Kraków Miastem Startupów

What Kraków Miastem Startupów does

Fundacja Kraków Miastem Startupów (KMS) is a Polish non-profit foundation (organizacja pozarządowa) founded in 2013 and headquartered in Kraków, operating the city's principal startup support infrastructure. The foundation runs a portfolio of interconnected programs: the KITS (KRK InnoTech Starter) pre-acceleration program offering equity-free grants of 10,000-20,000 PLN, mentoring, and Demo Day investor presentations; the Inkubator Przedsiębiorczości business incubator with coworking space at Klaster Zabłocie 20.22; and event-driven programs including the Academic Innovation Marathon (AMI), School Innovation Marathon (SZMI), JUPI autumn workshops, and SLIP summer program. Since 2020, KMS has also produced a weekly Chat with KMS expert webinar series and a Kraków startup guide ecosystem map.

KMS serves early-stage (pre-seed and seed) startups, university students and young scientists, secondary school students, SMEs, and public-sector clients in the Małopolska region. The foundation's underlying "technology" is organizational rather than software-based — a curated network of mentors, partners, events, and physical workspace — supplemented by a website (kms.org.pl) and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube). There is no proprietary software platform, no app, and no API; the foundation's product surface is its program lineup and community.

The business model is non-commercial at its core. Primary funding flows from Polish public institutions — the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Marshal's Office of the Małopolska Region, and the Kraków City Office — supplemented by private partners including UBS, Fundacja PFR (Polish Development Fund), Allegro, and 30+ other organizations. Programs are largely free for participants, with no equity taken. The only direct revenue line is the newly introduced Incubator membership subscription (27 PLN/month for individuals, 40 PLN/month for businesses), which is nominal. Headcount is approximately 24, with a named core leadership team including Foundation President Michał Adamczyk, Vice President for Operations Paweł Zdańkowski, Vice President for Finance Michał Matlakiewicz, and Operations Director Natalia Basiura.

Name

Kraków Miastem Startupów

Legal name

Fundacja Kraków Miastem Startupów

Website

https://kms.org.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundacja Kraków Miastem Startupów (KMS) is a Kraków-based non-profit foundation operating the city's principal startup support ecosystem since 2013, running pre-acceleration (KITS), incubation, hackathons, and educational programs for pre-seed startups, students, and SMEs. It is grant-funded by Polish public institutions and corporate partners including UBS and Fundacja PFR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubator and Accelerator Services

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem support
• Pre-acceleration programs
• Business incubation services
• Innovation mentoring
• Entrepreneurship education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kraków

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Project Funding and Grants: KMS operates as a non-profit foundation primarily funded through public institutions including Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego), Marshal's Office of the Małopolska Region (Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Małopolskiego), and Kraków City Office (Urząd Miasta Krakowa). Additional support comes from private partners such as UBS and Fundacja PFR.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fundacja Kraków Miastem Startupów is a non-profit foundation that operates a portfolio of startup support programs in the Kraków and Małopolska region of Poland. Its core offerings are structured pre-acceleration (KITS) and incubation (Inkubator Przedsiębiorczości) programs supplemented by hackathons (AMI, SZMI), seasonal workshop programs (JUPI, SLIP), expert webinars (#ChatWithKMS), and networking events that connect pre-seed and seed startups with mentors, investors, universities, and public sector partners. Programs are provided free of charge or at nominal subscription fees and do not require equity from participants.

Product overview

Fundacja Kraków Miastem Startupów operates as a startup support ecosystem organization rather than a single software product. The foundation runs a portfolio of interconnected programs: KITS is the flagship pre-acceleration program offering grants and Demo Day access; the Business Incubator provides longer-term incubation with coworking space and training; AMI and SZMI are hackathon-based programs for university students and secondary school youth respectively; JUPI and SLIP deliver seasonal educational workshops; and Chat with KMS provides ongoing expert webinar content. The organization also maintains a knowledge base with publications and a directory of supported startups. Together these programs form a complete pipeline from early idea validation through acceleration to investor-facing Demo Day presentations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KITS (KRK InnoTech Starter): Pre-acceleration program for early-stage startups providing mentoring, training, and funding up to 20,000 PLN.
• AMI (Akademicki Maraton Innowacji)
• SZMI (Szkolny Maraton Innowacji)
• SLIP (Szkoła Letnia Innowacji i Przedsiębiorczości)
• JUPI (Jesienny Uniwersytet Przedsiębiorczości i Innowacji)
• #ChatWithKMS
• Inkubator Przedsiębiorczości

Products and services

• KITS (KRK InnoTech Starter) Pre-Acceleration Program A comprehensive pre-acceleration program supporting innovative business ventures in the Kraków region. Provides mentorship, non-repayable grants of 10,000-20,000 PLN, expert consultations, networking opportunities, and culminates in a Demo Day presentation to investors. The program runs from April to September and is free with no equity required.
• Inkubator Przedsiębiorczości (Business Incubator) A 6-12 month incubation program for young entrepreneurs, startups, scientists, and SMEs. Provides coworking space access (24 hours/month), 1 hour of B2B room access, over 15 annual business trainings, approximately 20 networking events, mentoring, and specialized consulting. Membership costs 27 PLN/month for individuals and 40 PLN/month for businesses.
• Akademicki Maraton Innowacji (AMI) 12-hour hackathons where teams of students, young entrepreneurs, and social innovators create innovative business solutions to current social, economic, and technological challenges in Smart City, technology, and product design. Teams receive mentorship support and compete for prizes totaling 10,000 PLN.
• Szkolny Maraton Innowacji (SZMI) A project for secondary school students promoting entrepreneurship and encouraging creation of their own initiatives. Consists of free workshops conducted at schools and a Business Marathon where students develop business ideas under mentorship.
• Jesienny Uniwersytet Przedsiębiorczości i Innowacji (JUPI) Annual autumn program of 40 workshops and 6 networking meetings for student scientific circles at Kraków universities. Covers topics including business model canvas, lean startup methodologies, technology transfer, investor relations, team management, and digital marketing. JUPI attracted 740 participants in a recent edition.
• Szkoła Letnia Innowacji i Przedsiębiorczości (SLIP) Summer program supporting academic and startup community development through training workshops, networking meetings, and a mentoring program with 40 hours of consultations.
• #ChatWithKMS Webinar Series Weekly expert webinar series launched in November 2020 featuring professionals discussing innovation management, business, and technology. Sessions are broadcast on Facebook and discuss the startup ecosystem in Poland and globally.
• KRK InnoTech Starter Academy Pre-acceleration program designed specifically for the academic environment — students, young scientists, and student project teams. 8 student teams received individualized mentoring support, with a Demo Day held at Klaster Zabłocie 20.22.

