Cluj | Startups&TheCity

Techsylvania 2026 Officially Announced

Sebastian Florian — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:16:33 +0000

Techsylvania, one of Eastern Europe’s leading tech and business conferences, announces the launch of its 2026 edition. The event will take place on June 24–25, 2026, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, bringing together thousands of innovators, entrepreneurs, executives, and technology enthusiasts from around the world.

With every edition, Techsylvania strengthens its position as a catalyst for innovation and a powerful platform where global leaders share groundbreaking ideas, emerging startups gain visibility, and meaningful business relationships begin. The 2026 edition promises an elevated experience focused on the future of technology, product building, artificial intelligence, business growth, and the global innovation landscape.

What Awaits You at Techsylvania 2026

Attendees can expect the signature Techsylvania experience:

Visionary Perspectives: Global industry leaders will take the stage to explore the trends shaping the next decade—from AI and emerging technologies to the intersection of business, innovation, and society.

Hands-on Workshops: Expert-led practical sessions designed to help professionals sharpen their skills in areas such as engineering, AI, product strategy, leadership, and data.

Startup Alley: Startup-focused events, exclusive pitching opportunities, and curated interactions with international investors and mentors.

Premium Networking: Curated spaces including the B2B Matchmaking Area, Executive Lounge, and invite-only gatherings that foster strategic connections between leaders, founders, and top-level professionals.

Interactive Experiences: Technology showcases and installations highlighting cutting-edge products, tools, and emerging technologies.

First Confirmed Speakers Announced

Techsylvania 2026 has already confirmed its first international speakers, bringing together founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of technology and business.

Among them are Andrei Șerban, Founder & CEO of Console, an AI-native platform backed by Thrive Capital and DST Global; Sam Lipoff, Partner at Liminal, the venture studio and fund founded by Temasek Holdings; and Sheel Mohnot, Co-Founder & General Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, a leading seed-stage fintech fund.

These early confirmations set the tone for a high-impact lineup focused on applied technology, AI, and real-world business insights.

Strategic Partnership Announcement

Techsylvania 2026 is proud to welcome Super Technologies as the Strategic Partner for this year’s edition.

As a fast-growing company in the global technology and entertainment space, Super Technologies shares Techsylvania’s vision of driving progress through technology, entrepreneurship, and bold thinking. This partnership further strengthens the event’s mission to create meaningful connections between global leaders, innovative companies, and the next generation of community builders.

A New Chapter for Eastern Europe’s Innovation Landscape

Techsylvania 2026 marks an important moment in positioning Eastern Europe as a rising force in global technology and business. The event continues to attract a diverse audience of engineers, founders, executives, investors, corporate innovators, and community builders from more than 30 countries.

Additional speakers, partners, and special initiatives for the 2026 edition will be announced in the coming weeks.

More information and updates on techsylvania.com.

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LevelUP Demo Day: Driving Innovation in Health & Life Sciences in Romania and beyond

Sebastian Florian — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:55:31 +0000

Vladimir Verbulski, founder of Argus AI receiving the Best Startup, Jury’s Choice, at the LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator Demo Day

On February 27, 2025, the LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator Demo Day took place at Hub UTCN in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, bringing together some of the most promising health tech startups. The program’s finalists pitched their innovative solutions in nutrition, psychiatry, surgery, telemedicine, and healthcare management before a jury of investors, doctors, and business experts. The event also featured a panel discussion on the collaboration between healthcare professionals and startups, as well as a networking session.

After five intense months of work, including seven workshops, 29 experts, and over 70 hours of mentorship and consultancy, the six most promising health & life sciences startups reached the grand finale of the second edition of LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator.

At the end of the Demo Day evening, Argus AI won the Best Startup, Jury’s Choice, while Neurocare was awarded the Best Startup, Public’s Choice, recognizing their outstanding contributions to health innovation.

Argus AI: Augmented Reality to Support Neurosurgeons

One of the standout startups at Demo Day was Argus AI, a company leveraging augmented reality to assist neurosurgeons in reducing surgical errors, operation times, anesthesia exposure, and post-operative complications. Their solution integrates MRI/CT scans into VR headsets, allowing surgeons to visualize critical structures such as tumors and blood vessels, helping them better prepare for complex interventions.

Argus AI: Augmented Reality to Support Neurosurgeons

Vladimir Verbulski, the founder of Argus AI, highlighted the immense value of the LevelUP Accelerator in shaping their journey. “The industry-specific mentorship and tailored sessions were exactly what we needed. The program helped us refine our approach and move towards real-world application,” he shared.

