Sport and innovation often go hand in hand. One can mention, for example, Respo.Vision, a Polish start-up that gained interest from global clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. Polish football is also interested in start-ups – Legia Warsaw has its Legia.Lab, and the Polish Football Association (PZPN) conducted the "Road to Qatar" acceleration program before the World Cup in Qatar, in which School of Pioneers graduate Justyna Bącela participated with her pilot project Wolfgoal. As every success of our program graduates pleases us, we are particularly pleased that Znika, a start-up creating and selling biodegradable packaging and tape, has started a collaboration with Warta Poznań.

At Warta Poznań, not just the grass on the field is green

Warta Poznań is currently the only club in the Polish top league with a developed ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy. The club strongly emphasizes ecology and sustainable development in its activities. - Green is not only the color of our team but a real value that goes beyond the brand of Warta Poznań. We are a club with a mission and a clear vision related to ecology, community, and sports - describes Jarosław Żubka, ESG and Image Commissioner of the Warta Poznań board. - Recently, we joined the initiative of European football clubs, "Forever Green," where, together with clubs like Real Betis and Manchester United, we develop and implement pro-environmental standards - adds Żubka.

Every month, we send several hundred packages to our fans or partners. For a long time, we have been looking for a way to introduce one of our most important values, which is ecology, into this area of Warta's activities. - comments Jan Jezierski, B2B Relations Manager of Warta Poznań. This is another sector where innovations and start-ups are the perfect solution for us. Thanks to the collaboration with the Znika team, we have implemented 100% natural and biodegradable packaging. Both envelopes and boxes are made from recycled materials or grass. We pay attention to details because even the adhesive tape is made from natural ingredients and is completely compostable. - adds Jezierski.

What does Znika do?

Znika is the winner of the fourth edition of the School of Pioneers PFR. They not only sell biodegradable packaging elements but also create their own, including envelopes and adhesive tapes. The packaging created by Znika is not only about ecology related to the product's life after use. Grass boxes or envelopes primarily contribute to a reduction in water and energy needed for packaging production by over 90%. The start-up began operating two years ago and, after securing funding from the LT Capital fund and business angels, is mainly developing its products.

- I think Warta Poznań is a great example that even traditional businesses can shift towards ecology and environmental care. From what I know, it is the first football club in Poland that particularly pays attention to its impact on the planet. Thanks to this, we quickly went from getting to know each other to real cooperation and its implementation - says Michał Kruszyński, CEO, and co-founder of Znika.

Recruitment for the School of Pioneers PFR is still on!

Znika and the previously mentioned Wolfgoal (and Weregolf, the golf project of Justyna Bącela, which won the third edition of the School of Pioneers PFR) are not the only successful solutions from our program created in collaboration with Allegro. Projects such as Jutro Medical, HearMe, Pora na Pola, Lume Label, and VividQ have also emerged from the program. Recruitment is ongoing for the sixth edition of our educational and venture-building program, during which participants will learn how to create a technological company from scratch and, above all, find people with whom they can do it. The sixth edition of the School of Pioneers is two weeks of intensive workshops that will take place in Warsaw and Prague.