Pause Fest & Awards’ Post

How many of your 2024 goals have you accomplished based on the plans you made in EoY 2023? Just comment with 🥵 or 🥳? The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on achievements, reconnect with like-minded professionals, and plan for #WhatsNext. That’s why we’re excited to host Smart Africa Group (SAG) DAY, an integral part of Tanzania Startup Association #TanzaniaStartupWeek, on December 18, 2024, right before the holiday season. This day, "Unifying Vision for a Digitally Empowered Future," is designed to showcase how #SAG and our partners and subsidiaries drive #DigitalTransformation across the continent and beyond. During this day it will be a perfect time for us to; 📚Learn and gain valuable insights from influential leaders, including CEOs, tech innovators, and digital strategists shaping the future of Africa’s digital and creative industries. 💡Discover practical strategies by participating in thought-provoking discussions about the latest trends, technologies, and innovations reshaping industries. Leave empowered with actionable knowledge to lead transformation in your sector. 🍽️ Build connections by meeting like-minded professionals, partners, and changemakers passionate about Africa’s growth. 🤔Discover how businesses and communities are thriving in a digitally empowered world. The future is already here. It belongs to those who innovate, collaborate, and #Grow together. Let’s drive Africa’s digital transformation forward—one idea, one partnership, and one breakthrough at a time. Save the Date: 📆 December, Thursday 19th, 2024 📍JNICC, Dar es Salaam Let’s end the year with purpose and inspiration. Register today and join us on this transformative journey: https://lnkd.in/dgVJfnrR #UntilItsDone #SAGDay #TSAWeek2024 #DigitalTransformation #GrowthPartner

This post highlights the significant contributions from both Scott Heyes and First Contact Advisory LLC during 2024 with its clients, prospects, and partners. Feel free to contact me if you would like to learn more about how we can partner with you in 2025! #USExpansion #AusTech #MentalHealthTech #BusinessAdvisory #2024wrapped #AussieKnowHow

𝐒𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧 It's been a few weeks since our SME Tech Leaders event in Milan that took place at Talent Garden (home to many an Italian unicorn) with our friends Italian Founders Fund but we're still reminiscing. Brilliant input and insights from founders of fast-growing Italian SME Tech companies. We're very grateful: Francesco Scalambrino, Co-founder & CPO Jet HR Tommaso Marchese, VP Sales Jet HR Mattia Montepara, Co-founder & CEO Sibill Recent data shows that Italy has the largest SME market in Europe with over 4 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) surpassing countries like Germany. These SMEs employ 13 million people and generate more than 65% of the nation’s GDP. They are crucial in the economic growth of the country. Data from the SMEs Digital Innovation Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano shows that Italian SMEs are embracing the digital transition. "Over 60% of these enterprises are investing heavily in digitalisation, and a third increased their investment in digital technologies between 2022 and 2023, including in digital devices and systems, ICT software and services, digital content and advertising." We are already proud to count some European Italian origin/diaspora founders in our portfolio shout-out: Leonardo (Ooodles), Matteo (Debtist), Niels (Keaz) and Michelangelo (Togggle). Thanks for letting us be a small part of your journeys. Thrilled to be partners with you. We are counting a growing number of Italian LPs as investors including our original Italian LP Alberto who was an early believer in us and our fund from the beginning. We hope we're doing you proud. cc: āltitude, Ingo, Marc, Torge, Fernanda #smetech #italy #technology #venturecapital #milan