Currently, Argus AI has developed a minimum viable product (MVP) and is starting trials in collaboration with clinics and hospitals to gather feedback and refine their technology. They are also seeking €1.9 million in investment to sustain operations for the next two and a half years. “This funding will allow us to bring the product to market, validate its impact in real-world settings, and ultimately improve neurosurgical procedures,” Vladimir Verbulski explained.

Argus AI’s innovation and potential were recognized at the event, earning them the Best Startup, Jury’s Choice award.

Neurocare: Enhancing Dementia Care with Smart Wearables

Another promising startup at Demo Day, Neurocare, is revolutionizing dementia care through smart wearables and a connected platform. Their solution monitors vitals, activity, sleep patterns, and fall risks, ensuring greater safety for patients. Caregivers benefit from real-time insights and AI-powered support, while healthcare professionals gain access to data-driven patient management tools, leading to improved care coordination.

Neurocare: Enhancing Dementia Care with Smart Wearables

Founder Florin Leu, along with Vladimir Plotean, emphasized how the LevelUP Accelerator helped refine their strategy and accelerate growth. “The experience has been invaluable—we’re now better prepared to navigate the market and avoid past mistakes,” they shared.

The team is currently focused on finalizing their MVP by the end of Q2 and preparing for clinical trials. Their goal is to launch first in Romania, then expand across the EU. To make this happen, they are seeking a €500,000 pre-seed investment and strategic partnerships with hospitals and healthcare organizations. “We need strong endorsements to build trust and scale our solution effectively,” Florin Leu explained.

Neurocare’s efforts resonated strongly with the audience, earning them the Best Startup, Public’s Choice at Demo Day.

Other Startups That Pitched at Demo Day

Besides Argus AI and Neurocare, four other promising startups showcased their solutions at LevelUP Demo Day:

Dr-Online – A telemedicine app that facilitates easy access to quality medical services. Through partnerships with doctors, clinics, and service providers, their platform offers virtual consultations, integrates medical devices, and enables efficient electronic medical record (EMR) management.
Forkpie Kids – An AI-powered app that helps parents monitor their children’s nutrition. Users take a photo of their meals, and the app analyzes nutritional values while providing personalized recommendations based on Healthy Eating Plate principles. Parents receive daily and weekly reports to support healthier eating habits for their children.
MaeveAI – An AI-powered virtual assistant designed to simplify the workload of healthcare professionals. MaeveAI automates tasks such as patient communication, appointment scheduling, and inventory management, allowing doctors to focus more on patient care.
Smart Bites – A comprehensive nutrition solution, offering personalized meal plans, expert consultation, quick online grocery shopping, and ingredient delivery. Smart Bites simplifies the journey toward healthy eating for the entire family.

LevelUP’s Vision: Personalizing the Startup Journey

Reflecting on this edition of LevelUP, Anca Roman, Head of the Accelerator, highlighted the impressive progress made by the participating startups. “Innovation in healthcare is often a slow process, but with the right mentorship, expertise, and partnerships, we’ve seen remarkable growth,” she noted.

Anca Roman, Head of the LevelUP Accelerator

Looking ahead, the accelerator plans to further personalize the journey for each startup and explore a challenge-driven approach, potentially focusing on areas like oncology or green health tech. Another key priority is fostering long-term engagement through community events, bringing together alumni and experts to discuss funding opportunities and sustain momentum.

“We want to keep supporting startups even after the program ends, ensuring they have the resources and connections to scale,” Roman emphasized.

LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator

Launched in March 2023 by INNO, the North-West of Romania Regional Development Agency’s department responsible for regional innovation and attracting investors, LevelUP is the first accelerator in Romania exclusively dedicated to startups in the fields of health and life sciences. The program has been developed with assistance from EIT Health as part of their DRIVE program, further strengthening its commitment to fostering cutting-edge healthcare solutions.

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Accelerating the digitization of town halls, using artificial intelligence

Sebastian Florian — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:09:00 +0000

Between November 2024 and February 2025, the Cluj IT Association, in partnership with Smart Innovation Norway, carried out the project “AI-Driven Green Digital Transformation in Public Administration”.

The project pursued the development of an approach model for evaluating the degree of digitization and the level of preparation of the town halls for the adoption of modern digital tools, including artificial intelligence, taking into account at the same time the need to ensure the lowest possible level of negative impact on the environment. The mayors of Romania and Norway were primarily targeted, and the project could later be expanded to include local administrations from other countries.

Within the project, a web platform was implemented that allows evaluation processes to be carried out by going through a form in multiple steps, answering multiple-choice questions.

