Agenda

Two CEE Unicorns on Stage: Inside the Growth Engines of Prezi & ElevenLabs

Gergely Bihary

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Growth Engineer at ElevenLabs

Zoltán Prekopcsák

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SVP Strategy & Analytics at Prezi

45 minutes

In this rare masterclass, Prezi—the CEE pioneer reimagining its product with AI—and ElevenLabs—one of the region’s fastest-growing unicorns—join forces to share how they engineer growth at scale. From product-led growth to programmatic SEO, from launch amplification to growth experiments, this session is packed with real tactics, tools, and lessons from the trenches.

Duration: 45 minutes

Aquarium

Mergers, Acquisitions: when CEE champions do the roll-up game. Two stories with the lessons learned

Péter Berta

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CEO at WHC International

Kirill Perepelica

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Co-founder at Munch

1 hour

Big fish eats small fish. Or many thinks that. Why should M&A be the privilege of large enterprises? We showcase 2 great CEE teams with different background, how they merged / acquired other players regionally, so they are the ones consolidating the market and becoming the CEE champion, not their competitors. Munch co-founder tells their story of acquiring / merging with a Czech and Romanian peer, what was their intention, when would they recommend this route to others and personal implications of the deal. WHC Group's CEO will tell you their story how they started as a small team being now present in multiple countries with 35 offices and 600+ people, partially via JVs and acquisitions. First-hand lessons learned.

Duration: 1 hour

Aquarium

Invoice checker or a strategic powerhouse? The role of a CFO at a scaleup

Dániel Vállas

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VP of Finance at Shapr3D

Barbora Horvat

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CFO/COO, ex-IBM, ex-Innovatrics

László Szakál

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CFO at Finshape

1 hour

Many tech or product-driven founders underestimate the CFO’s role, often seeing them as “invoice checkers” or compliance officers. Most investors are keen to see a good CFO in your management. But why? This masterclass will unpack the real impact a CFO can have on your startup/scaleup’s growth, fundraising, and long-term success.

We’ll explore when to bring one in, what to expect from a full-time vs. fractional CFO, and how to avoid common founder blind spots when it comes to financial leadership. We host one of the region's best scaleup's CFO, an ex-CFO of a global corporation and a real "Jedi Knight CFO" supporting scaleups until they make 100M+ exit.

Duration: 1 hour

Aquarium

LIVE ON STAGE: Roasting startup growth plan!

Markus Lang

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General Partner at Speedinvest

1 hour 10 minutes

One brave startup. One ambitious growth plan. And a panel of VCs who’ve seen it all—and aren’t afraid to say what they think.

In this fun-but-fierce session, a founder will pitch their scale-up strategy live, only to face a panel of sharp-tongued investors ready to poke holes, ask the uncomfortable questions, and serve up some spicy feedback. But it’s not just about the roast—these VCs will also share real-world advice and help reshape the plan into - hopefully - something fundable.

It’s part pitch, part pressure test, and 100% learning opportunity for anyone serious about scaling smart. Bring popcorn.

Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes

Aquarium

To Raise or Not to Raise? Bootstrapping or Raising Capital - A Debate on Growth Strategies

Tibor Bedő

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Co-founder and CEO at BrokerChooser

Dirk Sahlmer

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Head of Origination at saas.group

Máté Gulyás

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CEO at DATAPAO

Eva Arh

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Partner at 3VC

1 hour

Should you raise capital or grow on your own terms? In this lively debate, founders and investors go head-to-head on one of the most critical decisions to make. Expect strong opinions, real-world war stories, and practical insights as we explore the trade-offs between speed and control, dilution and discipline, and ambition and autonomy.

Duration: 1 hour

Aquarium

Case study: the Lightware story. How we scaled a hardware business from one Hungarian office to 18 offices globally?

Loránd Gál

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COO at Lightware HQ

40 minutes

The COO shares the most expensive lessons learned through this journey. Opening own offices or setting up JVs. Can you "copy paste" the GTM plans for specific markets? USA vs China vs Singapore & Hong Kong vs Australia vs Europe….
Sales planning, tracking, controlling. Financing and production.

Duration: 40 minutes

Aquarium

Building a startup: work hard, play hard... burn out fast?

