RomanianStartups.com

The Romanian Internet Tech Startups Directory

News and Articles

Green Horse Games, a Romanian gaming startup, just got a Series A round of institutional funding. Previously, the startup has had an angel investment from a local angel investor, Malin Stefanescu, and he now has 11% of the company.

The entity which entered in the Green Horse Games shareholders is Catalyst Romania, a local private equity fund dedicated to Romania which is primarily financed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) via the JEREMIE initiative, BT Asset Management, part of Banca Transilvania group, and private equity company 3TS Capital Partners, which also manages the fund.

The fund invests mainly invests in local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the tech, media and telecom sectors. Catalyst invests EUR 200,000 to EUR 2 million in private projects. Its other investments so far have been in the avocatnet.ro law portal, in the elefant.ro online shop and in Simartis Telecom, a telecom solutions company.

The amount of the investment is not disclosed but Catalyst will be a  minority shareholder with 13%, all the money invested going to further development of the company and helping going international.

Green Horse Games main game project is Liga Ultras,  a project built around a simple idea: to bring football (for Americans, that is soccer) supporters together. It is a place where supporters can meet, win virtual cash by betting, collaborate to help their favorite team, and even be part of it as players or managers. Another project, smaller, is CarsCup, a game which allows a player to prove to the world which car brand has the best drivers (like a football management game for car enthusiasts).

 

George-Lemnaru-GreenHorseGamesThis financing will fuel Green Horse Games’ expansion into new markets, mainly through increased marketing activities and a larger team,” the company’s representatives said in a press release.

Green Horse Games is founded by George Lemnaru and Alex Stroe and has under 10 employees so far.

George Lemnaru is not at his first gaming startup. He was also the co-founder, in 2007, of eRepublik (by eRepublik Labs), a game which is a virtual version of our real world, one where wars are fought on a daily basis, economies boom and collapse, politicians are elected or fall into public disgrace, empires rise and fall. Every player is a citizen who contributes to his own fate and the fate of his country. This game has now about 5 million players throughout the world. Lemnaru also founded the first Romanian online store for natural products, NaturaPlant.ro, back in 2003.

 

3TS Capital (with branches in Bucharest, Budapest, Warsaw, Istanbul,  Prague and Vienna) other investments are in companies like Avangate, SolveDirect, LogMeIn, Mall.cz.

 

 

March 10, 2015 |

It’s the week after How to Web Conference 2014 and the team like to share the great news about the winners at Startup Spotlight 2014.

Organized in parallel with How to Web Conference 2014, Startup Spotlight brought together the best 31 teams building tech products with disruptive potential on a global level from 10 countries in the region.

 

The 8 Startup Spotlight 2014 finalists

The program kicked off with pitches from the startups selected in the competition, after which the jury announced the 8 finalists of Startup Spotlight who would have a chance to win the Best Startup prize.
Marketizator (the 3 in 1 conversion rate optimization platform for ecommerce websites)
Project Wipe (electronic glasses that help people with visual disabilities in orientation and obstacle avoidance)
Attensee (online eye-tracking insights for website conversion optimization)
Fittter (health and fitness mobile and web app that connects frequent business travelers with handpicked health coaches to provide them the tools to incorporate healthy habits on the road)
Avandor (Open Consumer Data Platform available as SaaS to the entire ecosystem made of sites, advertisers, agencies, ecommerce)
CloudPress (hosted platform for designers to create responsive WordPress sites visually and publish them with one click when they’re done)
Axosuits (affordable and easy to use exoskeletons for medical use)
ViewFlux (online collaboration platform for designers which helps them improve their workflow).

 

The Startup Spotlight 2014 winners

After two days of intense pitching sessions, and tough questions from the jury, the prizes were announced on the main stage at the conference. Let’s meet the happy winners:
Best Startup ($10.000) – Axo Suits (Romania)

best-startup-startupspotlight-2014-axosuits
Runner-up ($3.000) – Avandor (Romania)
IXIA Innovation Award ($5.000) – Project Wipe (Romania)
Best pitch in show ($2.000) – Latio Inc (Ukraine)

Startup Spotlight ended officially on Saturday, November 22, with a social event where participant startups had a chance to establish valuable connections with key leaders in the global tech industry.
Checkout more on How to Web blog.

