UnicornQuest | Official creation of ROStartup
July 2024 markes a hystorical event for the Romanian startup ecosystem, with the official creation of ROStartup – Romanian Association for the Startup Ecosystem.
North-West Regional Development Agency, as founding member, signed the birth certificate together with 14 of the main important organizations representing Romania’s national startup ecosystem, half of them being UnicornQuest regional stakeholders.
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. ROStartup aims to align strategies, improve communication and amplify impact through the synergies created among the ecosystem’s organizations. The vision of the association aims for Romania to become one of Europe’s leading innovation hubs, the ideal place to start and develop a scalable startup.
The ROStartup initiative began in 2020, led by North-East Regional Development Agency, with 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 representatives. Following public consultations with over 100 active participants in the startup industry, the creation of an umbrella organization to unite the ecosystem’s representatives was one of the main directions identified. 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 favorable conditions for the development of startups.
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- ERDF Programme for Smart Grow, Digitalisation and Financial Instruments. This budget will be directed through public calls to increase capacity and amplify the impact of programs run by organizations within the ecosystem.
North-West RDA is implementing several projects to support the startup ecosystem, financed from Interreg Europe programme, Horizon Europe, EIT and Single Market Programme. The Interreg Europe UNICORNQUEST project creates the perfect framework for capacity building and transfer of experience, by exchanging policy best practices to support and develop othe startup ecosystem.
Further information for ROStartup:
