Polish startups struggle with visibility and often lack communication strategies – interview with Florence Sardas (Forvis Mazars)

An interview prepared by MamStartup with Florence Sardas, Partner and Chief Transformation Officer at Forvis Mazars, offers a wealth of advice, suggestions, and in-depth insights into the Polish innovation ecosystem. It’s essential reading for founders who are serious about scaling their companies.

🔹 Guest of French Tech Connect and XFactory — what surprised her about the Polish startup scene?

As a representative of Forvis Mazars, proud sponsor of French Tech Connect — the largest event connecting French entrepreneurs with the Polish innovation ecosystem — and founder of XFactory, a startup accelerator in Poland inspired by the French model, Florence Sardas had the opportunity to observe the Polish scene up close.

What impressed her most was the depth of technical talent and entrepreneurial energy in sectors such as AI, fintech, and deep tech. Poland employs over 580,000 ICT specialists, making it one of the largest pools of tech talent in Central and Eastern Europe. The country is also making progress in advanced technologies — quantum computing (with its first computer expected in 2025) and artificial intelligence (including a Polish large language model and participation in EU AI initiatives).

In her view, Polish startups are increasingly eager to engage with international markets, and XFactory actively supports this expansion.

🔹 Visibility problem — the biggest challenge

Despite its potential, Poland remains underrepresented on the international stage. A telling example is the country’s first-ever participation in VivaTech — Europe’s largest technology event — which only happened this year.

Thanks to initiatives like French Tech Connect and platforms like XFactory, Sardas emphasizes that it’s possible to build bridges between ecosystems and accelerate the global reach of Polish innovation. Poland is on track to become a major player in Europe’s tech landscape.

🔹 Why don’t Polish startups gain global recognition?

According to Sardas, there are several reasons:

Limited access to global investor networks There’s a lack of integration with international structures. Western Europe still tends to overlook Eastern Europe, despite its technological edge and cost efficiency.

Funding gap at the growth stage While early-stage funding is increasingly available, later-stage investments remain limited. Poland’s venture capital culture is still young, shaped by the post-communist transformation of the 1990s.

Risk aversion Founders tend to be cautious about aggressive scaling or pivoting strategies, which can limit their ability to seize global opportunities.

Regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles The regulatory environment, although improving, is still complex and slow-moving, which hinders rapid experimentation or expansion.

Weak branding and storytelling Polish startups often have world-class products but lack the communication strategies needed to stand out globally. Without emotional storytelling, it’s hard to build international visibility.

🔹 Are impact startups still seen as less profitable by VC funds?

At XFactory, the mission is to support tech companies with a positive social and environmental impact. Although the investment landscape is evolving, many traditional VC funds still perceive such ventures as less profitable or more risky.

Sardas points to outdated assumptions that “doing good” and achieving strong financial results are mutually exclusive. In reality, there’s growing evidence that impact-driven startups perform better in the long run — especially as consumers, regulators, and corporations shift toward sustainability.

🔹 What barriers do impact startups face?

Visibility and access to global networks Business models with non-financial KPIs (e.g. CO₂ reduction, inclusion) raise additional skepticism among Western investors.

Funding gaps Traditional investment culture favors fast returns and proven models. Impact ventures often require more time and patient capital.

Narrative challenges Founders from Eastern Europe tend to communicate pragmatically, which doesn’t always resonate with Western investors seeking inspiring stories.

XFactory is working to change this narrative — helping startups align mission with profitability and craft stories that convince investors.

🔹 How to get into XFactory?

The platform supports tech startups operating in complex stakeholder environments — including clients, partners, and regulators. Collaboration with Forvis Mazars gives them access to expert knowledge in financial structuring, regulatory compliance, and international expansion.

📘 Florence Sardas: Innovation must serve a purpose, not fashion — on responsibility, strategy, and tech culture

Florence Sardas, Partner and Chief Transformation Officer at Forvis Mazars, and co-founder of XFactory, shares how large organizations can implement innovation not as a buzzword, but as a real driver of business value. Her reflections — shaped by years of experience — touch on the fundamentals of innovation culture, technological responsibility, and Poland’s role in the European startup ecosystem.

🔹 Innovation Ambassadors — how large companies learn to think like startups

Florence Sardas co-created the Innovation Ambassadors network at Forvis Mazars to turn innovation from a slogan into a measurable, practical process embedded in teams and projects. In her view, innovation in large companies only works when guided by the same principles that drive successful startups:

Focus on measurable impact — every innovation must solve a real problem, from customer experience to operations and new services. KPIs as a compass — teams define success metrics from the start, not just financial ones, but also adoption, performance, and sustainability. Strategic alignment — innovation must align with the company’s broader goals, creating value for clients, employees, and communities.

At Forvis Mazars, as at XFactory, the rule is clear: if innovation doesn’t serve a defined purpose or support a larger vision, it won’t scale.

