How to Web

Impact Builders #2 was the room for builders who don’t separate performance from purpose.📌 Founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders came together to explore how we can build companies that create real impact, and scale it. The day opened with Alexandru Agatinei (How to Web) and Stefan Buciuc (BCR Social Finance), setting the tone for a conversation focused on what it really takes to grow impact-driven ventures in Romania and Eastern Europe. We then moved into impact investment discussions, with insights from Iulian Plescan (ECHO ELDERLY CARE S.A.), Gheorghe Cojocaru, CFA (Morphosis Capital), and Evelina Necula (Kinderpedia) with Tic Nica (Growceanu) — exploring how capital can support companies that aim for both performance and purpose. The spotlight then shifted to the new wave of high-impact founders: Alexandru Constantin (iCamin), Marian Fangli (Context), Valentin Krancevik (Valori Nutriționale), and David-Alexandru Popescu (Origin BCI), sharing what it actually looks like to build solutions that address real problems in health, civic tech, and beyond. Across panels and roundtable discussions, the conversation stayed grounded in reality: 💬 what founders actually need to grow 💬 how investors evaluate impact-driven startups 💬 and where the ecosystem still needs to evolve Most importantly, the room brought together people willing to ask the hard questions, and work on the answers together. Until next time!🤝 How to Web & AmpliFY ONG presented Impact Builders, in partnership with Marc Impact Network, and location partner Builders House.

Early-stage capital is only valuable if it graduates into growth. Slovakia leads Eastern Europe's Capital Graduation ranking with a 319% efficiency ratio, attracting far more Series B–E volume in 2025 than the early-stage base that preceded it. Poland (137%), Hungary (123%), and Greece (113%) follow. Latvia surprises at 231% on a lean early-stage base. Romania sits at 28%. Croatia, Serbia, and Moldova recorded 0% growth capital in 2025. The gap matters: much of Eastern Europe's early-stage funding comes from government and EU-backed programs. Converting public support into private momentum is still the region's biggest 🔑 unlock. 📁 download the Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report by How to Web to get the full picture:  https://lnkd.in/e2p5hiFx Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report is presented by How to Web, and made in partnership with Underline Ventures and BCR Seed Starter Romania.

The conversations at Impact Builders are shaped by the people in the room. 📍This Thursday, founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders will come together to explore how impact-driven companies can grow sustainably from Romania and Eastern Europe. The agenda starts with welcome notes from Alexandru Agatinei (CEO How to Web) and Stefan Buciuc (CEO BCR Social Finance), followed by a panel on impact investment featuring Iulian Plescan (CEO ECHO ELDERLY CARE S.A.), Gabriela Dumitru (CEO Morphosis Capital), and Gheorghe Cojocaru, CFA (Investment Associate Morphosis Capital). The conversation continues with Evelina Necula (CEO Kinderpedia) and Tic Nica (Investor & CGO Growceanu). We’ll then meet the new wave of high-impact founders: Alexandru Constantin (iCamin.ro - app inteligentă pentru Servicii Sociale, Medicale, Medico-Sociale, Cămine de Bătrâni etc), Marian Fangli (Context.ro), Valentin Krancevik (Valori Nutriționale), David-Alexandru Popescu (Origin BCI), and Alexandru Arama (Picior de Play) — during a speedy “Who’s who” session and roundtable discussions. 💭Apply for a seat and join us! How to Web & AmpliFY ONG present Impact Builders, in partnership with Marc Impact Network, and location partner Builders House

Hungarian startups are attracting significantly more international capital as the ecosystem continues to mature. In 2025, 76% of funding rounds involved foreign investors, up from 33% in 2022, with international capital accounting for over 80% of total funding raised. Even more notably, Western investors are now participating as early as the Pre-Seed stage, signaling growing confidence in Hungarian founders. At the same time, while pre-seed and seed round sizes have doubled in the past three years, the number of deals has remained relatively stable, suggesting a shift toward fewer, but higher-quality startups. As Gyorgy Simoó, Managing Partner at Day One Capital, notes: the ecosystem may not be producing more startups, but the ones that do emerge are increasingly attractive to global investors. 📁 download the Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report by How to Web to get the full picture: https://lnkd.in/e2p5hiFx Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report is presented by How to Web, and made in partnership with Underline Ventures and BCR Seed Starter Romania.

