The Hard2beat VC fund—backed by Maciej Zawadziński, Konrad Trzyna, and Maciej Frankowicz—has just closed its first three transactions. A total of PLN 7.5 million has been invested in Neuromedical, Defguard, and DefendEye, and the fund shows no signs of slowing down. It plans to back at least five more startups before the end of the year.
Official Launch at Hard2beat Connect
The investments were announced during Hard2beat Connect, the fund’s inaugural event held on May 20, 2025. Although it has been a year and a half since the initial announcement of the fund’s creation, the team used this time to full advantage. These first transactions were made using FENG funds through the PFR Starter program—a long-awaited moment for Poland’s startup ecosystem, especially given the scarcity of capital in the pre-seed and seed stages in recent years. Hard2beat’s entry brings a fresh flow of funding for early-stage tech companies, sparking hope for market revitalization.
Neuromedical, Defguard, and DefendEye operate in diverse sectors—medtech, cybersecurity, and dual-use drone technology—but they all share one key trait: a defensible, hard-to-replicate technological advantage. “We invest in teams that are building something truly unique—solutions that can’t be easily copied. That kind of edge is essential for becoming part of our portfolio,” emphasized Konrad Trzyna.
The newly acquired capital will support the most difficult challenges of early-stage development: certification, MVP development, and launching pilot projects with clients. As Maciej Zawadziński explains, “We want to fund projects that combine ambitious science with real-world applications and have a clear path to global scalability.”
Meet the Startups Backed by Hard2beat
Neuromedical is a Polish-Israeli medtech venture developing VGuard, a compact device that stimulates the vagus nerve using electrical impulses. This stimulation activates brain regions responsible for memory and concentration. In clinical trials conducted by the company, patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia showed significant improvement. Hard2beat’s funding will help complete clinical research, obtain CE marking in Europe, and support efforts to secure FDA approval in the United States. The investment is part of a larger ongoing funding round.
Defguard offers a modern, open-source cybersecurity platform that gives organizations full control over access to their IT infrastructure. It integrates three core functions into a single, open, self-hosted solution: remote access (VPN), identity access management (IAM), and access lifecycle management (ALM). It’s the first solution to enforce multi-factor authentication directly at the WireGuard protocol level, addressing a critical security gap that previously prevented many organizations from adopting this modern VPN standard.
DefendEye is developing dual-use autonomous UAV systems for both civilian emergency response teams and military applications—such as soldier protection and border security. The system includes a drone, launch-tube, and cloud infrastructure, enabling rapid response and threat detection. The startup secured about PLN 4.8 million from Hard2beat, Sunfish Partners, and business angels, which will accelerate field testing and enable the launch of a small production line.
What’s Next for Hard2beat?
Following its energetic debut in May, Hard2beat has no plans to slow down. “We’re currently in advanced talks with two more startups and evaluating several others. Our goal is to close at least five new investments by the end of the year,” says Maciej Frankowicz, a fund partner. The team also emphasizes that it will actively support Neuromedical, Defguard, and DefendEye in future rounds by providing follow-on capital.
Source: ceo.com.pl