Artificial Intelligence Must Be Auditable, Understandable, and Safe

As an audit firm, Forvis Mazars treats responsibility, compliance, and security as the foundation of its approach to AI — both internally and in client-facing work. Florence Sardas outlines the key principles of responsible AI implementation:

Structure and governance — creating ethical and regulatory frameworks involving technical experts, compliance specialists, ESG professionals, and business representatives.
AI auditing — traceability, transparency, and the ability to challenge outcomes are standard, just as in financial systems.
Redefining ROI — AI must deliver not only efficiency but also qualitative value: better decision-making, greater accessibility, and reduced friction in the customer journey.
Aligning technology with business purpose — AI must not be a “solution in search of a problem”; every initiative begins with a challenge, followed by the right tool.
Education and leadership by example — internal AI sessions with Mazars leaders (including deepfake demos) are designed to activate and inspire teams toward conscious AI adoption.

For Sardas, responsible AI implementation is not just a function — it’s a strategic and ethical stance.

🔹 Poland as a Hub for Responsible Technology? The Ingredients Are There — Now It’s Time to Scale

Florence Sardas sees enormous potential in Poland as a future center for responsible technology development in Europe. Her arguments:

Human capital — over 580,000 ICT specialists, a strong engineering tradition, and a competitive developer environment.
Operational efficiency — high quality and lower costs encourage international companies to locate R&D in Poland.
A new wave of entrepreneurship — initiatives like XFactory support projects with global ambitions and social impact.

At the same time, Sardas points out what still needs to happen:

Greater global visibility — more presence at international events, stronger partnerships, and cross-border investments.
A mature investment culture — greater risk tolerance and investment in deep tech and impact ventures at the growth stage.
Modern regulatory frameworks — ethical AI, data privacy, ESG — all aligned with European standards.
Stronger storytelling and branding — founders from Eastern Europe must better communicate their value and vision.
Public-private-academic collaboration — key to innovation transfer and building a sustainable ecosystem.

In her view, Poland has the recipe — now it must scale it boldly.

🔹 From Auditor to Transformation Architect — The Evolution of an Innovation Leader

Sardas began her career in 2007 in the audit department. There, she learned rigor, ethics, and responsibility. But it was precisely the structure and regulations that led her to explore transformation.

“True innovation doesn’t mean abandoning rules. It’s about finding creative ways to grow within them,” Sardas emphasizes.

This belief guides her work at both Forvis Mazars and XFactory — where innovation serves a purpose, not fashion. When treated with discipline, ambition, and clarity, it can shape the future of technology and business on a global scale.

📘 Florence Sardas: From Control to Trust, From Function to Culture — The Transformation of an Innovation Leader

Florence Sardas, Partner and Chief Transformation Officer at Forvis Mazars, and co-founder of the XFactory platform, shares reflections on her development as a leader and the key shifts in her approach to innovation. Her experience spans audit, global transformation management, and support for tech startups with positive social impact.

🔹 From process to purpose Early in her career, Sardas equated innovation with system improvement and workflow optimization. Today, through her work at XFactory and initiatives around responsible AI, she sees innovation as a tool for real impact — on teams, clients, and society. Efficiency matters, but values and outcomes are the true compass.

🔹 From expert to enabler As a young auditor, she focused on mastering technical skills. Over time, she came to view leadership as the ability to empower others — creating space for experimentation and growth. Founding XFactory was a turning point: it showed her that the most effective ideas often come from those closest to the problem.

🔹 From control to trust In audit, control is fundamental. But in innovation, trust is the most valuable currency. Sardas learned to operate in uncertainty, trust interdisciplinary teams, and promote co-creation across technology, compliance, ESG, and business.

🔹 From KPIs to impact metrics She has always believed in measurement — but today she advocates for updated KPIs that reflect social impact, inclusion, and sustainability. This approach applies to both AI projects and startup work, where efficiency goes hand in hand with human value.

🔹 From function to culture For Sardas, innovation is no longer a department — it’s a way of working. Through transformation programs and the Innovation Ambassadors network, she consistently builds a culture of innovation within Forvis Mazars. In her view, every team, leader, and client interaction is a potential source of positive change.

Her final insight? For Florence Sardas, innovation is not a goal in itself — it’s a way of leading, listening, and learning. And it’s most powerful when it’s inclusive, responsible, and anchored in a greater purpose.

🔹 Advice for a Young Polish Startup Launching Its MVP? Sardas Has No Doubts

Her advice to founders: build with impact, measure transparently, and communicate with confidence.

The Polish market is rich in talent and technical competence, but still underrecognized globally. That’s why Sardas recommends:

Solve real problems — your MVP must have meaningful impact, not just technical merit.
Define KPIs from day one — not only for performance, but also for user experience, sustainability, and inclusion.
Tell your story — without emotion and vision, even a great product may not break through globally.
Don’t delay internationalization — your MVP is not the end, but the beginning of conversations with mentors, investors, and global partners.

The good news? The timing is right. The recently signed Nancy Treaty between France and Poland signals deeper cooperation in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It opens new doors to European ecosystems, funding, and partnerships — especially for startups focused on responsible technologies.

“Your startup doesn’t just belong to Poland — it belongs to Europe,” Sardas concludes.

📎 Source: MamStartup