Can the economy and unicorns have anything in common? As it turns out, they absolutely can. Searching for these mythical creatures requires a lot of faith, some courage, and above all, talent. These are all characteristics of Stefan Batory, who will be a guest on the Impact’21 autumn stage this October. Stefan Batory is a co-creator of Booksy, an app for booking services popular in Poland and around the world. He describes himself as a mathematician by education, an entrepreneur by profession, and an ultramarathon runner by passion. It's worth adding that he is also the CEO of a company that may soon be worth over a billion dollars, thus earning the title of a startup "unicorn". Simple Ideas and New Technologies In his work, Stefan Batory is fascinated by how simple ideas combined with new technologies can simplify the daily lives of millions of people. He leveraged his interest in mobile applications to create two apps that many of us have installed on our phones: Booksy and iTaxi. While preparing for an ultra-difficult marathon in the Sahara, he came up with the idea for an app that achieved global success. "I wanted to book an appointment with a physiotherapist and couldn't; we kept missing each other," he says. Therefore, together with his partner, they began to consider how to simplify booking such appointments. They decided to build a prototype of the app we know today as Booksy. This app is aimed at both service providers and clients. Through it, companies whose services are based on taking appointments can benefit from a simple booking management system. Clients, in turn, can quickly and conveniently book appointments with a hairdresser, beautician, physiotherapist, or even at a bank branch. For example, Alior Bank announced its cooperation with Booksy in June 2021. Unicorns Exist, You Just Need to Find Them Booksy is breaking popularity records in the United States, Great Britain, Spain, Poland, Mexico, and South Africa. It's no surprise, then, that at the end of 2020, the startup secured a record-breaking $70 million in funding for a Polish company, and subsequently began undergoing investment rounds valued at over $100 million. Experts therefore expect Booksy to soon achieve "unicorn" status. This term refers to technology startups valued at over a billion dollars. A Culture of Openness is Key to Success Stefan Batory attracted investors, including those in the United States. To get a closer look at startup environments, he moved with his family to Silicon Valley. "I wanted to connect with people who created apps like Uber or Airbnb, and also to attract investors," he explains. In his opinion, Silicon Valley is characterized by a culture of great openness, and the people who form it readily and selflessly share their knowledge. The creator of Booksy values this approach, and he intends to reinvest a significant portion of his app's profits in Poland to help Polish startups navigate the path he himself had to tread. He also considers participating in conferences and meeting young entrepreneurs to be a crucial part of his work. He wants to share knowledge, experience, and infect others with optimism. Therefore, it's no surprise that he will be among the guests at the autumn edition of Impact’21, on October 27th and 28th in Poznań. During the upcoming edition of the conference, which aims to popularize the most creative and visionary contemporary trends, Stefan Batory will participate in a discussion titled “The Future of Digital Technologies. How are Polish Companies Faring Globally?”.