From her early days in a small town in Northern Poland to becoming a pivotal figure in Warsaw’s tech landscape, Anna Walkowska has remained in relentless pursuit of her passions, despite numerous challenges.

Anna moved to the city in 1998 to study Medical Physics at Warsaw University. However, the reality of the studies did not align with her expectations. “Although I had always been a top student in high school and primary school, being a student at Warsaw University was very difficult,” she says. “It felt like my brain just stopped working as it used to. Today, I know it was a stress response, but I also think it helped me follow my true path, which began in 1987 when I was seven and got my first computer, an Atari 65XE. It had to be IT.” She pivoted and applied to the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology, where she excelled. This was also where she cofounded her first company, Cyberion.

Cyberion, which provided shell accounts for Internet relay chats and hosting services, quickly scaled to serve over 20,000 users in Poland and became the leader in the market. However, despite its success, the business faced challenges. She and her cofounder had not protected themselves legally and ended up losing the business in a hostile takeover. “That was my first lesson: be responsible for managing your business, and don’t trust others because they are older and more experienced. Even if you are only a technical person and not the one with business skills.” 

Next, she founded Homplex, a platform that assists homeowners throughout the interior design process, from hiring teams to project execution. Due to limited resources, Anna initially focused on the inspiration-seeking and purchase-planning stages, with the plan to expand the features and fulfill the original vision as more resources became available. Homplex was a pioneering venture that introduced 3D visualization as a way for interior design stores and manufacturers to promote their products and bolstered sales for ecommerce platforms specializing in furniture, lighting and decor. The visualizations allowed customers to accurately recreate interiors by purchasing the exact products featured. This approach implemented the ideal “get the look” solution by ensuring that only items available for purchase in a given country were used, rather than similar alternatives.

In two years, Homplex generated tens of thousands of 3D models, which interior designers used to bring professional-level virtual staging within reach for everyone. The startup caught the attention of the Plug&Play accelerator program in California, US, and the team joined them in 2014. Unfortunately, after completing the program, the team lacked the resources to pursue international expansion. The market was not ready for the startup’s innovation, and it shut its doors at the end of 2016. “We realized that we had started five years too early and should have focused on an international approach from the start,” says Anna. 

Despite these significant challenges, Anna’s drive to innovate and create remained undeterred. While working on Homplex, she had grown close with fellow founders Borys Musielak (then CEO of Filmaster, now founding partner at SMOK VC) and Kuba Filipowski (cofounder and CEO of Netguru), and the three had decided to rent a house together in Stary Żoliborz to foster the growth of their companies and support each other’s journey. This resulted in Reaktor Warsaw, their own coworking space that quickly became a hub for other startup founders, business developers and investors in Warsaw.

“Reaktor was born out of necessity,” Anna says. “There weren’t many places where startups could meet and work together. So we began organizing networking events, and each month fifty to a hundred people eager to build tech products would gather in our garden for OpenReaktor meetups. Reaktor became a home for many young companies.” It also became a birthplace for numerous startups: it was here that many first ideas began to take root and future cofounders forged strong relationships, laying the groundwork for Warsaw’s emerging startup ecosystem.

This foundation was strengthened in 2017 with the creation of ReaktorX, an incubator founded by Borys Musielak and Diana Koziarska. The incubator nurtured even more startups and solidified Warsaw’s position in the global startup ecosystem. Reflecting on this time, Anna says, “Those were amazing, wonderful years that led to Warsaw’s startup ecosystem beginning to take root and flourish.”

Anna’s impact on the Warsaw startup scene didn’t stop there. She also helped to launch the Warsaw chapter of Startup Grind, a networking event to connect IT startups, scientists and seasoned entrepreneurs. Her vision for fostering the ecosystem led to creating an accelerator program, WAWac, in collaboration with the city of Warsaw. “Among the winners of the first edition were founders who developed their ideas into wonderful companies.” These included SoftwareMill, a software house that is now a joint-stock company with revenues in the tens of millions; Fitqbe (now WorkSmile), the fastest-growing employee-benefits platform; Pro Biostructures (now Leaderna Biostructures), whose “gene-to-structure” approach allows visualization of the atomic structure of newly designed proteins, such as antibodies; and Cellis, which focuses on macrophage-based drug delivery systems to treat solid tumors.

