TRUESDAY
5. 11. 2024
Bratislava
Truesday [5.11.2024]
WHO
Technological community from Bratislava, startups, founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, state representatives, and the academic sphere.
WHY
We are bringing together key players from Bratislava’s thriving startup ecosystem. Come and meet them, inspire and get inspired. Build new relationships or expand existing ones.
HOW
For the event just register through the registration button, we will get in touch with you and we will keep you updated about event, venue, speakers, and all necessary information.
Program
17:00
Door Opening
18:00
Welcome & Key Note Speech by Jožo Kováč
18:15
Panel Discussion on „How many co-founders is too many“ with Jožo Kováč, Ján Búza & Peter Pašek
18:55
Open Mic (Pitch who you want to hire, open for everyone, 15s max per person, max 5 people)
19:00
Startup<>Investors Speed-dating
19:00
Networking
19:45
Roundtable with Peter Pašek
PANEL DISCUSSION: How many co-founders is too many
Our recent special edition of TRUESDAYS in Bratislava on November 5th explored the challenges and dynamics of co-founder relationships, focusing on the topic: ‚Solo Founders vs. Co-Founders — What It Means in Practice.‘ The event featured an engaging keynote, panel discussion, and roundtable with seasoned experts, who shared invaluable insights into the realities of building founding teams.
Key Takeaways
Statistically, startups with 2-3 co-founders tend to achieve the highest success rates, as diverse skills and complementary experiences are essential in balancing strengths and covering potential weaknesses. We explored crucial elements such as finding the right co-founder, managing „good leaver“ and „bad leaver“ situations, and ensuring a clean cap table from the beginning to secure smooth fundraising. Contracts are critical — starting with clear agreements helps avoid many future pitfalls.
Panel Discussion
The panel, expertly hosted by Bohumil Pokštefl, CEO SaasGarden, featured three industry leaders: Peter Pašek, (Managing Director & Partner at Accace Slovakia / Co-founder of AceON Accelerator), Ján Búza, (Principal at ZAKA VC), and Jožo Kováč, CEO Ayanza. Together, they tackled real-life examples of solo founders and co-founders, sharing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, and delving into what these decisions mean for startup growth. A big thank you to the panelists for providing deep insights and sharing their real-world experiences.
SPEED-DATING:
Your Unique Chance to Meet Investors One-on-One
At our event, startups had the exclusive opportunity to meet investors and mentors in a focused, one-on-one setting. Each investor offered four 10-minute slots, giving startups time to pitch, discuss their business models, and explore potential partnerships or funding opportunities.
Speed-dating November 5:
- Adam Bočev, Czech Founders VC
- Adam Ďurica, Zero One Hundred
- Stefano Gentili, Samira Advisors
- Jan Búza, Zaka VC
- Petra Konáriková, Accace
- Majo Porvažník, Sparring
- Michal Kuba, 3TS Capital Partners
👀 Who is Adam? Adam began his startup journey as a Marketing Strategist at a Dutch biotech startup In Ovo, which sparked his passion for startups. He later joined Tech Tour, where he connected ambitious European founders with VCs. Returning to Denmark, Adam joined Accelerace, Europe’s first startup accelerator, and active pre-seed VC. Now back in the Czech and Slovak startup ecosystems, Adam is a Relationship Manager at Czech Founders VC, where he helps founders seeking pre-seed funding and supports almost 20 startups already onboard.
🤝 What he can help you with: Adam leads the in-house startup acceleration at Czech Founders VC and can help you accelerate your journey from idea/PoC/MVP to Product-Market-Fit and pre-seed funding. If you’re considering raising VC but aren’t sure what’s missing, catch Adam at a speed-dating session.
👀 Who’s Stefano?
Stefano works in Tech-M&A at Samira Advisors, a boutique advisory firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions for tech entrepreneurs and investors. Having worked in VC prior, he never lost touch with the venture ecosystem and is eager to create value wherever possible. Loves to chat with open-minded & ambitious people, eager to create waves in the ecosystem.
What he can help you with: Strategic advice on future path to exit, best practices on starting M&A process & fundraising (pre-seed to B), connecting you with who you need most.
👀 Who is Ján? Ján is a Principal at ZAKA VC with over 10 years of experience in the startup ecosystem. He started his journey at LRJ Capital, where he assessed investment opportunities and worked closely with portfolio companies like Bloomreach. Ján then helped scale HubHub, a co-working space focused on tech companies, to over 2,500 members across 5 countries. Additionally, he co-founded CourtQuant, a SaaS platform predicting court case outcomes, and Trama, a leading brand protection platform.
🤝 What he can help you with: Ján is ready to help with fundraising, product development, and go-to-market strategies. If you’re looking to raise funds or need guidance on how to scale your startup, make sure to book a speed-dating session with him.
👀 Who is Petra? Petra is the Brand Manager at Accace Slovakia and the lead at AceON Accelerator. With a background in marketing, communications, and brand development, Petra has been instrumental in organizing corporate projects, including CSR and employer branding initiatives. She also has experience working at Profesia and Seesame, further honing her skills in managing complex projects and driving brand success.
🤝 What she can help you with: Petra is ready to provide guidance on brand development, corporate identity, and marketing strategies. If you’re a startup looking to enhance your presence, streamline your communication efforts, or scale your brand, Petra is the mentor for you. Book a speed-dating session with her to get personalized advice
👀 Who is Majo? Majo is the Co-founder and Strategic Mind behind Sparring, one of the largest regional legal groups supporting innovators across the globe. As an Oxford-educated lawyer, Majo has co-founded several legal tech solutions, including Trama and Verdikto, and currently serves as a Managing Co-founder at Vacuum Group, a leading tech company in the CEE region. He is also deeply involved in NGO activities aimed at improving the legal and tech landscapes in Slovakia.
🤝 What he can help you with: Majo is ready to assist with legal strategy, fundraising, and providing insights on how to navigate the legal challenges facing startups. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling globally, Majo can offer valuable guidance.
ROUNDTABLE: How the number of founders can influence a startup’s financial health
When starting a business, the number of co-founders significantly affected equity distribution, funding decisions, and long-term financial growth. Too many co-founders diluted ownership and complicated profit-sharing, while too few limited access to resources and expertise. In this roundtable discussion, we explored how the number of founders influenced a startup’s financial health and investor appeal. We dove into the financial considerations behind structuring the ideal founding team.
Roundtable was led by Peter Pašek, Managing Director / Partner Accace Slovakia/ Co-founder AceON Accelerator.
