Starting this month, Romanian tech entrepreneurs’ ambitions to expand their startups globally are supported by a major international initiative.
At the beginning of the month, How to Web hosted the official Romanian launch of the accelerator designed by Arieli Capital and brought to Romania by Upgrade 100 under the GO GLOBAL name.
In Romania, the programme has the strategic backing of AmCham—the American Chamber of Commerce—and receives both funding and know-how from Raiffeisen Bank.
The launch took place during How to Web Conference, with the satellite event moderated by Smaranda Heroiu, Executive Director of Upgrade 100, who set the context for the discussion:
Her guests were Andrei Pitiș, Genezio co-founder and investor; Marta Bonaconsa, CEO of Nanomnia; Bogdan Popa, VP of IT & Operations at Raiffeisen Bank Romania; and Or Haviv, Partner and Head of Innovation at Arieli Capital.
The key question: are local startups ready for global competition?
GO GLOBAL! positions itself as an accelerator for tech startups seeking to expand beyond their country of origin.
It already operates in Italy, Slovenia and the US state of Utah, and launched in the Czech Republic at the same time as in Bucharest.
Through the accelerator, Romanian tech entrepreneurs can access funding, know-how and global connections—three essential ingredients for expansion beyond their local market.
In a video message shown during the How to Web panel, investor representative Or Haviv said Arieli would provide expertise and support to startups joining the programme.
“It is important to turn human potential into concrete outcomes through these partnerships and develop projects that connect us with global innovation,” he emphasised.
In an earlier interview with Upgrade 100, Or Haviv explained the mindset of an investor in this field:
“Technology investors do not want to invest in what you already have. They want a company that may be worth €1 million today but could reach €100 billion. They invest in dreams.”
At the How to Web panel, Andrei Pitiș, an entrepreneur with extensive international experience, discussed the most serious challenge of expanding a business abroad:
“If you want to go global, you have to be ready for extremely tough worldwide competition.”
Resilience is crucial, he explained:
Pitiș added that entrepreneurs need vision and a willingness to adapt as they expand—a difficult task without the right guidance. He also emphasised the need for a solid product capable of competing in dynamic and highly diverse markets.
Italy’s Marta Bonaconsa, pictured here, described on stage how she initially struggled to grow Nanomnia without a formal accelerator: “We started as a research and development company, but grew rapidly, reaching €1.5 million in just four years.”
She also offered essential advice for startups considering applying; her company had already participated twice in Arieli-supported programmes:
“The recipe for success is to understand your strengths and weaknesses very well. In our case, gaining the right perspective on which market to target was the most important help we received from the programme.”
Banking: an essential pillar of growth
Representing the banking sector, Bogdan Popa explained how Raiffeisen Bank supports Romanian startups, including providing a platform for testing their products and services:
Popa also noted that the banking ecosystem plays a crucial role in developing and scaling tech businesses by providing the infrastructure and support needed for expansion.
Conclusions and what comes next
The launch concluded with a presentation of the resources offered by the GO GLOBAL accelerator.
- Watch the launch highlights in this short video:
To answer questions from the audience and listeners across the country, the discussion continued at Radio Guerrilla. Upgrade 100 founder and entrepreneur Dragoș Stanca welcomed:
🎙️ Alex Agatinei, Co-founder and CEO of How to Web, and
🎙️ Bogdan Popa, VP of IT & Operations at Raiffeisen Bank Romania.
Listen to the podcast version of the studio discussion here:
Designed by Arieli Capital and supported locally by Raiffeisen Bank Romania and AmCham, GO GLOBAL aims to become a reference point for startups with Romanian roots seeking a significant international presence.
- Follow News & Updates to stay informed and apply here if you are a startup.
- To support the project as a sponsor or partner, or for any other questions, contact us by completing this form.