StartSmart CEE

We’re just 7 days away from our Startups Exchange Silicon Valley edition webinar!

Join us on October 12th to understand the program, its key benefits, and eligibility criteria. It’s also a great opportunity to get answers to your questions and address any doubts or application challenges.

Agenda:
🟣 4:00 – Program overview: Startups Exchange Go2USA Silicon Valley
🟣 4:30 – Live Q&A session
🟣 5:00 – Wrap-up

Thinking about taking the next step for your startup?

🔗 Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6117908445872/WN_MVnKUKDfTba1Pl4hioFneg

Got questions about applying to Startups Exchange or what awaits you in Silicon Valley? 🤔

Join our live info session on October 12th to see what the experience actually looks like and how to set your startup up for success.

We’ll walk you through who the program is built for, the main program benefits, and all the eligibility criteria and requirements. You'll also have the chance to ask your questions and get answers from our team.

Whether you're just getting started or already working on your application, make sure to register today to learn more about what lies ahead!

📅 October 12th, 2026 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. CEST
📍 Online (Zoom)

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6117908445872/WN_MVnKUKDfTba1Pl4hioFneg

Your path to scaling your startup in the US begins right here in Poland. 🇵🇱🇺🇸

The Startups Exchange program kicks off with an intensive 9-week online bootcamp designed to get your team completely market-ready before taking off.

During this national preparation stage, you will work closely with domain experts on your go-to-market strategy, adapt your product pricing for US clients, and lock in a pre-verified list of B2B sales prospects. You’ll also go through hands-on pitch training to make sure your narrative resonates directly with Bay Area VCs.

Here is a quick breakdown of what the preparation looks like in practice. See the graphic below for details! 👇

🔗 Register here: https://startsmartcee.org/industries/silicon-valley/

Ever wondered how your product would perform directly on the US market?

Joining our Silicon Valley Go2USA cohort allows you to gain direct access to capital, clients, and top-tier US expertise. 🤝

Here are the key benefits your team receives through the Startups Exchange program:

➡️ Equity-free funding package. You get a full support package worth ~PLN 100,000 net, covering all program costs, flights, and accommodation, alongside a PLN 20,000 net equity-free grant deposited directly to your account to execute your US strategy.

➡️ Your US pipeline, built before you land. Work with our team and a Silicon Valley mentor to book 1:1 meetings with targeted US business contacts, partners, and prospective clients ahead of your trip to California.

➡️ Direct access to the Bay Area. Spend an intensive week at our Expansion Camp in San Francisco and Palo Alto, taking advantage of full tickets to the Startup Grind Global Conference to meet international founders and investors.

➡️ US-focused pitch and market prep. Work directly with top US experts during 1:1 mentoring and Pitch Academy sessions to refine your value proposition, adjust your pricing strategy, and pitch confidently to American buyers and VCs.

Ready to scale your product on the global stage? ⚡

🔗Apply now to secure your spot by clicking the link: https://startsmartcee.org/industries/silicon-valley/

Thinking about applying for the Startups Exchange Program, but not sure if it's the right fit for your company? 🇺🇸

We are looking for high-growth tech companies for the Go2USA cohort, but we're looking for a very specific fit.

Does your startup operate in one of these key verticals?
👉 Applied AI & Data-Driven Software covering agentic AI, AI infrastructure, business process automation (RPA), data analytics platforms, and PLG-native SaaS.
👉 Cybersecurity & Trust Infrastructure focusing on network security, AI security & governance, digital identity, and data protection.

Does your startup meet the criteria?
🟣 Polish-registered company eligible for de minimis aid (under 5 years old).
🟣 Working product with documented sales or proven market validation (first pilots for deep tech).
🟣 Clear ambition and strategy to scale business into the US market.

On your end, we need 2 key team members fluent in English for the 1-week Bay Area trip, and around 40 hours of total involvement from your startup across our online prep program.

If this sounds like your startup, your product belongs on the global stage!

Applications close on October 30th! ⏰

👉 Check your eligibility and apply now: https://startsmartcee.org/industries/silicon-valley/

Go2USA | Your ticket to Silicon Valley 🇺🇸🚀

That’s right!

Applications for the Silicon Valley cohort of the Startups Exchange program are now officially open!

If you’re building an Applied AI or Cybersecurity startup, this is your direct runway to the global center of tech innovation. We are selecting 10 high-growth tech companies to scale, pitch, and build strategic relationships in the Bay Area.

