What kind of capital do you need?
VC is not the only option. Bootstrapping, angel investment, venture capital, grants or corporate venture should support the company’s strategy — not define it.
GDAŃSK BAY TECH · INVESTOR READY
Prepare your startup for the right conversations.
Investor Ready combines preparation for investor conversations, work with experts and participation of selected startups in Gdańsk Bay Tech international missions.
It is not just about the pitch deck. It is about finding the right capital, the right people and a clear purpose for every conversation.
EDITION 01 · ROAD TO SLUSH 2026
ROAD TO SLUSH 2026
Recruitment has closed. Applications are under review.
Applications for the first Investor Ready – Road to Slush edition have now closed. We are currently reviewing submissions and selecting the teams that will move forward to the next stage of the programme. Applicants will be informed once the evaluation process has been completed.
Explore Road to Slush
Recruitment closed
80%
participation costs funded
11.09
recruitment closed
17–20.11
business mission · Helsinki
MORE THAN A PITCH
Fundraising starts before the first investor meeting.
Investor Ready is a practical Gdańsk Bay Tech pathway designed to help startups approach funding, investor conversations and international business events more strategically.
We connect One Stop Shop activities with Gdańsk Bay Tech international missions. Part of the programme is open to the wider startup community, while selected teams move on to intensive preparation for a specific destination and event.
Startups work not only on how to present themselves, but above all on what they actually need, who they should be speaking to and what outcome they want each conversation to lead to.
INVESTOR READINESS
Before you start fundraising, answer four questions.
Who do you actually need to meet?
An investor, customer, corporate, technology partner or international partner? A strong target list starts with a clearly defined objective.
Are you ready for the conversation?
The pitch is only part of the preparation. Traction, business model, data, positioning and the answers to what comes after the pitch matter just as much.
What should happen next?
A valuable meeting should lead somewhere: another conversation, an investment process, a pilot, a partnership or another concrete next step.
HOW INVESTOR READY WORKS
From preparation to real conversations.
Individual editions may differ, but each Investor Ready pathway follows a similar process.
01
Diagnose
We define the startup’s stage, funding needs,
business objectives and readiness for investor conversations.
02
Investor fit
We identify the type of investor, customer or partner
the startup should actually be looking for.
03
Prepare
We work on messaging, the pitch deck, target lists,
meetings and measurable objectives for the specific pathway.
04
Go international
The mission is not the goal itself. Startups execute
a prepared plan of meetings, conversations and contacts.
05
Follow up
After the event, we look at which conversations can move forward
and how to turn them into meetings, investment processes,
pilots or partnerships.
Investor knowledge for startups in Pomerania
Open meetings and workshops help founders understand funding options, investor expectations and their own readiness for fundraising.
Intensive preparation for selected teams
Startups selected for a specific mission receive additional preparation focused on the event, target contacts, meetings, pitching and follow-up.
INVESTOR READY PATHWAYS
Road to...
Each Investor Ready edition prepares startups for a specific
international event and market. Every pathway has its own
schedule, recruitment process and preparation programme
for selected teams.
RECRUITMENT CLOSED
INVESTOR READY · EDITION 01
Road to
Road to
Slush
The first full Investor Ready pathway. Preparation for investor conversations, work on specific objectives and a business mission to Helsinki. Recruitment has now closed and applications are under review.
Explore the programme
INVESTOR READY · EDITION 02
Road to
Road to
Techarena
The next Investor Ready pathway, preparing startups for conversations with investors, companies and partners during another Gdańsk Bay Tech international mission.
Details coming soonWHO IS IT FOR?
For startups that know every conversation should have a purpose.
01
Teams preparing for their first or next investor conversations.
02
Startups looking to structure their funding strategy and define their investor fit.
03
Companies looking not only for capital, but also for customers, partners and pilot opportunities.
04
Teams ready to treat participation in an international event as a business project — not simply a conference trip.
OUR PRINCIPLE
We do not count business cards. What matters is a conversation that leads to a concrete next step.
INVESTOR READY
The right conversations start with the right preparation.
Recruitment for Road to Slush 2026 has closed and applications are currently under review. Explore the first Investor Ready edition or discover the next planned pathway.