By prioritizing privacy, autonomy, and collective governance, CoopTech Hub – an innovative tech cooperative that recently joined the NESsT Violet Fund – is supporting Polish organizations and communities to work together securely, transparently, and independently.
"Many people want to live in a better world, but think it can be achieved through top-down regulations and political will, “ explains Jan Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski, co-founder of PLZ Spółdzielnia and the cooperative technology center that grew out of it, CoopTech Hub. “At CoopTech Hub, we believe in building the future by strengthening communities, especially employees.”
CoopTech Hub challenges the assumption that cooperatives in Poland are outdated. It demonstrates that cooperative models can be innovative engines for today’s social and environmental challenges.
Photo: CoopTech Hub team
The CoopTech Hub team created and continues to develop the “Local Resource Platform” (PLZ in Polish) , a digital app that enables cooperatives, trade unions, municipalities, and community groups to communicate, collaborate, and manage projects. Unlike mainstream platforms, it does not collect or sell user data and avoids manipulative design practices.
Beyond building inclusive software solutions, CoopTech Hub provides education, capacity building, and incubation support for organizations looking to improve their digital practices. These include energy and food cooperatives, local governments, unions, and civil society groups.
Through this combination of digital tools and training, CoopTech Hub positions itself as a partner for strengthening local communities and addressing social and environmental challenges through technology.
Cooperative Governance: Inclusivity and Participation at the Center
CoopTech Hub is the second portfolio enterprise to join the NESsT Violet Fund – an impact fund that invests in enterprises that foster inclusive workplaces and communities for under-represented groups.
As a cooperative, CoopTech Hub operates without a traditional top-down management structure. Decision-making is shared among its members, who guide the organization through transparent, participatory processes. This model strengthens accountability and ensures that strategic choices reflect the needs and priorities of the community it serves, including people from the LGBTQIA+ community and other underrepresented groups.
CoopTech Hub emphasizes cross-collaboration, bringing together specialists in management, economics, philosophy, civic energy, and social action, ensuring its work is informed by diverse perspectives.
Technology Designed for Social Impact
CoopTech Hub’s digital tools and services were designed to support organizations strengthen local democracy, accelerate the energy transition, and build resilient community economies. Its work focuses on sectors where technological gaps are tied to social exclusion:
CoopTech Hub provides education, training, and guidance to cooperatives, trade unions, local governments, schools, NGOs, and cultural institutions, supporting them to adopt technology that aligns with their mission and values.
It incubates energy communities, supports the creation of development cooperatives, and guides municipalities through digital transformation processes.
It implements sustainable energy and economics projects, and promotes the idea of cooperation over competition.
It also develops technology solutions, such as its Local Resource Platform for community management and collaboration, and the Fairbnb.coop platform, which supports locally-led tourism ventures.
This approach comes from the conviction that innovation should function as a public good. By making digital tools and knowledge accessible, transparent, and available to everyone, CoopTech Hub is democratizing technology and ensuring that communities – not corporations – define how they use technology to shape their future.
“Our technologies and collaborative business models are not just products, but the infrastructure for a completely new wave of trusted communities. The only thing holding people back from creating a better world is a lack of the right tools. And we provide them.”
Diversity in the CoopTech Hub Team
At the heart of CoopTech Hub, like many cooperatives, is diversity, and its team reflects this commitment: 50% identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, 40% are women, and half are under 35. For many of the cooperative’s employees, CoopTech Hub is their first formal job.
Despite being a relatively small team of around 10 people, CoopTech Hub regularly surveys satisfaction levels and has in place clear channels for feedback, ensuring that every team member is respected, heard, valued, and supported.
CoopTech Hub and the NESsT Violet Fund
“CoopTech Hub’s collaboration with the NESsT Violet Fund builds on the cooperative’s existing work, which includes creating an inclusive workplace, and on its business model, which includes the products and services CoopTech Hub provides to various organizations and institutions. NESsT’s financial investment is intended to further develop the Local Resource Platform (PLZ), enabling CoopTech Hub to acquire new clients, build long-term partnerships, and innovate its services.”
As a part of the NESsT Violet Fund, CoopTech Hub will reinforce its commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) within its team and strengthen internal policies to ensure dignified employment opportunities and the best possible working conditions for under-represented groups across Poland. CoopTech Hub will also leverage NESsT’s portfolio of impact-first enterprises to create new opportunities for collaboration in the DEI space.
"It's always good to draw on the experience of other social entrepreneurs – and here, NESsT's expertise will be invaluable. Better processes mean better jobs and greater social impact," shares Jan Oleszczuk-Zygmuntowski. "Together with NESsT, we are building a new, technological foundation for the entire cooperative movement."
You can find out more about the NESsT Violet Fund and how to apply below.