Jon Butterfield

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Founder at W23

Andrea Szabó

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Executive Coach, PCC, AC

1 hour

72% of founders say entrepreneurship has negatively impacted their mental health. Driven by constant uncertainty, high stakes, and relentless pressure, how can you perform without a healthy balance? Despite this, 81% don’t openly share their struggles, often fearing it could damage their reputation or investor relationships.

Founders, experts are invited to share practical tips and advice on how to be self-aware on finding balance within the five health pillars.

Duration: 1 hour

Aquarium

Buy first, build faster: how to hack hyper-growth with acquisitions

Jan Pörschmann

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Partner at atares

Zsolt Mihály

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Partner at Portfolion

45 minutes

Yes, you want to grow, open new offices, hire talents, get more customers. But what if you could do that in ONE step? Let's turn the classic M&A playbook on its head: we tell you why ambitious scale-ups should buy mature companies instead of battling for every new customer from scratch.

Capitalizing on real German succession cases and the “vine-grafting” analogy, you’ll discover how injecting breakthrough tech into a proven organizational rootstock can unlock instant sales channels, international footprints, and seasoned talent.

Also, Private Equity LOVE buy and build, happy to finance it, if you have a story.

Duration: 45 minutes

Aquarium

From founder-led sales to scale: challenges, processes, RevOps, hiring & compensation. How you automate it and implent AI tools

Sara Archer

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CRO at ChartMogul

Viktor Szekeres

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Founder at Gloster Digital Group

45 minutes

ChartMogul's CRO shares her experience - having built international go-to-market teams, scaling high-performing departments, driving territory expansions, and advancing GTM strategies for cutting-edge SaaS products for 10+ years. Joined by a founder telling us exact tips and tools how they automated B2B sales for the W-EU/UK markets.

Duration: 45 minutes

Aquarium

Debate: Advisors, Angels, Smart VCs or Hired Guns: Who Really Helps You Scale—And Who Just Talks?

Corina Stirbu

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Head of Marketing at accesa.eu

Péter Csillag

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President at HunBAN

Guillaume Fournier

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General Partner at Credo Ventures

30 minutes

Every founder hears it: “You need senior talent to scale.” But what does that actually mean—and who delivers real value? In this no-holds-barred debate, we’ll challenge the conventional wisdom. Are angel investors truly strategic partners, or just passive check-writers with opinions? Do consultants bring clarity or just PowerPoints? Are fractional C-levels the secret weapon—or a costly shortcut? And does an advisory board actually advise… or just look good on your pitch deck?

Duration: 30 minutes

Aquarium

Buzzword Bingo: what VCs hate in pitchs deck they get every week?

Tunya Irkad

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Principal at e2vc

45 minutes

Revolutionary / Disruptive / Game-Changing Tech / AI driven ... with a viral growth loop. In this candid and entertaining session, seasoned investors will tell you frankly to the most overused, misunderstood, and downright cringey phrases they see inpitch decks. From “Uber for X” to “no competition,” we’ll unpack why these lines fall flat—and what founders should say instead. Expect laughs, real talk, and actionable advice for crafting a pitch that actually gets funded.

Duration: 45 minutes

Aquarium

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Agenda

Nagy Hall

Two CEE Unicorns on Stage: Inside the Growth Engines of Prezi & ElevenLabs

Mergers, Acquisitions: when CEE champions do the roll-up game. Two stories with the lessons learned

Invoice checker or a strategic powerhouse? The role of a CFO at a scaleup

LIVE ON STAGE: Roasting startup growth plan!

To Raise or Not to Raise? Bootstrapping or Raising Capital - A Debate on Growth Strategies

Case study: the Lightware story. How we scaled a hardware business from one Hungarian office to 18 offices globally?

Building a startup: work hard, play hard... burn out fast?

Buy first, build faster: how to hack hyper-growth with acquisitions

From founder-led sales to scale: challenges, processes, RevOps, hiring & compensation. How you automate it and implent AI tools

Debate: Advisors, Angels, Smart VCs or Hired Guns: Who Really Helps You Scale—And Who Just Talks?

Buzzword Bingo: what VCs hate in pitchs deck they get every week?