The National Centre for Research and Development

The visit was aimed at gaining unique experience in scaling business on the US market, improving dialogue with demanding investors and establishing beneficial relationships with partners who are of key importance for the success on the American and global market.

NCBR-NAP acceleration activity is meant to enable the start of a long-term cooperation between companies and institutions from Poland and the State of Nevada in various areas of innovation, such as medicine, education and innovative agriculture. This is to contribute to the commercialisation of technological solutions on offer and to support cooperative forms of R&D activity. Polish companies participating in this year's edition offer products and services related to innovative solutions, including rail transport management, innovative products based on coffee grounds, an Internet platform supporting the construction of a circular economy by creating a network of connections among all market participants, enabling the management of the flow of secondary raw materials and waste in the economy, as well as tracking products’ life cycle, automated detection and notification of cybersecurity threats, IT-based rodent detection, as well as innovative medical products based on the use of an active inhibitor of enzymes from the metalloproteinase group, intended mainly for use in the case of venomous snakebites.

Large dose of knowledge

After the Demo Day with pitches and presentations of 20 companies which were subsequently assessed by experts from Poland and Nevada, the top 10 was selected in April. In June the group has travelled to Nevada and California to fulfil its American dream. Polish companies develop technologies and products with high innovation potential that can compete on the global market. Entering the American market is a demanding process related to, on the one hand, getting to know what the competitors have to offer, and on the other - identifying the demand for a specific product or technology in order to best adapt the company's offer to the local market, find business partners or directly reach out to consumers. Our acceleration activity is both a large dose of knowledge and practical experience that helps companies in this very process. Becoming familiar with state systems for supporting entrepreneurship and relationships established can certainly pay off and help Polish companies that decide to register their business in the USA. This is the goal of our activity - we want Polish technologies and innovative solutions to be strong enough to compete on the global market, noted Agnieszka Ratajczak, Director of the Department of International Cooperation at NCBR.

Polish dynamism and American power

NCBR’s American partners from Nevada, including Granite Landings and the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED), are responsible for the preparation of the program and the acceleration process itself. The 2025 edition of the NCBR-NAP acceleration activity has again demonstrated the enduring value and possibilities of US-Poland business cooperation, providing a gateway to the American market for a select group of ten innovative Polish firms. The activity’s success builds on the foundation of collaborative relationships across industry, academia, and government. By providing access to these networks, the program significantly accelerates the market entry for these companies. Launching Polish companies into the American ecosystem of capital, market size, and velocity is a strategic move to sharpen their global competitiveness. This experience directly strengthens the entire Polish startup ecosystem. The pairing of Poland's tech dynamism with the sustained power of the US economy creates a powerful engine for sustaining international growth and innovation, underscored Alex Wolfe, entrepreneur, mentor, and Founding Member of Granite Landings.

Intense acceleration

American partners have prepared a very intensive acceleration program. Every day was almost filled with various meetings from 9 to 5. Due to the differences in the way business is conducted in southern and northern Nevada, the entire group spent several days in both Las Vegas and Reno. In Las Vegas, the companies visited the UN Extension Office, where they met, among others, API Chamber of Commerce and Clark County Economic Development representatives and also listened to a lecture on the legal formalities related to starting a business in the United States delivered by Chris Kurczaba, partner at Kurczaba & Brozek, a renown legal office in Chicago that has dealt with immigration cases for nearly 30 years. Polish startups also connected with Dr. Kristopher Sanchez, Director for the Department of Business and Industry in Nevada. An interesting interlude was the speech of John Petkus, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Nevada, who spoke in an extremely interesting way about the history of Poles and the beginnings of their business activities in this state. Each participant also received a diploma signed by Steven Horsford, a Congressman for Nevada. In Reno companies met, among others, representatives of GOED, Business Assembly – Platinum Group, Nevada Industry Excellence, the InNevation Center at the University of Reno and the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship. They also took part in a pitching session in front of local investors and business people. The highlight of that leg were lectures delivered by Mark Stiving, one of the best pricing experts in the US, and Jeff Sheldon, a renown Nevada IP lawyer. 

The group subsequently moved to California, where in San Francisco, which is about 4 hours' drive from Reno, and in Silicon Valley, they learned about the differences between the Californian and the Nevada innovation ecosystem and the opportunities offered by a state that, on its own, is one of the world's largest economies. This was most lucidly explained at the meetings with US Market Access Center and San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, as well as during the visit to SRI International and at the pitching session held at DLA Piper Palo Alto Office, attended by business angels and venture capitalists from the Silicon Valley.

The participants of the cohort themselves did not conceal their satisfaction. This is a very intensive acceleration activity that provides an opportunity to experience the American business climate in a short period of time. This experience is important because we all have our own ideas that often differ from reality. Thanks to this activity, I have once again been convinced that Polish startups should be proud of their achievements and are very much ready to conquer global markets, summed up Piotr Sikorski of SP Tech Solutions Sp. z o.o.

Joanna Lipner of Pikralida Sp. z o.o. echoed his views. NCBR-NAP acceleration activity is a unique opportunity to enter into direct dialogue with American businesses, institutions, and universities. For Pikralida – a company developing innovative therapies with global potential – meetings with local decision-makers and the openness of US partners were not only a fount of inspiration, but also instances of concrete support in expansion planning. This is a great example of a wisely-designed program for companies with international ambitions – and a true opportunity for those who really want to act.

More about NCBR-NAP acceleration activity