RomanianStartups.com was a partner in promoting this event to Romanian startups.

November 29, 2014 |

This is a guest post on Adelina Peltea blog by Andreea Paraschiv, a passionate tech marketer who worked with startups and corporations like Intel, Microsoft, Kingston, VmWare, Maguay, CyberGhost and more.

 

Crowdfunding is a good way to test the demand for new products for early-stage start-ups. Based on our latest experience, we can say that crowdfunding works even better when you’re an established startup, and want to build a new product.

As Forbes put it, $95 billion – that’s the total amount crowdfunding is expected to reach this year.

 

With over 3.7M users, CyberGhost (the startup I am talking about, which is also profiled on RomanianStartups.com) – the “Privacy as a Service” company where I work, launched on 4th of September a call-to-action to its community to get their attention in building the first #NoSpyProxy. The #NoSpyproxy is a safe datacenter for Cyberghost’s users, located in the company’s headquarter in Romania, which will offer them an improved level of security and privacy.

Security is an industry where you need to be fast and continuously innovate, in order to stay ahead of spies, threats and competition. We really wanted to have our own #NoSpyProxy datacenter, in order to have 100% control over our hardware and offer our clients the very best. This was the boldest idea we’ve had so far and this is why we wanted to build it with the help of our community.

We chose to do crowdfunding, so we can test if there is actual demand and interest for such service. We needed €100,000 to build our #NoSpyProxy. And while the campaign will still run for 30 more days, we have already over achieved our target by 46%!

cyberghost-vpn-crowdfunding

How we did it

As CyberGhost has 2 main important communities (English and German), we’ve split our campaign… into 2 campaigns:

A campaign for the English market aiming to raise $70,000
A campaign for the German market aiming to raise €50,000

We’ve worked 3 months on this campaign. We had a complex story to tell, and we tried to find the right balance between a technical story (for techies) and an emotional story (for security passionate people, but with no technical background).

Having a well-established community helped us because we had very positive feedback (and donations) from the very first hours of the campaign.

Read More…

October 11, 2014 |

The Gemini Solutions Group in collaboration with Gemini Foundry Inc (founders: Theo Nissim, Florin C. Parlea, Serban Tir) are proud to announce that the third edition of Foundry conferences will take place on September 23, 2014. Our special guest will be Romain Lavault, General Partner and Head of Seed/Early Stage Fund at Partech in Paris.

The event will consist in a general talk about tech entrepreneurship followed by a presentation session where selected startups founders will showcase their startup in the hope of getting investment from Partech.

 

Register here  |  See the agenda here

 

The location will be at the Sky Tower building, 34th floor, Calea Floreasca nr. 246C, Bucharest. It will start at 16:30 PM and end after 19:45 PM.

Partech Ventures is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco, Paris and Berlin. Started in 1982, it’s a partnership with $650 million under active management.
It invested in startups like Daily Motion, Pulse.io, RockYou, Scoop.it, Touch of Modern, and many others having also several exits.
Romain Lavault – Partech Partner, short bio

Romain-Lavault-Partech-VenturesRomain joined Partech International in 2013 and focuses on seed and early stage opportunities in Data, Mobility, Internet and next-generation online services in Europe, with a particular focus on the French market.

Prior to joining Partech, Romain most recently served as a Vice President, Strategy and M&A at Dassault Systèmes, the 2nd largest software company in Europe. Romain sold and merged to Dassault Systèmes his prior company Intercim early 2011, specialized in web-based applications for advanced and distributed Manufacturing, for which he served as VP Sales Worldwide and VP Strategy.

Prior to Intercim, Romain lived a unique entrepreneurial adventure with the predictive analytics startup Pertinence between France and the US, where he relocated in 2005. At Pertinence, Romain served as VP Sales and Chief Operating Officer between 2001 and 2007, until Pertinence merged with Intercim.