Here's my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor: From Bristol to Busan, Abu Dhabi to Silicon Valley - 2024 was a year of connecting global tech ecosystems and supporting ambitious founders at unprecedented scale. What we learned: True ecosystem development isn't about replicating Silicon Valley - it's about unlocking each region's unique potential while building bridges between innovation hubs. Key developments in 2024: - Expanded Startup Genome Hypergrowth program across multiple continents - Strengthened strategic partnerships with Hub71, Seoul Business Agency, and others - Built out local teams in key markets to deepen impact - Spoke at major global events including GITEX GLOBAL, ADFW, and FLY ASIA Three moments that captured our mission: "Such a great (if exhausting) week in Abu Dhabi with our partner Hub71 - looking forward to supporting a new batch of great scaleups with their global expansion" On building strong local partnerships and teams https://lnkd.in/eUgsPbNb "A fantastic 10 day travel odyssey involving six flights and five hotels, powered by the amazing entrepreneurs of two superstar deep tech ecosystems!" On connecting Asian innovation hubs https://lnkd.in/eUPCgr_y "Honoured to have the opportunity to share Startup Genome data and insights on ecosystem development" On evidence-based ecosystem building https://lnkd.in/ehh75eEd 2025 will see us deepen our impact in established markets while exploring new frontiers for tech ecosystem development. The goal remains clear: ensuring every region captures its fair share of the new economy. To ecosystem builders and ambitious founders everywhere - your local strengths are global opportunities. Let's connect them. #LinkedInRewind #GlobalTech #StartupEcosystems -- Get your 2024 LinkedIn Rewind! Go to coauthor [dot] studio in your browser

Last week we asked the question: “What if everything we imagined for the KiwiTech sector came true?” - And as Our CEO Michael Friedberg and Founder Bob Pinchin headed off to attend the launch of the 2024 TIN Report, we waited in anticipation at the report insights and highlights.  We were not disappointed. While everyone celebrated the 20th edition the feeling was that of a checkpoint moment for us. A chance to reflect on how far Kiwi Tech has come and the opportunities ahead.  Offshore revenue grew by 8.8% to $13.52B, proving that global market traction remains a bright spot. ICT led the charge with a 9.9% increase, contributing $8.23B and cementing its place as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s tech economy.  Even more inspiring? R&D investment climbed 8.9%, showing a strong focus on future-proofing through innovation. And whilst the report highlighted growth slowing to 7.7%, all the above was clear evidence of strategic wins for the sector. We see this data as validation of what’s possible when growth isn’t only pursued but strategically aligned.  Many companies are leveraging better market fits, such as Australia’s faster decision cycles, to drive results. We’ve also seen how doubling down on innovation and offshore market expansion created not only resilience, but also acceleration. Well done Technology Investment Network and congratulations to Greg Shanahan - here’s to your 20 years of mapping this sector’s journey!  👏 👏👏. We were super proud to be there in support and celebration of such a momentous milestone. It’s really a been a year of real grit and slog for many - but we’ll continue asking ourselves: what if everything we imagined for Kiwi tech came true? And we’ll keep rallying for growth, keep pushing those boundaries, and keep making Kiwi Tech the standout story of resilience and ingenuity. To all you Kiwi Tech leaders out there: don’t let a tough year keep your ambition in check.  Double down on alignment, explore new geographies, and refine your execution. Together, we can do this! You can access the report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gNxJHY3u #TechnologyLeadership #KiwiTech #GrowthStrategy  #TIN200Report  #NZTech  #GrowthNavigators Caroline Herrick Gisela Montello-Bruce

❓ How large is the world's Scaleup Economy? It's a $3.7 Trillion Snapshot of Innovation ... Almost 4 trillion invested over 90+ thousand scaleups. ❓ Where's Europe? North America dominates (43% of scaleups and nearly 50% of all funding). The APAC region follows (28% of scaleups and 32% of the funding). Europe is behind (21% of scaleups and 14% (!!!) of funding). ❓ Where's the problem? 1️⃣ World's innovation too much concentrated in a handful of other dominant centers worldwide (Silicon Valley firstly, on the right hand part of the curve you can find the others, European hubs down the way). 2️⃣ These hubs consistently capture the attention and investment of "innovation hunters"— VCs, multinational corporations, and more— creating a self-reinforcing cycle that cements their dominant positions. 3️⃣ The donwside is that the majority of local ecosystems remain largely underrepresented and face a widening gap. For these “tier 2” ecosystems, navigating the stages of the Innovation Ecosystems Life Cycle is a lengthy and challenging process that takes decades. 4️⃣ Despite the challenges, there is good news. Some regions are making faster progress by prioritizing policies and public investment that stimulate local economic growth through technological innovation. A big opportunity for Europe. ⏩ All the data in the "Startup Ecosystem Stars Report 2024: Innovation or Isolation: The Future of Regional Ecosystems” to be unveiled this week in Paris at the Award Ceremony organized by International Chamber of Commerce and Mind the Bridge. Stay tuned... #MTBCSS24 e #MTBSES24 #OpenInnovation  Isidro Laso Simon Schaefer John W.H. Denton AO Julian Kassum Aino Bergius Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau Christian Miele Harry Stebbings Job van der Voort Luciana Lixandru Martin Mignot Matt Clifford Michael Jackson Miki Kuusi Niklas Zennström Oliver Holle Patrick Collison Philipp Herkelmann Reshma Sohoni Carlos Eduardo Espinal MBE Roxanne VARZA András G. Inotai Keith Sequeira Clark Parsons David Hanf Ricardo Marvão 🇵🇹🇫🇷 Kat Borlongan Rafael Laguna de la Vera Ilkka Paananen Bogdan Iordache Miguel A. Sten Tamkivi Markus Villig Ann Mettler Zosia Wanat Cate Lawrence Jakob Steinschaden⚡Anne Sraders

