EPISODE · May 3, 2026 · 32 MIN
6: Innovation in Poland: Endeavor's Bartosz Lipnicki
from Where Innovation Happens by Tim Rowe · host Tim Rowe
For this episode of Where Innovation Happens, I spoke with Bartosz “Bartek” Lipnicki, Managing Director of Endeavor Poland, about Poland’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem and the role Endeavor is playing globally in helping ambitious founders scale.Poland has become one of Europe’s most interesting startup markets, building on one of the region’s most impressive long-term economic growth stories since its transition to a market economy. Today, that momentum is showing up in a new generation of globally ambitious companies, including ElevenLabs, the Polish-founded AI voice company that recently crossed the decacorn threshold with an $11 billion valuation.Bartek gives us a window into what is happening on the ground in Poland: the founders, the ecosystem, the opportunities, and the growing confidence that world-class technology companies can be built from Warsaw and beyond.He also introduces us to Endeavor, a remarkable global nonprofit and founder network that supports high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. Endeavor describes itself as a global network “of, by, and for entrepreneurs,” focused on helping founders dream bigger, scale faster, and multiply their impact. Its model is built around the idea that successful entrepreneurs can transform economies not only by building major companies, but also by creating jobs, mentoring others, investing in the next generation, and inspiring future founders.In our conversation, Bartek explains how Endeavor works with companies that have found product-market fit and are ready to scale internationally. He describes Endeavor’s founder-to-founder support model, its global selection process, and the “multiplier effect” that happens when successful entrepreneurs return value to the ecosystem around them.We also discuss Polish success stories including ElevenLabs, ICEYE, Docplanner, Booksy, and CampusAI, as well as the broader question of how entrepreneurial ecosystems develop outside the usual startup capitals.I feel an immediate warmth toward Endeavor’s mission. It shares a core philosophy that has shaped much of my own work at CIC and Venture Café: that innovation can help fix the world, and that with the right support, great entrepreneurs can thrive far beyond the usual centers of venture capital.This conversation is about Poland, Endeavor, and a bigger idea: how we build innovation ecosystems in places where talent is abundant, ambition is rising, and the next generation of world-changing companies may already be taking shape.Topics include:Poland’s startup ecosystemEndeavor’s global modelHigh-impact entrepreneurshipElevenLabs and Poland’s first decacornICEYE and Polish space technologyFounder-to-founder support networksProduct-market fit and global scalingThe multiplier effect in entrepreneurshipHow innovation ecosystems grow outside the usual startup capitals
What this episode covers
For this episode of Where Innovation Happens, I spoke with Bartosz “Bartek” Lipnicki, Managing Director of Endeavor Poland, about Poland’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem and the role Endeavor is playing globally in helping ambitious founders scale.Poland has become one of Europe’s most interesting startup markets, building on one of the region’s most impressive long-term economic growth stories since its transition to a market economy. Today, that momentum is showing up in a new generation of globally ambitious companies, including ElevenLabs, the Polish-founded AI voice company that recently crossed the decacorn threshold with an $11 billion valuation.Bartek gives us a window into what is happening on the ground in Poland: the founders, the ecosystem, the opportunities, and the growing confidence that world-class technology companies can be built from Warsaw and beyond.He also introduces us to Endeavor, a remarkable global nonprofit and founder network that supports high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. Endeavor describes itself as a global network “of, by, and for entrepreneurs,” focused on helping founders dream bigger, scale faster, and multiply their impact. Its model is built around the idea that successful entrepreneurs can transform economies not only by building major companies, but also by creating jobs, mentoring others, investing in the next generation, and inspiring future founders.In our conversation, Bartek explains how Endeavor works with companies that have found product-market fit and are ready to scale internationally. He describes Endeavor’s founder-to-founder support model, its global selection process, and the “multiplier effect” that happens when successful entrepreneurs return value to the ecosystem around them.We also discuss Polish success stories including ElevenLabs, ICEYE, Docplanner, Booksy, and CampusAI, as well as the broader question of how entrepreneurial ecosystems develop outside the usual startup capitals.I feel an immediate warmth toward Endeavor’s mission. It shares a core philosophy that has shaped much of my own work at CIC and Venture Café: that innovation can help fix the world, and that with the right support, great entrepreneurs can thrive far beyond the usual centers of venture capital.This conversation is about Poland, Endeavor, and a bigger idea: how we build innovation ecosystems in places where talent is abundant, ambition is rising, and the next generation of world-changing companies may already be taking shape.Topics include:Poland’s startup ecosystemEndeavor’s global modelHigh-impact entrepreneurshipElevenLabs and Poland’s first decacornICEYE and Polish space technologyFounder-to-founder support networksProduct-market fit and global scalingThe multiplier effect in entrepreneurshipHow innovation ecosystems grow outside the usual startup capitals
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6: Innovation in Poland: Endeavor's Bartosz Lipnicki
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