How to Web Conference, Eastern Europe’s startups and tech event, announces the return of its flagship startup competition, Spotlight. Taking place alongside How to Web Conference 2024 on October 2-3 in Bucharest, Romania, Spotlight offers early-stage startups from Eastern Europe the opportunity to propel their ventures to the next level.
Benefits of the Spotlight
Spotlight is a notable startup programs and competitions in Eastern Europe. Besides the investment prize (last year’s winner received €880,000), it equips founders for success in the following ways:
- Direct investor access: How to Web Conference attracts hundreds of prominent venture capitalists and angel investors. This is a chance for startups to pitch directly to potential funders.
- Learn from the best: From inspiring founder stories shared on the stage to networking opportunities, founder can build up new connections and knowledge.
- Spotlight mentorship: As part of the competition, founders will be connected with mentors who can guide them on their fundraising journey.
- Industry leaders insights: The conference features renowned marketing & sales leaders like April Dunford, Els Aerts, and Giorgio Pontillo, Product & UX experts like Matt LeMay or Ioana Teleanu, asharing their invaluable expertise on stage.
VCs joining How to Web
By joining Spotlight, founders can interact directly with industry leaders and global investors such as:
- Staffan Helgesson, General Partner of Creandum – a top-tier European VC firm that invests in innovative technology companies at the early stage. Staffan has extensive experience in venture capital and has been a key figure in the Nordic startup ecosystem for over two decades, being one of the early investors in companies such as Bolt, Klarna, and Spotify.
- Ondrej Bartos, General Partner of Credo Ventures, is a well-known figure in the Central and Eastern European startup scene, with a strong track record in venture investing, having invested in companies such as UiPath.
- David Peterson, Partner of Angular Ventures, with a deep background in enterprise software and venture capital, with experience across multiple tech sectors.
- Enis Hulli, General Partner of 500 Emerging Europe, is an experienced investor with a strong focus on the Emerging Europe region, aiming to support early-stage startups.
- Stefan Walter, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Cavalry Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Berlin, focusing on tech startups.
How to Apply
Early-stage founders from Eastern Europe and beyond can apply to Spotlight, after purchasing a startup ticket for How to Web Conference. These are the last days for Very Early Bird Tickets, as all the prices will increase on June 13th. More details about participation can be found on the conference’s website.
