Every October, Bucharest becomes the meeting point for Central and Eastern Europe’s startup ecosystem at How to Web Conference. Founders, investors, and operators gather to learn from the stage, but just as much of the action happens in between.
This year, The Recursive is co-hosting, alongside Hellen’s Rock, Warsaw Equity Group, and Soulmates Ventures, one of the highlight in-conference How to Web side events: Bridging CEE: An Investor Networking Lunch. The lunch is designed to bring together venture capital, private equity, family offices, and corporate venture leaders with founders raising Seed to Series A.
For founders, this is what makes How to Web Conference one of the most relevant places to eye potential investors. The conference draws regional and international funds looking for their next partnerships, and many of those conversations take place at targeted side events through meaningful introductions.
Catalysts for Meaningful Conversations
Among the investors at the table is Warsaw Equity Group (WEG), a growth equity fund investing €4-15M in proven B2B tech companies across CEE, typically those generating over €4M in revenue. Its focus spans automation, efficiency, digitalization, and industrial innovation, areas where regional expertise can scale globally.
As Jan Szumada from Warsaw Equity Group puts it:
“At WEG, our mission is to be the CEE first-choice growth investor — standing shoulder to shoulder with the Founders and Partners building this region’s future. While we’re based in Warsaw, our outlook is regional: we see incredible talent and ambition across Eastern Europe. We aim to support scaleups to reach their next stage of growth and team up with fellow growth equity funds to make it happen. That’s why our joint How to Web Networking Lunch matters to us: it’s about bringing people together, sparking real conversations, and opening the door to collaborations that can shape the ecosystem for years to come.”
Strengthening Cross-Border Venture Ties
One of the strongest signals of maturity in an ecosystem is how intentionally it connects capital with talent. Curating a valuable network is fundamental at all times, but this year networking carries particular weight. On one side, there’s the European venture ecosystem navigating a more selective funding environment. On the other side, there’s the CEE continuing to produce an increasing number of high-growth startups that need stronger bridges to capital and international partners.
Another partner in the lunch, Hellen’s Rock Capital, operates at the earlier end of the spectrum being the venture arm of the family office founded by entrepreneur Sacha Dragic, backing Seed and Series A startups in CEE with tickets between €100k–€1M. The Family Office invests in the ecosystem both directly in startups and indirectly through selected Venture Capital Funds in which it holds LP stakes.
As Alex Seran of Hellen’s Rock Capital notes, “The Recursive’s Networking Lunch at How to Web is all about strengthening our ecosystem. I’m excited to see founders and investors come together not just to fund ideas, but to build a thriving, collaborative tech community.”
The tech community comes together to curate spaces where trust can take root, from sharing perspectives on scaling strategies, or comparing market trends, to discussing exit opportunities, and identifying co-investment opportunities that allow funds to combine expertise and capital to support the next generation of ambitious CEE-born companies.
Sustainability also has a seat at the table through Soulmates Ventures, a Czech Republic–based accelerator and VC firm that invests in Seed and Series A startups across Europe with an initial ticket size up to €3 million, with the potential for follow-on investments, bringing their total exposure per startup to €5 million. With €62M AUM Article 9 SFDR sustainability fund, it focuses on eight sustainability-driven streams including air, water, clean energy, mobility, education, healthcare, food and agriculture, and the circular economy.
“Real value in venture often emerges in moments that are less formal but more intentional. A Networking Lunch is not about collecting business cards, it’s about building clarity, trust, and the spark that can turn into long-term partnerships,” notes Arjun Sirohi at Soulmates Ventures.
Where to Connect This Year at How to Web Conference
For those attending, the challenge is simple: be intentional with your time. So we’ve put together a short list of in-conference and in-Bucharest How to Web side events to start with, for those looking to make the most of their attendance.
With over 3,000 participants and 500+ startups expected this year, How to Web Conference remains one of the densest gatherings of talent and ambition in our region, as every introduction that leads to a partnership adds resilience to the region as a whole.
Inside the conference:
- Oct 1 – Bridging CEE – An investor Networking Lunch – book your spot here;
- Oct 1 – The State of Romanian-born Early Stage Startups 2025 (Launch Event) – check it out here;
Across the city:
- Sept 29 – Tech Startups From Zero To One Million (Sales, Marketing & Automations) – check it out here;
- Sept 30 – Venture in Eastern Europe – Investor Experience – check it out here;
- Sept 30 – Founders Breakfast – check it out here;
- Oct 1 – On the Line: Founders, Investors & the Future of Startups – check it out here;
- Oct 1 – Networking Dinner for SaaS founders – check it out here;
- Oct 2 – How to Go Global by Design: Business and Legal Essentials – check it out here.