The set of 180 questions, grouped into 11 categories, was made by the implementation team through a process of research and analysis, aiming at the full coverage of all activities carried out within a local administration organization and specific aspects related to sustainability and reducing the negative impact on the environment.

Artificial intelligence algorithms were used to train the interpreter of the evaluation responses so that he could create a comprehensive diagnosis of the current state regarding digitization, preparation for the adoption of AI tools and ensuring sustainability, and to be able to generate actionable, personalized recommendations in this regard. For the interpretation and formulation of the results, a large language model (LLM) from the Llama family was integrated. From the beginning, the system is available in three languages, Romanian, Norwegian and English, making automatic translations through Deepl integration to ensure efficient collaboration between administration representatives and consultants from both participating countries.

The system was piloted and validated through training and work sessions with municipalities from Romania and Norway, including on the Romanian side the municipality of Bistrita, the municipality of Turda, and the city of Cugir, and on the Norwegian side the municipalities of Kongsvinger, Kristiansund, and Bamble.

The participating municipalities appreciated the relevance of the project and the result of the implementation, showing interest in using it further and recommending it to other institutions.

Following the implementation of this pilot project, the partners, the Cluj IT Association and Smart Innovation Norway intend to continue developing the system and implementing it further both in their countries, Romania and Norway, as well as in other countries.

The project is supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA grants Romania 2014-2021, in the frame of the “SME Growth Programme Romania”.

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Building Peace from Cluj to the World: Kai Brand Jacobsen’s Legacy with PATRIR

Sebastian Florian — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 10:54:02 +0000

In the winter of 1997, an 18-year-old Kai Brand Jacobsen set foot in Cluj-Napoca for the first time. What was meant to be a brief visit to meet Denisa — whom he had met at an international summer school in Norway — turned into the beginning of a lifelong connection to the city and Romania. Cluj, as Jacobsen fondly recalls, was different then: fewer parks, fewer restaurants, and a quieter charm. Yet, what captivated him was the vibrant energy of its people, their hospitality, and a palpable passion for life that made him fall in love with the city.

Over the next 25 years, Jacobsen not only made Cluj his home but also transformed it into a hub for global peacebuilding through his work with the Romanian Peace Institute (PATRIR). The organization, founded in Transylvania, has grown into a globally recognized institution addressing conflicts, promoting education, and fighting violence. Jacobsen’s contributions have not only impacted communities worldwide but have also helped Cluj emerge as a center for education, innovation, and peace.

While PATRIR is not a startup in the traditional sense, its story mirrors the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our Startups&TheCity project. Born in Cluj-Napoca, this NGO has leveraged innovation, collaboration, and a bold vision to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from conflict resolution to education reform.

Much like a successful startup, PATRIR has scaled its impact globally, demonstrating how cities like Cluj can serve as launchpads for initiatives that change the world. Over a coffee, I sat down with Kai Brand Jacobsen to explore the story of PATRIR and his journey as its founder, as he embarks on a new role outside Cluj and PATRIR.

PATRIR: A Global Force for Change

For over two decades, Jacobsen dedicated himself to PATRIR, an organization deeply rooted in the belief that peace begins at the community level. Under his leadership, PATRIR has worked tirelessly to address issues such as bullying in schools, gender-based violence, and domestic abuse, all while promoting healthy communication and relationships. Through workshops and educational campaigns, the institute has reached thousands of students and educators across Romania, empowering them with the tools to create safe, inclusive environments.

The organization’s influence, however, extends far beyond Romania. PATRIR has played pivotal roles in mediating global conflicts, including facilitating peace talks in Nepal, Northern Ireland, and other war-torn regions. Its innovative approaches to addressing the root causes of violence have earned it invitations from the United Nations and governments worldwide. The institute’s expertise in ceasefires, peace agreements, and community rebuilding has saved lives and restored hope in regions devastated by war.

The Synergy Between Cluj and PATRIR

Jacobsen attributes much of PATRIR’s success to the mutual relationship between the institute and Cluj. The city, with its rich cultural and intellectual life, has provided a fertile ground for PATRIR’s educational initiatives and campaigns. Collaborating with local authorities, civic organizations, and educators, PATRIR has not only contributed to Cluj’s development but also inspired its citizens to embrace their role in building a more peaceful society.

“Cluj has grown alongside PATRIR,” Jacobsen reflects. “The people here—teachers, artists, entrepreneurs—are the heart of the city, and their energy inspires everything we do.”