This is what Impact Builders looks like.💡 A room where founders, investors, NGOs leaders, and ecosystem builders come together to talk honestly about how we build companies that create real impact. The last edition gathered people who are actively building solutions and supporting the next generation of impact-driven startups from Romania and Eastern Europe. On March 19, we’re opening the room again for another group of builders ready to learn from each other, challenge ideas, and move the conversation forward. 👉 Apply for a seat - link in the comments. How to Web & AmpliFY ONG present Impact Builders, in partnership with Marc Impact Network, and location partner Builders House.

Eastern Europe is planting some seeds. 🌱 Early-stage capital (pre-seed, seed, and Series A) accounts for 43% of all invested volume in 2025, while later-stage rounds (Series B through E) make up the remaining 57%. The pipeline is maturing: founders who built through the lean years are now raising the kind of rounds that put ecosystems on the global map. Series C alone captures 27.5% of total capital – a signal that Eastern European companies are scaling, not just starting. 📁 download the Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report by How to Web to get the full picture: https://lnkd.in/e2p5hiFx. Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report is presented by How to Web, and made in partnership with Underline Ventures and BCR Seed Starter Romania.

Ukrainian startups raised €163M across 120 transactions, marking a significant increase year-on-year as the ecosystem evolves from resilience to structural strength. Defense tech has become a systemic pillar of venture activity, with nearly 60% of second-half deals concentrated in defense-related domains — including Swarmer’s $15M Series A, signaling sector maturity and strong global investor demand. At the same time, landmark transactions such as Fintech-IT Group’s unicorn valuation show that Ukrainian companies continue to scale into category leaders beyond defense. We asked Sasha Yatsenko, Principal at SMOK Ventures, what’s driving this momentum. According to him, while the ecosystem is gaining structural strength, it remains undercapitalized, creating significant upside for investors in Ukraine and across the broader CEE region. 📁 download the Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report by How to Web to get the full picture: https://lnkd.in/e2p5hiFx Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report is presented by How to Web, and made in partnership with Underline Ventures and BCR Seed Starter Romania.

Conversations about impact are easy, but building companies that actually create it is harder. That’s why we started Impact Builders.🤝 At the first edition, we brought together people who believe impact shouldn’t live only in the world of donations and grants, but in scalable companies, real investment, and bold founders building solutions that matter. This time, on March 19, we’ll tackle the same real challenges with even more founders, sharper conversations, and fresh perspectives from across the ecosystem. Because building meaningful impact takes more than good intentions. It takes collaboration, capital, and a community willing to ask the hard questions. 📍Save your seat (link in the comments). How to Web & AmpliFY ONG present Impact Builders, in partnership with Marc Impact Network, and location partner Builders House.

Not all growth looks the same, and Eastern Europe's top 5 fastest-growing ecosystems in 2025 prove exactly that. Ukraine leads the pack with a 285% surge in invested capital (from €42.3M to €163M) and deal count nearly tripling to 120 transactions. Bulgaria grew 180% by volume despite fewer deals. Hungary held steady on transactions while capital jumped 177%. Slovakia's volume grew 77% even as deal count halved. And Poland, already the region's frontrunner 🏃, added another 70% on top of €462.9M. More capital, more deals, or both: every ecosystem found its own way to grow. 📁 download the Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report by How to Web to get the full picture: https://lnkd.in/e2p5hiFx. Venture in Eastern Europe 2025 Report is presented by How to Web, and made in partnership with Underline Ventures and BCR Seed Starter Romania.

Join us on March 19th for a dedicated gathering of high-impact entrepreneurs ready to thrive and build from Romania, from Eastern Europe, and for the world. 🌍 This is the room for founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders who believe that performance and purpose can scale together — in service of something greater than themselves. If you’re building something that can create real, positive impact in society, this is your room. How to Web & AmpliFY ONG present Impact Builders, in partnership with Marc Impact Network, and location partner Builders House.