Investment Partners
Spotlight 2024
Spotlight is the leading startup program and competition in Eastern Europe, organized by How to Web Conference.
*Applications for Spotlight are closed. Apply for Startup Tickets to join us 🚀
Spotlight is How to Web Conference’s matchmaking program and competition for the most promising Eastern European startups.
Every year, more than 300 startups apply to join the leading startup program and competition in the region and compete for investment prizes and opportunities.
This year, Spotlight finalists can win a €350k investment prize syndicated by Underline Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, and Gapminder VC or decision-level meetings with top-level European funds.
The Spotlight Experience
Matchmaking & Mentoring
Imagine connecting with experienced mentors, savvy business minds, and forward-thinking investors who know the ins and outs of Eastern Europe. These mentors are your secret weapon for gaining insights, avoiding pitfalls, and making strategic moves.
Investor Meetings
We’re lifting the curtain on the world of investment. Discover what investors really want to hear, get tips on perfecting your pitch, and open doors to funding rounds that can catapult your startup forward.
Seasoned investors from leading European funds such as Credo Ventures, Creandum, Atomico, Early Bird, SeedCamp and many more are joining How to Web Conference.
Expo Area
Grab your spot in the Expo Area and show your stuff. This is your chance to present your product, gain exposure, and make connections with the right people who can help your startup soar.
What better way to get feedback on your product than from a tech-savvy audience?
Pitch on Stage
Bold entrepreneurs and their startups that change the world really glow in Spotlight. Seize the stage and get your company off the ground, as all eyes will be on you.
Step on stage and pitch for the grand investment prize. Leading European investment funds and investors join forces to award the most talented Eastern European founder. Spotlight’s investment prize can play an immense role in your startup journey 🏆
The Spotlight main winner will access €350,000 in funding from Startup Wise Guys, Underline Ventures and Gapminder VC.
Applications for Spotlight 2024 are closed. Apply now for Startup Tickets to join us! 🚀
Apply for Startup TicketsCriteria
Spotlight is dedicated to all early-stage startups in Eastern Europe that have the eagerness to take their business to the next level. If you meet the following criteria, apply for the most engaging startup competition:
✅ Stage of Business
You have an early-stage startup, less than 5 years old and with less than €700k fundraised.
✅ Stage of Product
You have launched the product and it gained some traction.
✅ Attending Startups
In order to be eligible for Spotlight, you must have a Startup Ticket for How to Web Conference 2024. You can do this either before your pre-application or after.
Steps
1
Apply
⌛ Jun 1 - September 1
Applications for Spotlight 2024 are open throughout the summer.
2
Announcing selected startups
⌛ September 16
Announcing the 40 selected startups to enter Spotlight
3
Semifinals
⌛ October 2
All 40 startups selected will pitch on the Startup Stage of the conference
4
Top 5 finals
⌛ October 2
Final pitch of top 5 startups on the main stage of the conference
5
Win the investment-prize
⌛ October 2
The grand winner is announced on the conference main stage
6
Matchmaking
⌛ October 3
Curated 1:1 meetings between 40 startups and mentors.
Jurors & Mentors
Els
Aerts
Co-Founder @ AGConsult
Els helps companies better understand their customers and generates improved online experiences for them, relying on User Research and solid data. Over time, Els has moderated over 3,500 Usability tests for companies such as AtlasCopco, Orange, Daikin, Yoast, and Bridgestone.
Csongor
Biás
Managing Director @ Startup Hungary
Csongor Biás is the Managing Director of Startup Hungary, spearheading efforts to invigorate the local startup ecosystem. Before this role, he founded two coworking spaces and gained experience with venture capital firms and accelerators. He also contributed to launching Vacuumlab's operations in HU
Eva
Arh
Venture Capital Investor @ 3VC
Eva Arh is a venture capital investor. Prior to 3VC, she was a startup consultant in Austria’s biggest high-tech incubator INITS, supporting early-stage tech companies with business modelling, fundraising and business development. She has been also part of management teams at tech startups.
Iulia
Porneala
Product Advisor @ MyGenie
Iulia is passionate about product management, solving problems and bringing people together. Customer-centric and entrepreneurial-minded product leader, she has a proven track of success in 0 to 1 setups. Iulia is driven by customer excellence and innovation, and high-quality results.
