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CEE Challenge2026Closed:

Get in front of 100+ deep-tech investors in Warsaw.

Top 75 startups: free VIP ticket + 1:1 investor meetings.

Top 3: up to €5,000 cash + a ticket to Hello Tomorrow 2027.

Applications Closed – Selection in Progress

What can you win?

The challenge

  • 01

    The Prize Pool

    Rising Stars

    • 1st Place

      €5,000

      cash + a ticket to Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2027

    • 2nd Place

      €3,000

      cash + a ticket to Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2027

    • 3rd Place

      €1,000

      cash + a ticket to Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2027

    • Exclusive Access

      TOP 75+

      startups get a free Startup VIP ticket to the Deep Tech Summit

  • 02

    Partnerships & clients

    Meet corporates, CXOs, and industry leaders looking for deep tech solutions they can pilot or buy.

  • 03

    Visibility that matters

    Present your startup to investors, partners, media, and the CEE deep tech ecosystem.

  • 04

    Regional access

    Connect with startups, accelerators, research institutions, and innovation networks across CEE and Europe.

Investment partner

New Wave VC logo

New Wave VC is a pre-seed and seed venture fund for deep tech in Central and Eastern Europe, and the general investment partner of the Deep Tech CEE Challenge.

Applying to the Challenge puts your company in New Wave VC's pipeline. Most companies the fund looks at first surface through the Challenge, often before they have a deck or a round.

nwvc.eu ↗
Stage

Pre-seed and seed. Initial cheques of €0.5M to €2M, with reserves for follow-on.

Region
  • Poland
  • Czech Republic
  • Slovakia
  • Hungary
  • Romania
  • Bulgaria
  • Estonia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
Focus
  • Robotics & industrial automation
  • Advanced materials
  • Bioengineering
  • Deep industrial software
  • Applied AI for science & industry
  • Selected dual-use

Path to the pitching sessions

  • Deep Tech CEE Challenge 2025 awarding ceremony on the Summit stage: a founder holds a cheque for a Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2026 ticket and €5,000 while the host speaks.

    01

    Deep Tech CEE Rising Stars 2026

    Apply if your startup or project sits between TRL 3/4 and 8/9. Selected teams gain visibility across Central and Eastern Europe, meet key players in the ecosystem, and get support to grow.

    See the prize pool ↑
  • 02

    UK Funding Track

    Partnered with Capital Kinetics London

    Accelerate your entry into the UK market with a premium track:

    1. Investor-Readiness Program

      A 4–6 week intensive bootcamp covering financial models and pitch refinement.

    2. UK Demo Day

      Pitch directly to curated British angels, VCs, and strategic partners.

Who is the challenge for?

The seven criteria every startup in the 2026 round had to meet.

  1. Deep tech innovators

    A startup or pioneering project rooted in R&D or high-tech engineering, operating on the market for up to six years.

  2. Early-stage trailblazers

    Pre-seed to late seed, at the start of commercialisation, typically TRL 3/4 to 8/9.

  3. Game changers

    A project based on a new technology, scientific breakthrough, or sophisticated engineering process that can solve a real problem.

  4. Impact creators

    Address an unmet industrial, societal, or environmental need, or create a new market.

  5. Team players

    A dedicated team of at least two people.

  6. Fresh and independent

    A standalone company, not a subsidiary or company spin-out.

  7. High-risk, high-reward

    Significant scientific or engineering risk, working toward product-market fit.

Open to startups from 22 countries

  • Poland
  • Czech Republic
  • Slovakia
  • Hungary
  • Lithuania
  • Latvia
  • Estonia
  • Belarus
  • Ukraine
  • Slovenia
  • Croatia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Serbia
  • Montenegro
  • Kosovo
  • North Macedonia
  • Moldova
  • Albania
  • Bulgaria
  • Romania
  • Greece
  • Austria

Jury

The Jury evaluates eligible projects, selects the finalists, and picks the awarded projects after the pitches in Warsaw.

  • Jacek Kubrak

    Managing Partner

    New Wave VC

    New Wave VC logo
    New Wave VC logo

    2026 stage

    Jacek Kubrak

    Managing Partner

    New Wave VC

    Biography

    Co-founder of Creotech Instruments, the first Polish space-industry company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Former CEO of Podkarpackie Centrum Innowacji and Managing Partner at IFC Capital; co-founder of eight ventures with two IPOs and three strategic exits.

    Request a 1:1 meeting

    Ticket holders only — log in to the matchmaking platform to book.

  • Ian Firla

    Managing Partner

    New Wave VC

    New Wave VC logo
    New Wave VC logo

    2026 stage

    Ian Firla

    Managing Partner

    New Wave VC

    Biography

    Co-founded OSTC Group and helped build it into an international business over nearly two decades, including spin-outs in financial education and foreign exchange. European Business Awards finalist. Has advised founders and leadership teams on growth, strategy, and execution since the 2024 sale of OSTC's operating business.

    Request a 1:1 meeting

    Ticket holders only — log in to the matchmaking platform to book.

  • Marian Popinigis

    Founder

    MANAWA Family Foundation

    MANAWA Family Foundation logo
    MANAWA Family Foundation logo

    2026 stage

    Marian Popinigis

    Founder

    MANAWA Family Foundation

    Biography

    Serial entrepreneur and business angel. Co-founder of Mercor and Ambient System, and co-founder and former CEO of biotech company BLIRT, sold to QIAGEN in 2022. Invests in life science and deep tech through the MANAWA Family Foundation.

    Request a 1:1 meeting

    Ticket holders only — log in to the matchmaking platform to book.

