Southeast Europe is experiencing an AI startup boom. This insight emerges from the second edition of the “RO AI MAP 2022/2023” report, a collaborative effort between Romania – based Techcelerator and Google for Startups. The purpose of this report is to bolster the growth of artificial intelligence startups in Romania and the broader Southeast European region.
“Starting with this year, in Eastern Europe, and particularly in Romania, we are witnessing a massive increase of AI startup ecosystem that is drawing significant international attention, thanks to a combination of factors including a regional talented workforce and access to resources. The latest trends indicate a surge in AI startups focusing on specific sectors such as healthcare, fintech, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, retail and the sustainability sector.” – said Cristian Dascălu, Managing Partner at Techcelerator.
Most founders have plans to attract new rounds of investments in the next two years. Among those who intend to attract investments, almost fifty percent aim to raise over one million euros during this period.
The report pursued a dual set of objectives: firstly, to discern and chart the landscape of artificial intelligence startups within the region, and secondly, to amass data concerning their progression since 2022. This encompassed their developmental phases, acquired or aspired funding rounds, and prospective aspirations and ambitions.
Romania leads the SEE AI Boom
There is a huge difference between the number of the AI startups in different SEE countries. Romania seems to be the leader of the pack, but the report is admittedly incomplete. Here are the rough numbers of AI startups in the SEE region:
The mapping is far from perfect, as evident from the suspiciously low number of AI Startups in Slovenia, but the good thing is that if you are an AI startup you can flag yourself on the map.
