How many startups raising in CEE build consumer products?
Consumer startups are a minority, not an exception. 18% of the CEE founders who applied to BADideas in 2026 so far build for consumers, against 58% selling to businesses and 21% selling through businesses to consumers. Consumer founders asked for a median of €440,000, against €600,000 for B2B.
The figures
| CEE applicants, 2026 (to date) | Consumer (B2C) | Business (B2B) |
|---|---|---|
| Share of applicants | 18% | 58% |
| Round asked, median | €440,000 | €600,000 |
| Applied with no revenue | 67% | 58% |
In BADideas application data, consumer founders apply with no revenue more often than B2B founders, which is why investors ask them for usage and retention instead.
What is changing
| Quarter | CEE applicants building consumer products |
|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | 23% |
| Q3 2025 | 22% |
| Q4 2025 | 17% |
| Q1 2026 | 20% |
| Q2 2026 | 21% |
| Q3 2026 | 13% |
The consumer share is down from 22% in 2025.
Across CEE
CEE founders who applied in 2025 and 2026 so far, and each country with enough applicants to show. Countries with fewer applicants are still counted in the CEE row.
| Where the founder is based | Consumer (B2C) | Business (B2B) |
|---|---|---|
| All of CEE | 20% | 54% |
| Baltics | 20% | 52% |
| Latvia | 17% | 53% |
| Estonia | 17% | 55% |
| Lithuania | 28% | 48% |
| Poland | 21% | 54% |
| Ukraine | 17% | 58% |
| Romania | 9% | 64% |
| Czechia | 29% | 58% |
| Bulgaria | 35% | 42% |
Consumer (B2C): highest in Bulgaria (35%), lowest in Romania (9%).
What it means for you
- A consumer app can raise in CEE. One founder in 6 pitching here builds one.
- Bring usage, not downloads. Without revenue, retention and the share of users who come back carry the pitch.
- Show the path to paying users. Investors will ask when and how consumers start paying.
Also answers
Do VCs in CEE only fund B2B?
Founders do not behave as if they do: 18% of CEE applicants in 2026 so far build consumer products. What we can show is what founders pitch, not what investors fund.
How we measured it
- Source: applications founders sent to BADideas, enriched with publicly available information where applicable.
- Limits: these are CEE only and early-stage companies.
- On this page: The business model is who pays: consumers (B2C), businesses (B2B), or businesses that serve consumers (B2B2C). This shows what founders pitch, not which companies investors back.
- Updated: 27 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "How many startups raising in CEE build consumer products?", updated 27 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/consumer-startups-cee
Read next
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- Will an AI startup stand out to investors in CEE?
- How do pre-seed startups in CEE split the money they raise?
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