Hard2beat, a Polish VC fund investing in early-stage deep tech companies, is organizing THE MOAT – a one-day event for technology startups and venture capital investors. The first edition will take place on September 23, 2026, at the Centralny Dom Technologii CDT in Warsaw. The organizers aim to showcase the best Polish deep tech projects to international funds and make it easier for them to reach companies that often remain off their radar.
THE MOAT will be a closed, invitation-only, non-ticketed event for guests invited by the fund. Around 200 people are expected to attend, including investors, founders, experts, and representatives of the venture capital ecosystem. The program will include the “Hard Questions” pitch contest, networking sessions, panel discussions, 1-on-1 meetings, and the presentation of the first edition of Hard2beat’s proprietary report on Polish deep tech.
The event’s partner is the Polish Development Fund (PFR), an institution supporting Poland’s innovation ecosystem.
We have invested in more than 100 VC and PE funds. They provide financing for projects at all stages of development. Examples include Inovo VC’s seed-stage investment in Ingenix AI and ICEYE’s Series F round, with capital coming from TCV, a fund we support. Funds such as Hard2beat also play an important role in early-stage financing. Thanks to THE MOAT, we will be able to help an even greater number of companies together. Those just taking their first steps can use the VC Connect platform, which we organize jointly with PFR. I expect to meet alumni of the programs run under this banner at the September event.
The centerpiece of the event will be a startup competition. Hard2beat analyzes more than a thousand technology projects annually, and a selected group of companies with the highest potential will advance to the pitch contest. Applications will be open to deep tech startups that are building a genuine technological advantage and seeking contact with investors who understand the longer development horizon of this type of project.
Poland is attracting the attention of international investors — they see strong human capital here and a rapidly growing economy — but at the same time, many of them lack a local network or a sufficient pipeline to make investment decisions. As a result, many valuable projects remain off their radar. THE MOAT aims to bridge this gap: in just one day, it will showcase companies to investors that might otherwise take months to find without local connections, or that they might never discover at all.
More than thirty international investors have already confirmed their participation in the event, including Earlybird, Lakestar, Kaya VC, and Keen Venture Partners. The organizers are primarily inviting investors interested in deep tech and the CEE region. Startups can apply to take part in the event and the pitch contest via the event website.
Hard2beat wants THE MOAT to become a recurring meeting place for funds looking for advanced technologies from Poland. The goal of the event is not only to showcase the best companies, but also to build a lasting bridge between the Polish deep tech ecosystem and international capital.
About Hard2beat
Hard2beat is a Polish VC fund investing in deep tech companies at the pre-seed and seed stages. The fund looks for projects with a genuine technological advantage, built by teams with strong scientific, engineering, or product backgrounds.