Founded in 2005, Gemini Solutions has grown from three engineers to approximately 100 development and quality assurance engineers with significant experience in United States, Western Europe, and Israeli based companies. See more at www.geminisols.com.

 

RomanianStartups.com and Gemini Solutions partnered in finding the Romanian startups which will present at this third event in Bucharest.

September 20, 2014 |

Facebook just acquired Liverail, the leading publisher monetization platform for video, in a transaction valued around 400-500 million dollars.

Liverail was founded in 2007 by three people:
Mark Trefgarne (CEO, English)
Andrei Dunca (CTO, Romanian)
Sergiu Biris (Romanian)

Andrei Dunca and Sergiu Biris were also associated previously with founding Trilulilu.ro, the Youtube of Romania, a site which is the leading service provider in the Romanian online entertainment.

The company, Liverail, has 170 employees and 50 from among them are located in the city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania (most probably the technical arm of the startup). The main office is in San Francisco with secondary offices in New York, Paris and London.

Liverail-founders

Liverail connects marketers to publishers in realtime and was on track to serve 7 billion ads a month and on a pace of 200 million dollars in gross revenue this year (thus, the amount Facebook supposedly paid for the company is credible).

Some of the big customers Liverail has are ABC Family, Major League Baseball, A&E Networks, Gannett, Dailymotion.

“When we started talking to the team at Facebook about how we could work together, it quickly became clear that we shared a vision for the future of digital advertising. They believed, as we do, that publishers deserve a new generation of audience-aware advertising technology. We realized that by joining forces we’d be able to draw upon our respective strengths to move even faster towards our shared vision of creating the advertising platform of the future.”, said Mark Trefgarne, Liverail CEO.

 

“We believe that LiveRail, Facebook and the premium publishers it serves have an opportunity to make video ads better and more relevant for the hundreds of millions of people who watch digital video every month. More relevant ads will be more interesting and engaging to people watching online video, and more effective for marketers too. Publishers will benefit as well because more relevant ads will help them make the most out of every opportunity they have to show an ad.” mentions Brian Boland, Vice-President of Ads Product Marketing and Atlas at Facebook.

Read More…

July 3, 2014 |

ZDNet, the well known US tech publication, just ran an article about Romania and its IT/tech startups industry.
RomanianStartups.com, this website, was mentioned there.

Here is an excerpt from the article.
——————-

In Eastern Europe the recipe for success starts by thinking on a global scale from the very beginning. The local market is not profitable enough for a startup to survive without looking beyond the country’s borders. “Even though Romania is the seventh country in the EU in terms of population, its digital market does not provide too many opportunities for local startups,Bogdan Iordache, co-founder of the How to Web Conference, told ZDNet.com.
……..
At the beginning of 2015, there were over 250 active startups listed on RomanianStartups.com, a directory that brings together the major players in the local startup ecosystem. It includes seven accelerators, 40 events, 10 co-working spaces, and a little over 500 founders. Most of the startups fall into the categories of mobile, software, services, and SaaS/PaaS, but some boldly go into other specialisms, including the Internet of Things (DeviceHub, Nurss, Pocketo) or Bitcoin (Coinzone).

 

Five years ago there were very few startups, but in the last two or three years, the scene virtually exploded,Mircea Goia, founder of RomanianStartups.com, told ZDNet. The Achilles’ heel, he says, is the small number of investors. Startup founders need to get a few bucks from someone, another few from someone else and so on, to get them through to the day when they become self-sustainable.

Some startups have their HQ abroad, where they can be more visible, while maintaining the tech team in Romania.

………

Upcoming Romanian startups, standing on the shoulder of giants, should have an easier task. To hit big, founders need to stop thinking like developers and start becoming businessmen, How to Web’s Iordache says.

There’s one mistake I see over and over again: too much focus on building product features and too little understanding of what a product or business means. The outsourcing and product cultures are very, very different and product creators need different skills.