“When we started Startup Grind Warsaw, our goal was to bridge a significant gap by integrating scientists from various fields into the startup ecosystem,” she says. “We wanted to encourage the development of deep-tech startups by showing that entrepreneurship isn’t just for the IT sector but also for those in medicine, aviation, agriculture and more.” Through this venture, Anna curated events featuring seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and innovators. The events were designed to foster genuine connections and provide actionable advice, particularly to scientists who were cautious about stepping beyond scientific research to explore the potential of bringing their innovations to market. “The idea was to create an environment where people could come together, not just to listen to speakers but also to dive deep into specific industries through in-depth interviews focused on a particular sector. It was about creating the right conditions for meaningful discussions that could lead to finding partners, securing investment and turning innovative ideas into impactful products.” Startup Grind Warsaw quickly gained traction, becoming a cornerstone of the city’s growing startup community. 

Today, Anna is the chief technology officer and cofounder of ProperGate, a company focused on solving logistics issues in the construction industry. ProperGate was born out of a desire to streamline construction logistics – a sector ripe for innovation but fraught with inefficiencies. “ProperGate emerged from a real problem anticipated during the Varso Tower project, which began in 2016,” she says. “The developer, aware of the complexities of the city-center location and the massive volume of deliveries required for the simultaneous construction of three buildings, was concerned that the typical lack of coordination on construction sites would lead to traffic congestion, chaos and significant delays. When I fully understood the scope of the problem, I realized that developing a technology to address it was vital. It became my mission, which I have been pursuing for the past seven years with our great team.” 

The company quickly gained traction, raising €1 million to expand its operations. “Warsaw has been instrumental in ProperGate’s success. The city’s ecosystem provides the talent and resources needed to grow, as well as a community of like-minded individuals who understand the unique challenges of scaling a startup.” In many ways, ProperGate encapsulates the spirit of Warsaw’s startup ecosystem. The city, like the construction industry, was undergoing a transformation. As Warsaw grew, so did the demand for more efficient and sustainable building methods. ProperGate’s success reflects Anna’s ability to anticipate these trends and position her company at the forefront of the industry.

Anna’s journey has been one of continuous learning. She has learned the importance of staying true to her vision, even when the path is uncertain, and that business success is not just about a great idea but also about execution, perseverance and adapting to changing circumstances. Although she faced many personal and professional challenges, including struggles with depression, financial difficulties and the loss of loved ones, she continued to push forward, driven by her passion for solving problems, nurturing communities and helping others. This is especially important to her due to the often solitary nature of entrepreneurship. “I think many entrepreneurs end up feeling lonely,” she says. “They shouldn’t be.”

For Anna, Warsaw is more than just a place to live and work; it has become an integral part of her personal and professional identity. She is particularly drawn to the city’s energy, which she describes as a driving force behind her continuous push for innovation. “I just love the way the city evolves. It’s very well managed,
and people in Warsaw are brilliant and
hard-working.” Most of all, the sense of community in Warsaw, which she had been instrumental in helping to cultivate, is a constant source of inspiration for her. “Warsaw is where I’ve learned, grown and found a community that supports and challenges me. It’s home.”

Warsaw’s resilience – its ability to overcome its historical challenges and emerge as a modern metropolis – also resonates with her experiences as an entrepreneur facing and conquering obstacles. “Warsaw teaches you to be adaptable. It’s a city that’s constantly changing, and, as an entrepreneur, you must change with it.” This adaptability and willingness to embrace change are qualities that Anna deeply values, both in her personal life and in her approach to business. “Warsaw has given me so much, and I feel strongly connected to this city,” she says. “It’s a place to do business and inspires you to think bigger and aim higher.”

What’s your favorite book?

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.

What’s your favorite podcast?

Design Your Life (pl. Zaprojektuj Swoje Życie).

What is your most used app?

LinkedIn.

When did you found your first business?

I was twenty years old. 

Do you have a favorite restaurant?

Bosko TuThai near Koneser.

A green space you recommend? 

Krasiński Garden.

A museum you recommend?

The Museum of Life in the Polish People’s Republic and Soho art Center for immersive exhibitions. I was totally amazed by Klimt.

One thing a newcomer should bring to Warsaw?

You don’t need anything but optimism. 

One thing to do on the weekend?

Sauna at Sante.

One thing you’ve always been curious to try out in the city? 

Definitely not legal: night-time drag racing on a 1/4 mile.

ProperGate specializes in logistics management systems for the construction industry. These systems streamline supply-chain processes in large-scale construction projects, enhance efficiency, reduce costs and minimize delays, meaning construction sites receive the resources at the right time.

propergate.co

This article is included in The Explorer Series Warsaw, alongside more founder stories and expert insights. Order your copy now!

Written by Yessica Klein

Photography by Sebastian Rzepka