Poland

On 16 December 2025, the Polish Government Legislation Centre published a draft law on strengthening the enforcement of the right to equal pay for men and women for equal work or work of equal value. The law implements in Poland Directive (EU) 2023/970 of the European Parliament and of the Council, known as the ‘equal pay and pay transparency directive’. The planned regulations are in line with the proposed key provisions announced in late November/ early December, and their main objective is to eliminate the gender pay gap. According to Eurostat data, in 2023, this gap in Poland was 7.8%, i.e. less than the EU average of 12.0%. The draft law imposes new requirements on employers and broadens the scope of employees' rights relating to pay equality and transparency. In addition, the powers of state authorities that supervise the implementation of the equal pay principle will be increased. The key issues covered by the draft law include: the obligation to conduct a job evaluation and determine categories of employees on the basis of criteria adopted by the employer, transparency in determining pay levels and pay progression, the obligation for employers to prepare a pay gap report (mandatory for employers with at least 100 employees) and submit it to the monitoring body (every three years for employers with 100 to 249 employees, and every year for employers with at least 250 employees), the obligation for employers to take remedial action when the gender pay gap in any category of employees is at least 5% and is not justified by objective, gender-neutral criteria, the obligation to conduct a joint pay assessment with the trade union or employees’ representatives if the pay gap in any category is at least 5%, the employer cannot justify it on the basis of objective criteria and does not eliminate the difference within 6 months; this obligation will apply to employers with at least 100 employees, the appointment of new national bodies (a monitoring body, an equality body) and granting new powers to the National Labour Inspectorate, a more precise definition of the rights of employees with respect to whom the employer has violated the rights or obligations relating to the principle of equal treatment in employment in terms of the right to equal pay, irrespective of gender, penalties (a fine ranging from PLN 3,000 to PLN 50,000) for, e.g., failure to conduct a job evaluation, lack of access to information on the criteria for determining employees' pay, failure to provide information to employees, failure to comply with reporting obligations, lack of the joint pay assessment, failure to implement remedial measures, introduction of a prohibition on disclosure of pay in contracts. Before the new regulations come into force, we recommend that employers take steps to ensure their employee documentation meets the new requirements in Poland, i.e.: Review their internal employment law regulations (remuneration rules, work rules) and contracts of employment for compliance with the provisions on equal pay and pay transparency. Describe transparent pay and promotion systems and principles in their internal employment law regulations. Prepare procedures and document templates needed for the employees to obtain information referred to in the provisions on equal pay and pay transparency. According to the draft law, the planned solutions will come into force in Poland on 7 June 2026. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Wiewiórski Legal.

KWKR had the pleasure of advising all shareholders of Addepto in the process of selling the company’s shares to KMS Technology, backed by the private equity fund Sunstone Partners. The transaction represents an important milestone, concluding nearly five years of intensive cooperation and investment. As part of the services provided, KWKR advised on the comprehensive preparation and execution of the transaction. Thanks to the effective collaboration of the team, the process was carried out efficiently and securely for our client, contributing to the successful closing of the transaction. The transaction was led by partner Paulina Opiełka and senior associate Aleksander Bobrowski. The team also included associate Kamil Stengert (corporate) and associate Weronika Szachniewicz (intellectual property). The buyer was represented by Dentons and Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP. One of the company’s shareholders was Grape Up, which invested in Addepto nearly five years ago. During this period, also with the involvement of KWKR experts, the company worked closely with the Addepto team, helping to build organizational structures, scale products and services, and acquire corporate clients. For Grape Up, the transaction marks a new chapter. The company continues to expand its capabilities in AI and deepen its industry expertise in the automotive, manufacturing, financial and aviation sectors, while also actively seeking new investment opportunities in technology product companies—particularly in areas such as cybersecurity and medtech. Once again, KWKR has confirmed its expertise in effectively supporting investment transactions in the technology sector, contributing to the development of the innovative business ecosystem in the Polish market.     Bogdan Setlak Marketing specialist [email protected] +48 504 034 729