Those who want to build their own startup feel they have to relocate at some point, preferably early on. Most of the Romanian companies that hit headlines were founded by local tech engineers abroad, or have received help from foreign businessmen.

[Success stories] attributed to Romanian origins were in fact companies that moved to the UK or US in order to get access to capital and network,Marius Deak from startup Avandor told ZDNet.com. “We’ve met some of the big funds. Their policy is usually: come to our country to get investment.
——————

Head on ZDNet.com and read the full article (writer: Andrada Fiscutean).

January 22, 2015 |

Early stage tech startup in the CEE looking for investments, mentoring opportunities and valuable connections?
Then you should not miss the opportunity to be part of How to Web Startup Spotlight, competition and orientation program with 20.000 USD cash prizes for the best 32 teams in the region.

Applications are now open on the program website http://www.startupspotlight.co/competition.

Are you ready to take the main stage by storm at How to Web Conference? If you’re one of the finalists of Startup Spotlight 2014 you’ll get to pitch on the conference’s main stage in front of the entire audience. This is your chance to gain regional and international exposure, receive expert advice, establish meaningful connections and, on top of all this, compete for fantastic prizes with a total value of 20.000 USD!

What’s it all about?

Startup Spotlight is an intense competition and orientation program for early stage startups in the CEE working on tech products with disruptive potential. Workshops and dedicated mentoring sessions, top notch investors, early stage investment funds and accelerator representatives, await you in between November 19 and 22 in Bucharest to help you grow your startup faster and take advantage of the market opportunities!

how-to-web-startup-spotlight-2014

What’s in it for you?

Still thinking about it? Here’s a short glimpse at the benefits you’ll enjoy by attending the program:

  • The unique opportunity to pitch on the main stage of How to Web Conference 2014
  • 20.000 USD cash prizes offered by IXIA, main partner of the program
  • One-to-one meetings with experienced mentors and renowned professionals from all around the world. Check out the complete mentors list here
  • Valuable connections with world class early-stage investment funds, angel investors and accelerators. You’ll get to meet representatives of 500 Startups, TechStars, Seedcamp Startupbootcamp, Early Bird Ventures, 3TS Capital or Connect Ventures among many others – the full list of investors is available here
  • The chance to meet strategic partners and savvy advisers

Year over year, 35% of the startups that attended Startup Spotlight closed important deals as a result of attending the program. The previous edition’s report is out so feel free to check here how the last year’s startups did and see why Startup Spotlight is definitely the place to be this November.

Read More…

October 14, 2014 |

After months on the drawing board then in preparations, one of the few startup accelerators in Romania, Spherik Accelerator is opening the call for a rigorous, four months entrepreneurial program taking place in the city of Cluj-Napoca, that helps carefully selected teams of tech innovators develop and strengthen the necessary set of skills to develop a business.

The program brings together local and international experts and entrepreneurs from the USA, Europe and Romania to provide Spherik teams with a strong mentorship network and exposure to diverse perspectives and international business.

 

Selected startups in the accelerator program receive:
• Mentoring from local and international experts
• Legal and incorporation assistance
• Individual office space, located at Liberty Technology Park
• Crowdfunding campaign and alternative financing support
• Investment exposure
• Free software including LaunchPad Central, Amazon AWS & more
• Networking events, deals and support from Spherik partners

spherik-accelerator-program-applications

Spherik Accelerator kicks off with EMPRETEC, an intense program developed by the United Nations and Harvard University designed to identify entrepreneurial competencies. After the10 days of EMPRETEC, teams embark on the core of our accelerator program, culminating with a Demo Day scheduled for March 2015.

Spherik Accelerator provides a comprehensive, cohort-based program in a collaborative and supportive environment. Teams will build connections, learn, teach others and still remember how to play and have a good laugh from time to time.

 

The call for Spherik Accelerator program is open between 1st-15th of October. See the program details and the online application form at: http://spherikaccelerator.com/spherik-programs

 

Spherik Accelerator is, of course, listed on our RomanianStartups.com website under the Accelerators/Incubators section.