« North America dominates (43% of scaleups and nearly 50% of all funding). The APAC region follows (28% of scaleups and 32% of the funding). Europe is behind (21% of scaleups and 14% (!!!) of funding). » Alberto Onetti European Union 🇪🇺 #Europe #InnovationGap #ScaleupGap #DraghiReport #CompetitivenessGap #InvestmentGap #SingleMarket #CapitalMarketsUnion #CMU #28thRegime #FundingGap #InnovationEcosystem #InnovationSystem #ScaleUps #NordicModel

🌍This year, we continued tackling some of the biggest challenges for the CEE innovation ecosystem and the region’s tech scaleups: visibility, connections, and growth on the global stage. Through The Recursive Media Network, Storytelling Studio, and #BreakingGrounds, we’ve helped expanding companies, enterprises, VCs, and community builders break barriers, tell their stories, and unlock opportunities across borders. Here's a glimpse of the visibility and opportunities we created this year: 📢 Media – Telling the stories that matter ✨ 17.4M people reached worldwide, giving global investors, founders, and enterprises unique market intelligence on CEE’s latest trends. ✨ 582K engaged story views across the web and YouTube ✨ 7500+ new subscribers, expanding our community across the globe ✨ 151 countries on 6 continents saw our stories 🎙️ Storytelling Studio – Empowering international expansion through PR, events, Go-to-market strategy and campaigns. ✨ 71 customer projects delivered to support the growth, differentiation, and credibility of tech companies, VCs and accelerators. ✨ 119 media features placed in outlets with a total of ~101M monthly active users ✨ 1.45M publication views generated for our clients’ stories ✨ 3200+ meaningful relationships forged to create long-term opportunities 🚀 #BreakingGrounds – Spotlighting Bulgaria on the global stage ✨ 350K+ innovators engaged through Bulgarian pavilions in 2024 ✨ Brought the local ecosystem leaders to 12 top global conferences, hosting 2700+ meetings to spark collaboration. ✨ Propelled Bulgaria into the global innovation spotlight, engaging startups, VCs, corporates, policymakers, and the Bulgarian diaspora. ✨ 7 side events organized with other CEE countries bringing the region closer together. 🙏 To our customers, partners, and supporters – thank you for trusting us to tell your stories, connect you with opportunities, and shine a light on the incredible potential of the CEE innovation ecosystem. None of this would be possible without you. Christian Obando, Gergana Arnautska, Boyko Takov, Iskren Krusteff, Slavka Stankova, Cláudio Meireles, Konstantin Bezuhanov, Mihnea Craciun, Orlin Dochev, Zornitsa Kolevski, Liviu Carcia, Jordan Mladenov, Momchil Brachkov, Alexander Zlatkov, Stanimira Radeva, Pavlina Yanakieva, Konstantin Kunev, Assoc CIPD, Rangel Milushev, Mila Petrova, Stephane Gantchev, Eleanor Warnock, Arda Kirkagac, Nikolay Sabev, Elena Bashkehayova, Ana Ciobanu, Cosmin Curticapean, Stephen Burke, Ani Stancheva, Zlatina Petrova and everyone else!  Merry Recursive Christmas and Innovative New Year!

