In Romania’s startup ecosystem, talent is not the issue. Neither is ambition. What could make the difference is the kind of targeted support that helps promising startups leap from early traction to sustainable international growth. Through its Star Venture programme, the EBRD aims to do just that in Romania.
Five high-potential Romanian startups were selected to join the second edition of the EBRD Star Venture programme, a strategic initiative aimed at helping early-stage companies scale in ecosystems that have plenty of ideas but fewer scaleup pathways. The winners, Aqurate, FieldOS, Lendox, Sales Partner, and Synaptiq, now enter a two-year runway of tailored advisory, strategic diagnostics, and international exposure designed to break through barriers encountered by growth-stage startups.
The Star Venture programme doesn’t offer one-size-fits-all workshops but strategic input, as it’s built for post-MVP companies who’ve proven their core model and are now hitting specific barriers such as limited funding, narrow networks, and the absence of structured, boardroom-level guidance.
For Victoria Zinchuk, who leads EBRD’s operations in Romania, this year’s edition marks a significant moment for the local ecosystem:
“It is inspiring to see such a high level of enthusiasm and support for our flagship Star Venture programme. Building on the strong results we’ve seen in Romania since 2022 and the successes observed in other markets, we’re confident that this year’s edition of the Star Venture programme will provide a powerful boost to the growth journeys of these high-potential Romanian companies.”
This edition of the programme kicked off with a high-stakes pitch event at Banca Transilvania’s Stup in Bucharest, where ten carefully selected startups went head-to-head in front of an experienced jury. The atmosphere felt sharp and professional, thanks to the high quality of the pitches, the preparedness of the founders and the diversity of solutions, which made the event highly interactive, keeping every presentation relevant for everyone in the room.
The jury included: Victoria Zinchuk, Head of Romania at the EBRD; Ilinca Păun, founder of Bravva Angels; Daniela Marin, Principal Manager at EBRD; Dan Mihaescu, founding partner at GapMinder VC and Florin Vișa, partner at Early Game Ventures.
The panel was tasked with a difficult mission: evaluating each company not just on the strength of their technology or traction, but on their potential to scale sustainably and benefit from a highly personalized support structure.
Here’s who made the cut:
- Aqurate, helping ecommerce businesses grow through personalized AI-powered product recommendations;
- FieldOS, a no-code SaaS platform for operations-heavy industries, simplifying how frontline teams manage workflows in the field;
- Lendox, ringing transparency to business lending with its credit intelligence platform, aiming to fix a market where SMEs often fly blind;
- Sales Partner, ready-to-use, but customizable solution, dedicated to the Automotive industry, automating the entire sales & approval processes, from lead & planning to reporting;
- Synaptiq, the MedTech player developing advanced software that increases the efficiency of radiotherapy by automating the contouring process.
Together, these startups represent the next wave of Romanian scale-up candidates, strong in product, promising in traction, but still at risk of stalling without the right support.
The five were chosen from a field of ten finalists that also included notable names like Alt.Real (photovoltaic systems), dMonitor (regulatory compliance), E-Mobility Rentals (EV sharing), TelePaws (veterinary telemedicine), and theCoRD (AI coaching for distributed teams). Each of the shortlisted startups showed ambition, and the final decision came down to scalability, strategic fit, and readiness to absorb and act on feedback.
The reward? Over the next 24 months, the selected founders will receive up to €40,000 worth of strategic business advice, participate in expert-led workshops delivered by Cambridge University, and engage in structured mentoring sessions with international entrepreneurs, operators, and investors. They’ll also gain direct access to EBRD’s wider support network of funders, consultants, and potential commercial partners across Europe and beyond.
Backed locally by the TaiwanBusiness – EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund through the EBRD’s Small Business Impact Fund, the programme is part of a broader push to turn Central and Eastern Europe’s startup energy into sustainable, globally competitive businesses. Nan-Yang Lee, of the Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava, underscored the long-term vision: “Our donor support for the Star Venture programme through the Taiwan Business-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund will drive innovation and unlock new opportunities for Romania’s dynamic startup ecosystem. I am excited to foster partnerships between Romanian stakeholders and the Taiwanese ecosystem and create new global success stories together.”
Since its global launch, Star Venture has helped over 350 startups. Now at its second edition in Romania, the programme is trying to solve a deeper problem: the mismatch between talent and infrastructure, early wins and long-term outcomes.
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 36 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 75 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well governed, green, resilient and integrated.