October 7, 2014 |

Two Tap, based in San Francisco, USA, announced it has raised $2.7 million in seed funding and launched Two Tap 2.0, the first automated checkout solution that allows consumers to buy any product from any retailer on any mobile app or website. Featuring the most retailers of any online shopping cart with over 200 top companies, Two Tap is the fastest growing and most effective way for mobile app developers and publishers to enable purchases within their app and make money each time a consumer buys any product.

TwoTap was co-founded by Radu Spineanu and Razvan Roman and was the first Romanian startup to be accepted into YCombinator, the famous Silicon Valley accelerator.

twotap-co-founders

During the past six months, Two Tap has demonstrated phenomenal growth with a nearly 50x increase in monthly transactions. Its seamless solution has increased publishers’ mobile sales conversion rates by six to 10x, on par with desktop sales and among the industry’s best. The number of supported retailers also more than doubled with top brands being added. The company is well positioned to continue rapidly expanding beyond smartphones, tablets and desktop as its technology can be used on any web-connected device, including gaming consoles and wearable technology like Google Glass.

Two Tap’s unique API does not require any technical integration from retailers and provides real-time access to all the data of every product across their entire inventory. Retailers can reach millions of new consumers wherever they decide to spend their time online, whether it’s on their own site or with app developers or publishers.

Unlike other shopping cart platforms that rely on retailers to upload limited product information, Two Tap empowers developers and publishers to sell any retailer’s product, increasing sales across the board. The company’s “pass-through” model means retailers process their own payments and retain sales data while shoppers have the same consumer experience as if they were purchasing directly from the retailer. Shipping and billing information only needs to be entered once, and all future transactions are automated, further reducing friction.

Already, Two Tap powers checkouts across the most vertical retail markets available today, including fashion, beverage, gaming, home improvement and décor, electronics, sports equipment and apparel, health, nutrition and much more.

“Our mission is to radically simplify online shopping for any product from any retailer on any device,” said Razvan Roman, CEO of Two Tap. “Our latest funding with investors who are very experienced in e-commerce further validates that our unique solution works and will scale faster than any other online checkout solution available today.”

The company plans to use the new funding for product development, marketing and recruiting to continue its rapid growth. Other high profile investors include the former CEO of Visa, Joseph Saunders; co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian; and co-founder of Posterous, Gary Tan, in addition to Transmedia Capital and Digital Garage.

Congratulations to the founders! (TwoTap is profiled here on RomanianStartups.com also)

August 7, 2014 |

the-europas-awards-logoThe Europas Awards is a event founded in 2009 and still run by Mike Butcher of Techcrunch fame.
It concentrates on the newest companies on the scene, but it also brings together the mid and late stage technology startups, as well as leading investors and media in the EMEA region. It’s an editorially-driven, independent awards, judged by peers from the startup and investor community.

The Awards celebrates the most forward thinking, progressive and innovative tech companies across over some 20+ categories.
With 5-10 or so startups nominated across each category, it’s the handiest possible opportunity to see who’s doing what.

Today, 10 June 2014, in front of 800 of Europe’s top top tech entrepreneurs, The Europas Awards played host to the cream of Europe’s tech startup industry.
From over 1,000 entries, down to a list of 600, then to a shortlist of over 200 startups across more than 20 categories here you will find the list of the winners.

 

Among them, there are two Romanian startups (they are not based in Romania but they have Romanian founders or co-founders), which are also listed here on RomanianStartups.com.

 

Best Advertising Marketing Startup
Winner is: Brainient (founder: Emi Gal)
From London and now in New York, this cross-device interactive video platform continues to scale in an impressive fashion internationally.

Best Internet of Things Startup
Winner is: Evrythng (founder: Vlad Trifa and three other foreigners)
With founders from London and Zurich, Evrythng plans to connect every product on the planet to the Internet and make it smart.

 

Congratulations to the winners!

Read more on The Europas Awards website.

June 11, 2014 |

Get RomanianStartups.com news
in your inbox

Subscribe to our mailing list and get updates to your email inbox.