What awaits the selected founders:

🟣Join our Silicon Valley Expansion Camp with direct access to San Francisco & Palo Alto built around the Startup Grind Global Conference
🟣Receive a ~PLN 100,000 Support Package covering full program access, flights, and accommodation, including a PLN 20,000 net equity-free grant to power your US strategy
🟣Book B2B meetings with qualified US contacts before you land, backed by our team and a Silicon Valley mentor.
🟣Access 9 weeks of preparation, including Pitch Academy & 1:1 Mentoring, to battle-test your GTM strategy, positioning, pricing models, and investor narrative with top-tier US market experts.

Ready to take your startup global?

Applications are open until October 30th! 📅

👉 Apply now and submit your startup here: https://startsmartcee.org/industries/silicon-valley/

We have big news for you... Are you ready? 🚀

We’re officially launching the Startups Exchange program – a brand-new project designed specifically to help growth-stage Polish startups scale globally.

Our mission? To build direct pathways into key international markets and connect founders with target clients, investors, and local ecosystems through dedicated cohorts.

We have planned specialized cohorts for:

🇺🇸 USA – Silicon Valley & Boston
🇩🇪 Germany – Berlin & Munich
🇸🇪 Sweden – Stockholm

Are you ready to take your tech global? ⚡

Recruitment opens later this week!

👉 Guess in the comments: which destination are we opening first, and for which tech industry?

The Startups Exchange by StartSmart CEE programme is co-funded by the European Union under the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) framework, Measure 2.28, operated by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP). Support is provided under the de minimis aid scheme. The total Project cost is PLN 11,430,402.50. Total eligible costs are PLN 10,000,000.00.

Can contextual video advertising be fully automated at the scene level? 🎬

As part of the Pilot Ready Booster program, tech startup SOKO and media leader TVN Warner Bros. Discovery conducted a Proof of Concept to evaluate AI technology for automated video analysis, scene-level metadata generation, and advanced ad integration.

The pilot focused on evaluating how AI can turn raw video content into actionable ad-tech data. The team worked toward a few key goals:

👉Automated video analysis. The team tested automatic shot segmentation, speech transcription, and metadata extraction aligned with IAB and GARM categorization.

👉Ad-Tech integration. Output data was structured into standardized JSON formats for direct compatibility with AdOcean workflows.

👉Contextual & shoppable media. Scene semantics and detected video objects were linked directly to dynamic e-commerce product feeds.

The pilot was a clear success. The team successfully proved the technical viability of AI-driven scene tagging, validated data pipelines in a real-world media environment, and built a reliable foundation for contextual video advertising at scale.

💡 Want to know more about the challenge and technical ex*****on? Read the full case study on our website: https://startsmartcee.org/case-studies/ai-driven-scene-recognition-and-automated-metadata-tagging-for-contextual-video-advertising/

How can artificial intelligence support clinicians in detecting congenital heart defects in newborns? 🩺👶

A successful collaboration between medical technology partner Smart Soft Solutions and medtech startup UES Sp. z o.o. demonstrated how smart automation can streamline complex pediatric diagnostics. As part of the Pilot Ready Booster program, the teams conducted a pilot to test AI-driven automated analysis of ultrasound images within a simulated clinical setup.

While integrating deep learning models into legacy medical environments presented initial integration complexities, close alignment between technical and clinical experts ensured full compliance with strict healthcare standards and hospital IT infrastructure.

What was achieved?
✅ Ultrasound studies were retrieved automatically in an average of just 1.7 seconds.
✅ 100% data flow accuracy achieved in generating and returning DICOM SR reports to the PACS system.
✅ AI analysis results were clearly interpretable for 98% of detected defect cases.
✅ Comprehensive security audits confirmed 0 critical vulnerabilities across encrypted pipelines.

The pilot met its primary objectives and confirmed that Ultra Echo Scan can operate safely inside closed hospital networks. Following this successful technology validation, Smart Soft Solutions and UES are actively discussing commercial cooperation to further refine the solution for operational rollout.

Read the final case study of this series on our website to see how both teams achieved these results! 🔗 https://startsmartcee.org/case-studies/ai-driven-congenital-heart-defect-detection-how-ues-and-smart-soft-solutions-validated-automated-ultrasound-screening-in-clinical-environments/.