars is a commercial, equity-taking program vs. PUSB's grant-funded model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/startupbridge.eu
• LinkedInpl.linkedin.com/showcase/polish-ukrainian-startup-bridge
• Instagraminstagram.com/startupbridge.eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polish-Ukrainian Startup Bridge