2024 Yearly Review

We have successfully navigated another year, marking several key achievements in our mission to build a world-class innovation ecosystem in Krakow.

2024 was a busy year for us. We organized 10+ events and initiatives for over 2000 participants. Above all, we published a second edition of Krakow Startup Report in December. And by fostering new and strengthening existing partnerships, we collaborated to cultivate Krakow as a leading global startup center.

Krakow Startup Report Premiere & X-mas Hangout

On December 10th, we organized a special Christmas edition of our Hangout. This edition elevated the format with a lively panel discussion featuring three local entrepreneurs: Agata Wierzbicka (intoDNA), Sebastian Bobrowski (inFakt), Grzegorz Blazewicz (SALESmanago) discussing the idea of Replicating Success. The event, attended by 200+ participants, combined knowledge-sharing with a warm Christmas party vibes.

At this year’s X-mas Hangout, we also celebrated the official Report launch as well as dived into discussions on the future potential and necessary transformations for further growth of our innovation ecosystem.

Don’t miss the most anticipated, widely-read, and frequently-cited report on Krakow’s startup ecosystem – dowload it here.

Monthly Hangouts

This year, we worked hard to strengthen the tech community through our regular Hangout events. These gatherings aimed to connect businesses and facilitate knowledge sharing among all players in our ecosystem on a monthly basis.

We conducted a total of 8 meetups, attracting 700+ attendees. Our venues ranged from the unique spaces of MAK Bread & Coffee, Targowa2, Techie’s Space, Cluster Offices and new office space – Social and Economic Innovation Cluster based in Zabłocie.

Our Hangouts continued to feature expert talks and insights from local entrepreneurs, creating valuable learning opportunities. Each session was recorded and available on our YouTube channel and blog.

Hangouts in 2024

Summer Jam 2024

For the second year in a row, we hosted Summer Jam in the beautiful space of Manggha Museum. Over 450 tech professionals joined our flagship networking party, reflecting the community’s growing strength and influence.

The main theme “We Connect” highlighted that in the era of AI-driven businesses, we see the biggest potential in genuine face-to-face connections between founders, VCs, creatives and other ecosystem stakeholders.

We started the evening with a keynote: Working together as a Network by Daphne Laan. Inspired action is about harnessing the collective energy, creativity, and passion of a network to transform vision into reality. See the full keynote HERE.

Later on, we asked 5 specialists for their tips on “Accelerating Global Connections” during the panel discussion including: dr Anna Barnacka (MindMics), Simon Stanisz (The North Star Consulting Group), Brian Daly (Techstars) & Martin Scholz (CEG Consult). Watch HERE.

For those who couldn’t join us, the recap video offers a visual journey through the lively energy and excitement that defined Summer Jam. You can check it out here:

Kraków Tech Summit

The inaugural Kraków Tech Summit 2024 was a huge success, attracting over 1,000 innovators, tech leaders, and startup founders to ICE Kraków Congress Centre!

Co-organized by OMGKRK, the summit featured dynamic workshops, the consolid8 Demo Day, the Eco-Citizen Hackathon, Pitching Fight Club and keynotes from pioneers in AI, Green Tech, and more.

The AI & Innovation Ecosystem track, co-hosted by OMGKRK, was a standout, offering invaluable insights from industry leaders and 20+ representatives of the DEEP Ecosystems delegation from 10 countries.

Special thanks to our co-organizers and partners, who helped bring this vision to life! OMGKRK is proud to support Kraków’s growing tech scene and provide a platform for collaboration and innovation. Read more HERE.

Pre-Kraków Tech Summit Side Event

OMGKRK had the pleasure of welcoming the DEEP Ecosystems delegation to Kraków for a memorable networking dinner, hosted as part of the Krakow Tech Summit. Organized by OMGKRK with invaluable support from the Małopolska Region, the event brought together a total of 59 participants, including over 20 representatives from 10 different countries within the DEEP Ecosystems delegation. This gathering created a vibrant platform for networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

Dominika Walec, CEO of OMGKRK, shared her enthusiasm about the event, highlighting how the evening was more than just an exchange of business cards—it was a rich blend of ideas, insights, and opportunities. Local startups and ecosystem leaders had the unique chance to connect with ecosystem builders and innovators from across Europe, including Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Romania, and Sweden, among others.

A heartfelt thank you to Małopolska for their partnership and to all who joined us at Stradom House. We look forward to seeing these connections grow and our ecosystem thrive through this collaboration!

Krynica Forum Special Recognition: Małopolska Economic Award 2024

During the event’s second day, at the formal Małopolska Evening Gala, Dominika was awarded the special Małopolska Economic Award 2024, which honors leaders and companies driving the region’s economic growth. This prestigious award has been given annually for the past 15 years by the Małopolska Voivodeship, recognizing those who excel in innovation, sustainability, and regional development. Dominika was recognized for her visionary leadership and tireless efforts in developing Krakow’s startup scene, as well as her contribution to establishing Małopolska as a hub for cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurship.

At the gala, key regional officials, including Marshal Łukasz Smółka, Vice Marshals Witold Kozłowski and Ryszard Pagacz, and several other esteemed members of the regional government, presented the awards. Marshal Smółka emphasized that the award represents more than just business success; it highlights the responsibility to build a sustainable economy that considers social and environmental impacts.

See the highlights from Krynica Forum 2024.

Foreigns Partner Program

Since launch of the program, first companies used this support to develop their operations abroad. Our pilot edition focused on selected international markets, strategically chosen to provide valuable insights and support for Krakow-based startups.

Get to know our partners better!
Uliana Shchelgacheva – Switzerland
Dmytro Khlopkov – Canada
Magdalena Błyskorz – The United Arab Emirates
Carlos Rubal – Spain
Magdalena Klimczyk – Nordics
Christopher Floerke – Denmark
Romain Rebour – France
Maciej Kawecki – Germany

Breaking Barriers: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Shaping the Startup Landscape

Over the year, we developed a series of interviews with female entrepreneurs to showcase their personal journeys in the startup world. Read more in the blog articles below.

Community Wake Up!

Wake Up is an event series launched back in 2023, dedicated to OMGKRK members and friends. We gather for a breakfast meetup to build connections, network and expand your knowledge. Fourth edition was organized for NGOs at Klaster Innowacji Społeczno-Gospodarczych Zabłocie 22.

Valued Partnerships

Our 2024 was also full of other startup & tech events and programs conducted with our partnership, including:

These are the main highlights for 2024.

If you want to support our mission and operations in 2025 do not hesitate to offer us a free donation or contact us at contact@omgkrk.com or at dominika@omgrk.com. Thank you for being with us, and see you soon!