KWKR had the pleasure of supporting the Luxembourg investment fund Radix Ventures in the process of investing in the Polish company Proteine Resources. This investment was particularly interesting for the KWKR team, as it enabled us to deepen our expertise in the field of advanced biotechnology. As part of the services provided, KWKR advised on the comprehensive due diligence of the company as well as the drafting and negotiation of the investment agreement. Thanks to the cooperation between the teams, we were able to optimise the investment process, which contributed to building solid business relations between Radix Ventures and Proteine Resources. The transaction was led by partner Paulina Opiełka and senior associate Aleksander Bobrowski. The due diligence process was additionally supported by associates Dominik Korybalski and Katarzyna Mikosz (corporate), managing associate Bartosz Łabęcki and associate Weronika Szachniewicz (IP), associate Kamila Kasprzyk (real estate), and associate Anna Bartosiak (compliance). In the investment process, we cooperated with CK Legal. We sincerely thank them for the fruitful cooperation. It is worth emphasising that this is another Radix Ventures investment carried out with the support of KWKR. This year, we also supported the fund in its investment in the Latvian company Naco Technologies [link: https://kwkr.pl/kwkr-doradzala-radix-ventures-przy-inwestycji-w-naco-technologies/], specialising in hydrogen technologies, as well as in the Polish company Fresh Inset, a leader in innovative CleanTech solutions [link: https://kwkr.pl/kancelaria-kwkr-doradzala-radix-ventures-podczas-inwestycji-w-spolke-fresh-inset/]. Proteine Resources is a Polish innovator in the biotechnology sector that has developed patented EntoPro™ ingredients, significantly transforming the pet feed market. The solution stands out by combining AI-driven autonomous production, advanced biotechnological innovation, and a circular economy model that turns agricultural by-products into high-value ingredients. KWKR has once again confirmed its expertise in effectively supporting international investment projects, contributing to the development of innovative and sustainable technologies on the Polish and European markets.   Bogdan Setlak Marketing specialist [email protected] +48 504 034 729

The KWKR law firm provided comprehensive legal services to the funds Digital Ocean Ventures Starter and 24Ventures in connection with their joint investment transaction in the company Muzaic, which is developing a platform for generating original soundtracks using artificial intelligence. The funds obtained will be allocated to further technology development, expansion to new creative platforms, and strengthening of the team. The KWKR team provided comprehensive legal support from conducting due diligence, through preparing the investment agreement, to final negotiations. The transaction on behalf of KWKR was supervised by a team of experts consisting of: partner Paulina Opiełka (corporate), senior associate Paweł Machowski (corporate), associates Dominik Korybalski (corporate), Anna Bartosiak (compliance), and Joanna Kik (TMT). The company and its founders were represented by the GSW Szalc i Wspólnicy law firm, with the project coordinated by attorney Maria Janicka. Muzaic addresses the main problem faced by video content creators – access to legal music that truly fits their projects. The platform generates original soundtracks within seconds, tailored to the style and mood of the material. The uniqueness of the solution lies in the use of AI models trained exclusively on the company’s own music, which ensures full legality of the works. Within a few months of its launch as a plugin in Canva, Muzaic gained over 250,000 active monthly users and is now expanding its presence to additional platforms, including Adobe Express, Premiere, and Final Cut. The transaction represents the third investment of the Digital Ocean Ventures Starter fund in the field of artificial intelligence solutions handled by KWKR, following previous support provided to the companies Flathub (Gaius-Lex project) [link: https://kwkr.pl/en/kwkr-advised-the-digital-ocean-ventures-starter-fund-on-its-first-investment-in-the-gaius-lex-project/] and 1Security [link: https://kwkr.pl/en/kwkr-advised-digital-ocean-ventures-starter-on-its-investment-in-1security/]. All the investments are part of the fund’s strategy to support innovative Polish startups developing AI-based solutions for various sectors of the economy. We are pleased that our team could once again support a project that uses artificial intelligence in an innovative way. We are convinced that Muzaic will contribute to the democratization of access to professional music production and open new opportunities for content creators around the world.   Bogdan Setlak Marketing specialist [email protected] +48 504 034 729