Berlin recently hosted the final event of the Polish startup accelerator Axios, where 21 entrepreneurial teams presented their innovations to an expert jury. The accelerator, which attracted 52 applications, had to close submissions early due to overwhelming demand. Among the standout startups was Meealthy, an AI-driven wellness assistant tailored for women’s health, which secured first place. HabbyApp, a gamified platform fostering healthy habits in children, and H&H Travel, an intelligent trip-planning assistant, took second and third place, respectively.
The programme, spearheaded by Sergey Krasakovich and Galina Drozd, blended online learning with in-person mentorship, providing critical support for early-stage founders. Krasakovich highlighted that one of Axios’s key achievements was helping a third of participants refine or pivot their ideas based on expert feedback, demonstrating the accelerator’s effectiveness in preparing startups for market entry.
Significantly, many of these startups were founded by migrants, underscoring the role of diverse talent in driving Europe’s innovation landscape. The jury, featuring leading professionals from the investment and technology sectors—including Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS—evaluated the pitches, offering insights and potential investment opportunities. Montik emphasized the value of structured support for early-stage ventures, noting that initiatives like Axios pave the way for securing initial funding.
Despite Europe’s strong economy, early-stage entrepreneurial activity (TEA) remains lower than in North and South America. Germany and Poland, in particular, rank 14th and 20th in TEA, largely due to Europe’s social protection system making traditional employment more appealing. However, migrant entrepreneurs are reshaping this dynamic, not by competing for jobs but by creating new opportunities, fueling economic growth and innovation across the continent. As Europe seeks to strengthen its startup ecosystem, integrating migrant founders could be a transformative force in bridging the entrepreneurial gap.