Remus Radvan
Head of Venture Strategy @ Wayra UK
Remus helps high-growth ventures scale by investing capital and facilitating commercial and distribution opportunities with corporates. He is part of the teaching staff of the venture capital module at UCL, offering future entrepreneurs and VCs a hands-on and insightful experience about the venture
Bojan
Stojkovski
Editor-in-Chief @ IT Logs
Bojan is a versatile reporter, currently exploring AI, defense tech and fintech, but always open to covering diverse and exciting topics in the Western Balkans countries. Currently Editor in Chief at IT Logs, his work has been featured in magazines, journals, and outlets such as Foreign Policy, WSJ.
Silviu Homoceanu
Moritz Daan
Alain Abou-Atmeh
Arielle Kilroy
Srdjan Kovacevic
Tilo Bonow
Ekaterina
Gamsriegler
Alexandra
Anghel
Botty
Dimanov
Denis
Čahuk
Giorgio
Pontillo
Oana
Mangiurea
Sarah
Drinkwater
Tom
McGinn
Vladi
Iancu
Sander
Hoogendoorn
Costin Busuioc
Product Manager @ Snyk
Costin Busioc is an experienced Product Manager at Snyk, where he is instrumental in developing security products tailored to developers. His expertise spans across multiple facets of developer-centric technologies, focusing on enhancing user experience while promoting secure development practices.
Sorin Sfetcu
Industry Manager @ Google
Experienced digital marketing professional with a strong background in performance marketing, analytics, and education, having trained over 3,000 individuals. Extensive experience across B2C and B2B sectors, including telecom, banking, and e-commerce, with proficiency in Adobe and Google tech stacks
Arnout
Hellemans
Aleodor Tabarcea
Georgi Mitov
Vojta
Rocek
Adam Csuhai
Elise
Sass
Adriana Iordan
VP of Product and Marketing @ SeedBlink
Dan Mihai Dinu
Nikola
Velkovski
Dusan Zabrodsky
Investment Partner @ Rockaway Capital
Dušan has been with Rockaway since 2014, focusing on Mall Group, Heureka, and various startups. His deep expertise in scaling startups and transforming large portfolio companies drives his investment strategy. Prior to Rockaway, Dušan consulted for international startups on market expansion and hel
Bogdan Batog
Software Engineer @
Bogdan Batog co-founded Sailo.com and was the first engineering hire at Stellar Health, where he played a pivotal role from prototype to Series B and beyond. Bogdan is known for his contribution to a key dividend distribution algorithm dubbed the “billion-dollar algorithm” by Paradigm Research.
Roger Blott
Tarik Dutkuner
Thomas McSorley
Phil
Hornby
Jessica Bartos
Dmitri Liberman
COO @ Port
Dmitri is the COO at Port, driving mobility transformation through e-hubs. With over 10 years of leadership at Uber, Bolt, and Delivery Hero, he's scaled businesses and led strategic growth. Dmitri also invests in emerging tech, focusing on innovation in the U.S., Israel, and Europe.
Alumni
RAUL POPA
CEO and Data Scientist @ TYPINGDNA
“Startup Spotlight was a great opportunity to interact with other entrepreneurs and with seasoned professionals who could provide guidance for growing our company. We have incorporated many of the things we learned through the HTW experience into our business and believe that it brought us an extraordinary launching opportunity.”
Sandra Idjoski
Co-Founder @ Collabwriting
“The whole experience was amazing, especially as it was our first time attending How to Web. We didn’t know what to expect, but by far the most valuable were all the networking opportunities. The whole team was incredibly diligent and dedicated, everything was set up so that we as startups could get the most value from the event and connect with the right people.”
Lisa Popovici
Co-founder @ Cartloop
“ Winning Spotlight brought us an extra validation that the product is working and people believe in our vision and roadmap. We are really grateful for the opportunity to make amazing connections and gain valuable feedback which came at the right time and boosted the growth of Cartloop over the following months.”
See you at How to Web Conference 2024!
Applications for Spotlight are closed. Apply for Startup Tickets to be part of the most electrifying event 🚀
Apply for Startup Tickets