Today, The Recursive turns four (which sometimes feels like 28 in dog or startup years). Our business model and plans have evolved since we first started, but the foundation of our biggest sustainable competitive advantage has remained constant: our ability to build relationships with tech communities across CEE, the US, the UK, DACH, and beyond.
It all started with the tech media in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Unlike today, four years ago, no other media outlet consistently covered CEE tech. We made a big bet. As one of our angel investors, a successful media entrepreneur, said back then: “These guys are completely defying the logic of the industry.” The norm was either to create a local media outlet in the local language or go fully global in English. Instead, we went regional – in a region that was yet to mature – and did it in English.
Another defining early moment came when we were told that, unlike other media, we weren’t just reporting on events we were making things happen. We weren’t just covering the community; we were part of it. Ultimately, our own success depended on whether the community grew and connected with international clients, capital, and talent.
We got to where we are through relentless networking – events, parties, online, offline, day and night.
Yes, over 70 million people have seen our online posts, witnessing how the ecosystem is developing. Yes, we’ve had over 2.5 million unique visits to our website and YouTube channels. But that’s not what makes us special. Reach is important for any media, no doubt about it, and we have several exciting projects lined up to expand it further.
But what truly sets us apart is the relationships we’ve built and nurtured. Today, our media network includes 10, 000+ founders and C-level executives at unicorns and leading tech businesses, 4000+ partners at venture capital and private equity firms managing over €2 trillion in assets, and senior management at global corporate giants like Oracle, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Gartner, and JP Morgan. We have engaged with 20 governments and public agencies. The Recursive content has been cited by journalists in hundreds of major media outlets worldwide. We maintain close ties with over 100 major event organizers across Europe and beyond, as well as thousands of IT service providers, accelerators, banks, educational institutions, and researchers.
The Recursive reports and market intelligence solutions have been instrumental in developing this network in a scalable way – there are only so many events 20 people can attend. Expect to see even more of these in 2025, including the first-ever in-depth research on CEE’s high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs).
For the past two years, through Storytelling Studio – our tech PR agency – we’ve been able to leverage this global network to support the international expansion of 200+ customers. This includes local tech scaleups and investors, as well as corporations and investors looking to enter the region (and trust me, there are plenty these days). United by a story, we help unlock access to new business and fundraising opportunities while maintaining the independence of our journalism at The Recursive Media.
And the ecosystem continues to grow – one relationship and one story at a time.
Big thanks to everyone who is part of this amazing journey: our team, readers, clients, investors, donors, partners, and supporters!
Those interested in joining The Recursive network and unlocking new connections and business opportunities, feel welcome to express your interest by completing this form.
