Join us for an inspiring fireside chat with Bas Godska—one of Europe’s most influential early-stage investors and growth strategists—known for spotting opportunities in CEE, CIS, and MENA long before those regions became global magnets for innovation. His 50+ direct angel investments raised more than $1B from the world’s top funds, including Iconiq, Accel, Insight, Salesforce, Google, Y Combinator, and Techstars—reaching a combined market cap of nearly $20B.

This event will be a deep-dive on the journey of Bas Godska from CMO at major corporations to independent growth marketer to early investor in Decacorn Miro, and now investor in 400+ companies. 

Bas will share how he learned to spot hidden opportunities in overlooked markets, the pivotal moments that shaped his transition from hands-on growth hacker to ecosystem-building investor, and what it took to be named as “the global Top 50 of most value adding angels”. But more importantly, it will explore how he finds and unlocks value before it’s obvious—and what beginners in the startup world should understand about working with early investors. 

Expect candid stories from the trenches: How he evaluates startups and what he looks for, the unconventional growth tactics that worked in unexpected places, how to approach early investors, how to avoid common pitfalls, and the hard-won lessons of helping startups scale from local success to international impact. 

He’ll also speak candidly about what makes the Eastern European tech ecosystem uniquely strong and the gaps founders still need to overcome to attract global capital, especially those dealing with early stage investment. 

Whether you're a startup founder, investor, or a tech enthusiast, this conversation will leave you with practical insights, fresh inspiration, and a rare inside look at how world-class companies are built in emerging markets. 

A storytelling-driven session you won’t want to miss.