Quantifiable outcome

• 740 participants trained in JUPI program alone
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Urząd Miasta KrakowacoreOthersKraków City Office is a key municipal partner supporting KMS initiatives. The city government collaborates on organizing innovation programs and hackathons as part of its economic development strategy.
• hub:raumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerhub:raum is a tech incubator and innovation center in Kraków that partners with KMS on hackathons and startup programs, providing venue and ecosystem connections for the innovation community.
• AllegrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAllegro, one of Poland's largest e-commerce platforms, supports KMS initiatives as part of its commitment to fostering innovation and the startup ecosystem.
• Klaster LifeScience KrakówminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeScience Cluster Kraków is a biotechnology and life sciences industry cluster that partners with KMS to support startups in the healthcare and biotech sectors.
• Ambasada i Konsulat USA w PolsceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe US Embassy and Consulate in Poland collaborates with KMS on startup and innovation initiatives, providing international connections and support for cross-border entrepreneurship.
• CrosswebminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCrossweb is a Polish tech community platform that partners with KMS for event promotion and community building among developers and tech professionals.
• JWMS Jakubowski Wiese Mazgaj Staszek radcowie prawniminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJWMS is a law firm providing legal consultation and support services to KMS and its startup community, helping entrepreneurs navigate business law and compliance.
• Office & Cowork CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffice & Cowork Centre provides coworking space and business support services that complement KMS's incubator offerings for startups.
• Niezależne Zrzeszenie StudentówminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent Students' Association collaborates with KMS on student-focused programs and initiatives, supporting the youth entrepreneurship development mission.
• Carbon FootprintminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon Footprint Foundation supports sustainable and environmentally-focused initiatives, aligning with KMS programs that include green technology and CleanTech startups.
• South Poland Cleantech ClusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Poland Cleantech Cluster focuses on clean technology and sustainability, partnering with KMS on programs supporting Cleantech and green innovation startups.
• Uniwersytet JagiellońskicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJagiellonian University is a key academic partner, collaborating on student programs like JUPI and supporting the Academic Innovation Marathon.
• Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza (AGH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGH University of Science and Technology collaborates with KMS on student entrepreneurship programs and research commercialization initiatives.
• Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w KrakowiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCracow University of Economics partners with KMS on business-focused programs and entrepreneurial education initiatives.
• Uniwersytet Rolniczy w KrakowieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Agriculture in Kraków collaborates on programs related to agritech and sustainable agriculture innovation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating across multiple countries including Poland. Comparable in running structured pre-acceleration programs for early-stage founders, with a global brand and broader scale.
• Scale Up by PFR: Polish Development Fund (Fundacja PFR, an existing KMS partner) operates Scale Up, a national acceleration platform. Larger, well-capitalized counterpart offering similar founder support but at national scale.
• Campus Warsaw (Google for Startups): Google-operated startup campus in Warsaw offering free workspace, mentorship, and programs for Polish founders. A larger, well-funded player in the Polish startup ecosystem with overlapping community-building mission.

Direct peers

• Hub:raum: Tech incubator backed by Deutsche Telekom operating in Kraków, offering hackathons and startup programs. Already a strategic partner of KMS but also a peer competing for the same startup pipeline in the region.
• Startup Hub Poland: Polish national platform supporting early-stage startups with educational programs, mentorship, and ecosystem resources. Comparable to KMS in providing pre-seed support and connecting founders with investors and mentors.
• Krakowski Park Technologiczny (KPT): Kraków-based technology park and startup incubator offering coworking, acceleration, and incubation services. Direct local competitor and ecosystem peer targeting the same founders and operating in the same Kraków innovation market.
• Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego (ALK) — Kozminski Business Link: Warsaw-based university-linked startup incubator running pre-acceleration, acceleration, and mentorship programs. Comparable academic-affiliated accelerator with similar educational entrepreneurship programming.
• MIT Enterprise Forum Poland: Polish chapter of MIT Enterprise Forum running startup competitions, acceleration, and educational programming. Comparable in providing structured startup support and being affiliated with educational/research institutions.
• Fundacja Inventity: Polish nonprofit foundation focused on supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, running startup programs and ecosystem events. Closely comparable nonprofit model and mission to KMS.

Regional players

• ImpactCEE: Central European impact-focused accelerator and conference bringing together startups, investors, and corporates. Comparable regional ecosystem-building role but with a broader CEE geographic footprint and impact-investing angle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5QLyPhOv3PlT062Rc4c0Aw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Krakow.Miastem.Startupow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/krakow-miastem-startupow
• Instagraminstagram.com/krakow_miastem_startupow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Kraków Miastem Startupów