The ROStartup Ecosystem Association, the umbrella organization representing Romania’s national startup ecosystem, aims to align strategies, improve communication, and amplify impact through the synergies created among the ecosystem’s organizations.
ROStartup is now an independent, unique organization in Romania that unites investors, startup program providers, public authorities, and other relevant entities—essentially all the key players who drive the success of startups in Romania.
“By establishing the ROStartup Ecosystem Association, we mark a historic moment and open new horizons. ROStartup aims to support organizations in their activities rather than create competing programs, thus becoming a catalyst for them. The Association’s vision is for Romania to become one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs, the ideal place to start and develop a scalable startup,” declares Vlad Gliga, President of the Association.
The ROStartup initiative began in 2020 and has received the support of the European Commission, the World Bank, the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, and other governmental authorities.
After extensive public consultations involving over 100 active participants in the startup industry, a key recommendation was establishing an umbrella organization to unite the ecosystem’s representatives. Such organizations play a crucial role in startup ecosystems by providing a coordinated framework and integrated support for various involved actors.
They add value by enhancing impact, advocating for favorable legislation, and promoting internationalization, thus creating sustainable conditions for the development of startups.
“Until now, Romania was one of the few European countries without an organization representing the startup ecosystem. It is time for ROStartup to officially become the voice of the ecosystem, and this official recognition is the result of the continuous efforts of a core group of people. From the beginning, ROStartup was envisioned as a community project for the community, led by the community,” says Adina Simionescu, CEO of ROStartup.
As a result of the efforts over the past four years, which included workshops, market research, conferences, and discussions with successful global ecosystems, a budget has been allocated to the ROStartup Association through POCIDIF. This budget will be directed through public calls to increase capacity and amplify the impact of programs run by organizations within the ecosystem.
The Association’s Board of Directors includes Bianca Muntean (Co-founder & Cluster Manager Transilvania IT Cluster), David Achim (Executive Director Make IT in Oradea), Mircea Vădan (Managing Partner Activize), Răzvan Crăciunescu (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications, and Information Technology at the POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest), Vlad Craioveanu (Co-founder & CEO Impact Hub Bucharest), Andrei Cosmin Munteanu (Co-founder & CEO Cowork Timișoara).
At the time of its establishment, ROStartup Ecosystem has 15 founding members, including investment funds, startup support organizations, and acceleration programs: Growceanu, TechAngels Romania, Activize, Freshblood, ADR Nord-Est / Rubik Hub, Innovation Labs, How To Web, Make IT in Oradea, Impact Hub Bucharest, Cluj Startups, Timișoara Startups, Iceberg, Spherik Accelerator, Transilvania IT Cluster, ADR Nord-Vest.
