Key Highlights:
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- Exclusive matchmaking opportunities with top investors and corporates from the DACH region at the CEE Innovation Forum on May 12, organized by The Recursive and weXelerate and part of the ViennaUP 2025 festival.
- Panel discussions, workshops, and case studies on successful DACH region market expansion
- First presentation of The Recursive’s latest cybersecurity and defense report for CEE
- To express your interest in participating and secure your spot, please complete this form by April 10.
Did you know that Austrian investors Speedinvest, Elevator Ventures, Uniqa Ventures, and Calm/Storm Ventures, alongside Germany’s Earlybird, Creandum, Point Nine Capital, Freigeist, and Switzerland’s Lakestar, have collectively invested in 50+ startups from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)? Their portfolios include success stories such as Dronamics, Twisto, Docplanner, UiPath, Dexory, Colossyan, and EnduroSat.
The DACH region (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) is recognized as a crucial market for CEE companies looking to expand. Both leading startups like unicorns Payhawk and Mews, and top IT service providers such as Digitall (formerly Bulpros) and Wiser Technology have identified the region as an essential market for growth.
Geographical proximity, significant market size, and historically interconnected ecosystems make the DACH region a natural expansion destination. Yet despite these advantages, early-stage startups from CEE often encounter substantial barriers when entering these markets.
Until now, the two ecosystems have lacked a dedicated platform for meaningful engagement and matchmaking. This May, The Recursive, in partnership with WeXelerate – Austria’s leading startup ecosystem campus- is addressing this gap. We’re bringing together top-tier CEE tech companies with prominent investors and corporates from DACH and across Europe – at the inaugural edition of the CEE Innovation Forum.
If you’re targeting investors in DACH, seeking new customers in the region, or simply want to learn more about the specifics of market expansion there, this event is for you. Participants will have opportunities for stage presentations and tailored matchmaking sessions with relevant investors and corporate clients.
Event Details
- Date: May 12, 2025, 9 am – 3 pm (during ViennaUP 2025)
- Venue: WeXelerate, Vienna
- Attendance: ~500 participants expected
- Your Investment: Attendance tickets range from €75 to €250. Active subscription customers of The Recursive and/or Storytelling Studio enjoy free or discounted access to stage speaking time, matchmaking services, and additional PR opportunities tailored to their goals. Various sponsorship packages, which include attendance, are available.
Supported by country partners from Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, and more to be announced, the CEE Innovation Forum also boasts collaborations with Vienna Business Agency, Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency, Future Unicorns Accelerator, Trending Topics media, and many more international partners.
Attendees will benefit from panel discussions on 3 stages, speed dating sessions, and insightful case study presentations. Moreover, the event will host the first public presentation of The Recursive’s latest report on the state of defense and cybersecurity in CEE, titled “Who is Protecting Europe’s Future?”.
Expanding into Germany, Austria, and Switzerland offers significant opportunities but demands deep market understanding and strategic planning. To facilitate this, we’re gathering founders, investors, and ecosystem builders from both DACH and CEE. Participants will gain insider insights into best practices, complemented by valuable lessons from those who have successfully navigated expansion challenges.
Participants will pitch directly to distinguished investors, including leading VCs and corporate leaders from the DACH region. They will also share the stage and engage in collaborative sessions with influential innovators and industry leaders from more than 80 innovation-driven corporations across financial services, manufacturing, energy, retail, healthcare, agriculture, and construction sectors. Representatives of companies like Erste Bank, UNIQA, Santander, N26, Raiffeisenbank, T-Mobile, Brantner, ABB, Walter Group, OMV, Borealis, SPAR, REWE, and Roche, among others, are expected to attend.
Startups will gain direct exposure to influential venture capitalists and decision-makers from renowned investment firms from the WeXelerate ecosystem like SpeedInvest, Elevator Ventures, 15 Invest, Push Ventures, and Invest Austria.
In 2024, The Recursive and the #BreakingGrounds initiative successfully promoted CEE innovation ecosystems to over 350,000 investors and innovators across Europe, featuring 63 speakers at the continent’s top 12 prestigious conferences. The campaign contributed to $15M in raised funding and facilitated over 2,700 meetings for our delegates. Now we’re taking these achivements to the next level.
