IMPACT 2026

May in Poznań brought another incredibly intense and inspiring edition of the IMPACT 2026 congress. For us at European Women in VC, as an organization deeply committed to building a diversified and inclusive tech ecosystem, this event is always a mandatory highlight on our calendar. It is right here, at the intersection of business, modern technology, global politics, and culture, where the heart of Central and Eastern European innovation beats.

Setting the Global Agenda

IMPACT 2026 brought together thousands of participants and hundreds of speakers across 25 thematic tracks. The agenda perfectly captured the scale of the challenges facing today's world. During the panels and presentations, discussions were dominated by topics related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on the economy, prosperity, and human rights. Themes of security and resilience in an era of instability stood out strongly, with a particular focus on cyber defense, critical infrastructure protection, and dual-use technologies in defense.

The presence of multidimensional global thought leaders proved that IMPACT is not just a traditional business conference, but a platform for exchanging ideas that shape the rules of the game for years to come. The stages featured insights from:

• Justin Trudeau (former Prime Minister of Canada)‍
• Amal Clooney (Human Rights Lawyer)‍
• Olga Tokarczuk (Nobel Laureate)‍
• Jeff Koons (Artist)
• ‍Donald Tusk (Polish Prime Minister)
• ‍Mati Staniszewski (CEO ElevenLabs)

On Stage

We were incredibly proud to have our perspective represented on stage at this year’s IMPACT. In an inspiring panel discussion speakers dived into what it takes to build scalable enterprises, navigate dynamic market changes, and leverage determination and flexibility as catalysts for innovation. European Women in VC Co-founder and President Kinga Stanisławska had an opportunity to make conversation on stage with prominent representatives of our ecosystem:

• Dr. Anita Kijanka, whose deep knowledge and professionalism set the tone for the entire conversation.‍
• Mikołaj Małaczyński, Co-founder of Legimi.‍
• Agnieszka Czmyr-Kaczanowska, Co-founder of Mamo Pracuj and Talenti.‍
• Adriana Łuczko, CEO & Founder of Boom Media.‍
• Agnieszka Maciejowska, Co-founder of Plan Be Eco.

A VC Perspective

As VC investors, we always look for something more in projects than just promising slides in a pitch deck. We look for authentic traction, business resilience, and the ability to execute strategy under challenging market conditions.

A perfect example of this was shared by co-panelist Agnieszka Maciejowska, who brought brilliant news from the frontlines of the ESG sector: From January to May of this year, her startup, Plan Be Eco, recorded a remarkable two-fold revenue growth (2x) compared to the same period last year!

Most importantly from an investment perspective, the team achieved this result organically, without major external funding. For our community, this is an incredibly encouraging and powerful case study. It proves once again that European female founders are building highly resilient, tech-driven, and market-oriented products in the critical ESG space.

Key Takeaways

The European innovation ecosystem is undoubtedly facing a technological and geopolitical turning point. However, the sheer potential of startups, the unwavering determination of female founders, and the growing role of smart, diversified capital give us reasons for great optimism. We are collectively heading in the right direction, and we are already looking forward to next year's IMPACT edition!