  • Christian Kumar

    Founder & CEO

    MedTech Makers Lab

    MedTech Makers Lab logo
    MedTech Makers Lab logo

    2026 stage

    Christian Kumar

    Founder & CEO

    MedTech Makers Lab

    Biography

    More than 30 years in corporate finance, investment banking, and wealth management. Runs MedTech Makers Lab, a venture builder for medical technology with programmes in the UK and Europe, including Poland, and Capital Kinetics, a corporate finance and private equity firm.

    Request a 1:1 meeting

    Ticket holders only — log in to the matchmaking platform to book.

Success stories

  • Telecommunications

    Microamp Solutions

    Microamp Solutions

    Telecommunications

    Microamp Solutions delivers portable 5G mmWave systems for ultra-fast, low-latency private networks that can be deployed in hours instead of weeks. Their 4 Gbps-capable networks support real-time AI analytics and industrial automation for commercial and defence users. Partnerships with AMD and Supermicro support adoption in Europe and APAC.

    Microamp Solutions

  • Transportation

    Nevomo

    Nevomo

    Transportation

    Nevomo develops MagRail, a magnetic levitation system that can be retrofitted onto existing railway tracks. Operators can raise cargo and passenger speed without building new lines. Independent TÜV Rheinland and PJ Motion tests confirmed vehicle levitation on standard tracks, with modernization costs potentially tens of percent lower than new infrastructure.

    Nevomo

  • Medtech

    Feyenally

    Feyenally

    Medtech

    Feyenally builds remote eye-care diagnostics that improve access and lower patient-care cost. The work targets more than 1 billion people without quality eye care, with measurable early detection and treatment efficiency. Providers can expand reach in markets underserved by traditional ophthalmic services.

    Feyenally

  • Mobility

    Elmo

    Elmo

    Mobility

    Elmo’s road-legal teledriving technology powers remote vehicle control for shared mobility, logistics, and AV fleet management. It has been proven on 140 electric vehicles with 19,000 users in real traffic. Remote delivery reduces labour cost and downtime; one published client case reports a $1.2 million return.

    Elmo

  • Green Energy

    Naco Technologies

    Naco Technologies

    Green Energy

    Naco creates nanocoatings for catalysts that cut platinum and iridium use in fuel cells and electrolyzers by up to 80%. That lowers green-hydrogen production cost for transport and energy. The coatings are already used by Siemens Energy, ThyssenKrupp, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Hyundai.

    Naco Technologies

  • Green Energy

    WindTak

    WindTak

    Green Energy

    WindTak optimises wind-turbine operations with IT tools and aerodynamic enhancements that raise energy efficiency, extend turbine life, and cut service cost. The analysis helps owners plan maintenance and reduce operational risk. Early clients report a higher return from more predictable green-energy output.

    WindTak

  • Insurtech

    Astroteq

    Astroteq

    Insurtech

    Astroteq provides an earthquake-detection system covering 200,000 km² per station at $100,000, with alerts up to 14 days ahead. Municipalities and insurers can reduce operational risk, disaster-response cost, and seismic damage. The system is aimed at enterprises that need measurable safety and cost avoidance.

    Astroteq

  • Environmental Regeneration

    SeaSoil

    SeaSoil

    Environmental Regeneration

    SeaSoil develops bioengineering solutions to regenerate degraded soils, raise agricultural yields, and cut spend on fertilizers and land rehabilitation. The approach targets up to 30% higher productivity while lowering environmental-compliance cost for agribusinesses and landowners.

    SeaSoil

Timeline

Applications closed 2 October 2026. Finalists pitch at Deep Tech Summit in Warsaw, 26–27 October 2026.

  1. 2 October 2026

    Deadline

  2. 7 October 2026

    Announcement of finalists

  3. 26–27 October 2026

    Deep Tech Summit

    In 18 days

Applications Closed – Selection in Progress

Second application round closed on 2 October 2026.2026 terms and conditions

Partners

Co-organizers

Partner Region/ City of Deep Tech

Honorary partner

Institutional partners

Business partner

  • Pracodawcy RPPracodawcy RP

International partners

Supportive partners

Ecosystem partners

FAQ

Is a registered company required?

No. A Project may be submitted by a registered entity in a CEE country that is no more than six years old at the application date, or without a legal entity if the founder or at least one co-founder has their permanent place of residence in a CEE country. Applicants must have full capacity to perform acts in law and send a complete Application Form by the deadline.

What awards are given?

Selected teams compete for cash prizes of €5,000, €3,000, or €1,000, take 1:1 meetings, and join the CEE Challenge pitching track — including Deep Tech CEE Rising Stars 2026 and the UK Funding Track. Awards are presented after project presentations during Deep Tech CEE Summit 2026.

How does selection work?

The Competition has three stages. Stage I is a formal and content-related review against the deep tech criterion (scored 0 to 5). Stage II selects finalists. Stage III is presentations at Deep Tech CEE Summit 2026, where the Jury selects and awards the best Projects.

2023–2025

CEE deep tech landscape

267 verified deep tech companies from 750+ applications, mapped across Central and Eastern Europe.

Startups invited to apply
5,000+
Startups in active contact
1,200+
Applications received
750+
Deep tech companies verified
267
Read the landscape
Deep Tech Applications by Edition
  1. 2023
    79 applications
  2. 2024
    101 applications
  3. 2025
    87 applications

Source: Deep Tech CEE Challenge data. Companies analysed: 267, verified as deep tech out of 750+ applications across the 2023–2025 editions.