What does 2025 have in store? Short answer: no idea. Long answer: we’re building something bold in the background for Foras 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🌍, and it’s time to bring the right people into the room. If 2024 has taught me anything, it’s this: Scotland has the talent and potential, but we need a global outlook. The ecosystems that thrive don’t just sit in a bubble. They don’t sit still, complain, or coast on past successes. They move forward with clarity, focus, and action. Ultimately, being around people who get it, the ones who challenge you, share your values, and push you to think bigger, is such a breath of fresh air. So, we’re kicking off 2025 with something different. 📍 Hidden Venue, Glasgow (all will be revealed soon) 📅 Thursday, January 30, 2025 ⏰ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM This isn’t just another event. It’s a room of people who know that “good enough” isn’t good enough. It’s bold ideas, sharp conversations, and the kind of energy that leaves you buzzing with new possibilities. We’ve been working on something behind the scenes, something we believe could unlock global opportunity for Scotland’s startup ecosystem. But this isn’t about patting ourselves on the back or one idea or project. It’s about coming together, learning from the world’s best, and pushing ourselves to build something better. If you’re up for that, we’d love to see you there. Limited spaces, approval-only 👉 https://lu.ma/mcgpgn50 Let’s make 2025 the year we break barriers, think global, and do something real. We have work to do. #GlobalAmbition #ScotlandToTheWorld #StartupEcosystem

🌍 This year, we continued tackling some of the biggest challenges for the CEE innovation ecosystem and the region’s tech scaleups: visibility, connections, and growth on the global stage. Through The Recursive Media Network, Storytelling Studio, and #BreakingGrounds, we’ve helped startups, scaleups, and innovators break barriers, tell their stories, and unlock opportunities across borders. 📢 Media – Telling the stories that matter ✨ 17.4M people reached worldwide, giving global investors, founders, and enterprises unique market intelligence on CEE’s latest trends. ✨ 582K engaged story views across web and YouTube, amplifying the voices of startups and ecosystem builders ✨ 7500+ new subscribers, expanding our community across the globe ✨ 151 countries on 6 continents saw our stories, bridging regions 🎙️ Storytelling Studio – Empowering international expansion through PR, events, GTM strategy and campaigns. ✨ 71 customer projects delivered to support the growth, differentiation, and credibility of tech companies, VCs and accelerators. ✨ 119 media features placed in outlets with a total of ~101M monthly active users ✨ 1.45M publication views generated for our clients’ stories ✨ 3200+ meaningful relationships forged to create long-term opportunities 🚀 #BreakingGrounds – Spotlighting Bulgaria on the global stage ✨ 350K+ innovators engaged through Bulgarian pavilions in 2024 ✨ 12 top global conferences attended, hosting 2700+ meetings to spark collaboration ✨ Propelled Bulgaria into the global innovation spotlight, engaging startups, VCs, corporates, policymakers, and the Bulgarian diaspora. ✨ 7 side events organized with other CEE countries bringing the region closer together. 🙏 To our customers, partners, and supporters – thank you for trusting us to tell your stories, connect you with opportunities, and shine a light on the incredible potential of the CEE innovation ecosystem. None of this would be possible without you. Christian Obando, Gergana Stamenova, Boyko Takov, Iskren Krusteff, Slavka Stankova, Cláudio Meireles, Konstantin Bezuhanov, Mihnea Cracuin, Orlin Dotchev, Zornitsa Kolevski, Liviu Carcia, Jordan Mladenov, Momchil Brachkov, Alex Zlatkov, Stanimira Radeva, Pavlina Yanakieva, Konstantin Kunev, Rangel Milushev, Mila Petrova, Stefan Gantchev, Eleanor Warnock, Arda Kirkagac, Nikolay Sabev, Elena Bashkehayova, Ana Ciobanu, Cosmin Curticapean, Stephen Burke, and everyone else!