Dozens of active deep tech investors join THE MOAT, most of them international funds looking for the best technology from Poland and the region.
Startup Contest · Applications Open
THE MOAT
Pitch Poland's most defensible deep tech to the world's leading VCs.
Apply now →
Apply by 15 July to also join the Summer Bootcamp. No fee to apply, and places are limited.
Partners
What you get
Selected, matched, and put in the room.
We curate, we don't sell tickets. Make the cut and you walk into meetings with investors who came to find companies like yours.
01
Top 30 selected for THE MOAT
The 30 strongest startups join THE MOAT for 1:1 meetings with the funds in the room.
02
Hand-matched 1:1 meetings
Each investor takes around 10 meetings with their best-matched startups. We make the intros; you make them count.
Warm Intros03
10 pitch on the main stage
The ten best startups pitch live to every fund in the room.
04
Real fundraising conversations
Every intro is built to lead to a real investment discussion, not a business-card exchange.
05
Exposure beyond the day
Stand alongside Poland's best deep tech in front of leading international funds.
Who we're looking for
Building a real technical moat?
Startups with a genuine, durable technology edge and a real connection to Poland. If that's you, apply.
01
Deep tech at the core
You're deep tech, or building a technological edge that's hard to replicate. The tech is the moat.
02
A link to Poland
A connection through your team, technology, company, R&D, or market.
03
Raising or about to
Raising now, or planning to start by Q2 2027.
04
€500K to €10M round
Your planned round is between €500K and €10M.
Sectors we're especially interested in
AI
Hardware
Robotics
Dual-use
Defence Tech
Industrial Tech
Medtech
Spacetech
Energy
Climate Tech
Biotech
Cybersecurity
…and any field where technology is the core advantage.
Who you'll meet
Pitch to the funds that back deep tech.
<200
Guests at a closed, curated event
30+
VC funds investing in deep tech
30
Startups selected for 1:1 meetings
10
Founders pitch live on the main stage
A few of the funds in the room
Northzone
OTB Ventures
Project A
SOSV
Inovo VC
Heartcore Capital
Vsquared Ventures
Sunfish Partners
Keen Venture Partners
Nova Capital
Acurio Ventures
BrightCap
Momenta Ventures
Presto Tech Horizons
s16vc
Portfolion
Altamira
Capital Cell
Reem Ventures
i&i Bio
…and more
Timeline
From application to the stage.
Applications are open now. The sooner you apply, the more we can do to help you get ready.
Now
Applications open
Send us your application. Apply early and we can do far more to help you prepare.
By 15 July 2026
Summer bootcamp applications close
The last day to apply and opt in to the summer bootcamp.
Recommended1–8 August 2026
Summer bootcamp
A week of focused prep with the Hard2beat team on your pitch, deck, and investor conversations.
See what's included →31 August 2026
Applications close
The final deadline to apply for THE MOAT.
September 2026
Selection and matchmaking
We pick the 30 strongest startups and match them to investors by stage, sector, ticket, and thesis.
23 September 2026
THE MOAT, Warsaw
1:1 investor meetings for 30 startups, and 10 founders pitching live on the main stage.
Event DaySummer bootcamp
Spend the summer getting pitch ready.
Apply by 15 July 2026 and join our summer bootcamp, where the Hard2beat team gets you ready for THE MOAT.
Apply by 15 July
Great technology shouldn't get lost in a confusing pitch.
The best deep tech deserves to be shown at its best. We make sure a messy narrative or an overly technical deck doesn't get between you and the right investor.
- Sharpen your investment narrative and the value proposition behind it.
- Refine your pitch and investor deck until they land.
- Find the right funds for your stage, sector, and planned round.
- Know what investors will expect before you walk into the room.
- Rehearse your delivery so you arrive ready for every conversation.
About Hard2beat
The most active deep tech fund in Poland
THE MOAT is organized by Hard2beat, launched in 2025. With 10 investments in 12 months, we've become the most active deep tech fund in Poland. If a project has a real technical moat, it crosses our desk first.
10 investments in 12 months
From 1,000+ projects screened annually. We move fast on conviction.
90% early-stage dealflow coverage
We see 90% of Poland's deep tech early-stage dealflow and lead the round in over 80% of our investments.
Founders and funders at the table
Firsthand founder experience, from scaling past €14M ARR to multiple exits, paired with deep VC expertise across 100+ investments.
Global co-investment network
Story Ventures, J2 Ventures, Nova Capital, Blacksheep, Sunfish Partners, and more.
Show leading VCs the
moat you've built.
Applications for THE MOAT are open. Apply by 15 July to also join the Summer Bootcamp, or by 31 August for the contest.
No fee to apply or take part. Places are limited and selected on merit.