A Call to Action: Supporting PATRIR’s Mission

PATRIR’s work is more urgent than ever, as the world faces increasing violence and instability. Jacobsen highlights the institute’s current campaign to expand its impact locally and globally, particularly in education and peacebuilding. “We’re working on future education in Romania to achieve deep, systemic change,” he explains. This initiative involves creating safe schools, overcoming bullying, and equipping children with practical skills such as effective communication, problem-solving, and collaboration—tools essential for thriving in today’s world and building a better future.

Equally vital is PATRIR’s continued fight against gender-based violence, ensuring that every individual, whether in Romania or beyond, has the opportunity to grow up in safety and dignity. On the global stage, PATRIR is actively supporting communities ravaged by war, including those in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon. Through interventions to prevent conflicts, efforts to assist survivors, and programs to rebuild lives after violence, PATRIR stands as a beacon of hope. “We’re asking people to help us make a difference in this critical moment,” Jacobsen urges, emphasizing that even in the midst of the worst violence, collective action can pave the way for peace.

A Personal and Professional Farewell

This year marks a significant transition for Jacobsen as he embarks on a new role outside Cluj, one that allows him to continue his global peacebuilding efforts. Despite the move, his connection to Cluj remains steadfast. “Cluj will always be home,” he says. “If I could choose, I would stay here every day. But wherever I go, this city will be a part of me.”

Jacobsen envisions a bright future for Cluj, confident that the city’s dynamism and creativity will continue to flourish. For him, Cluj is just at the beginning of its next chapter, one that will see it rise as a leader in innovation, education, and community building.

To support PATRIR’s vital work and contribute to making a difference, visit patrir.ro/donate.

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Evaluation of digital maturity and sustainability of public administration

Sebastian Florian — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Between November 2024 and February 2025, the Cluj IT Association will run in partnership with Smart Innovation Norway the project “AI-Driven Green Digital Transformation in Public Administration.”

The project will follow the development of an approach model for evaluating the degree of digitalization and the level of preparation of the town halls for the adoption of modern digital tools, including artificial intelligence, taking into account at the same time the need to ensure the lowest possible level of negative impact on the environment.

The municipalities of Romania and Norway are primarily targeted, and the project may later be expanded to include local administrations from other countries.

The project aims to implement an application accessible via the Internet, through which to collect information from the municipalities and to carry out evaluations based on artificial intelligence algorithms, a knowledge base explicitly developed for this project and a large language model (LLM) which is to be chosen in such a way as to confer the highest possible accuracy of the evaluation and recommendations, as well as the least possible dependence on commercial licenses of the technical instruments.

The project is supported by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA grants Romania 2014-2021, in the frame of the “SME Growth Programme Romania”.

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The story behind the success of Cluj’s biggest hackathon: a journey of community and innovation

Sebastian Florian — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 10:47:08 +0000

The inaugural Cluj Hackathon, the first hackathon in Romania focused on Artificial Intelligence, and Generative AI took place between June 16-18, 2023, at the Bosch Engineering Center Cluj. More than 115 participants, organized into 43 teams, enthusiastically joined the hackathon, making it one of the most successful events of this kind in Romania.

For three days, the participants had the opportunity to build and develop revolutionary applications and platforms, with access to high-quality mentoring, a wide range of resources, and networking opportunities, with participants from across the country.

Remarkably, the youngest contestants in the hackathon were two boys, aged only 12, who independently acquired coding skills at home. Motivated to learn new things and connect with like-minded individuals, they opted to participate. With the guidance of mentors, they successfully developed an AI story generator. “It feels immensely gratifying when you code something and witness its functionality. That’s what drives me,” expressed Prisăcaru Thomas, one of the youngest participants in the hackathon.

The youngest contestants in the hackathon were two boys, aged only 12.

The inception of the hackathon took shape when Adrian Vlasiu discovered the boundless potential of ChatGPT. His early engagement with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology evoked a “deja-vu” moment, similar to the iPhone’s initial market launch. Fuelled by this profound insight, Vlasiu resolved to orchestrate a hackathon, thereby providing a platform for others to explore and harness the transformative power of this remarkable technological advancement.

Adrian Vlasiu, founder of the Cluj Hackathon.

“I wanted to organize the biggest hackathon in Cluj. And I wanted to organize the Untold Festival of hackathons to set a new standard in terms of satisfaction for the participants, satisfaction for the sponsors, and the whole overall experience of the competition. The engaging format of the Cluj Hackathon proved to be a winning recipe because the participants saw a different hackathon format. It’s not just about the competition or the prizes; it’s all about building community, engaging with each other, and succeeding by helping others succeed. We had very generous sponsors and top-class companies like Bosch that enabled us the hackathon location within Cluj-Napoca at the Bosch Engineering Center Cluj, one of the smartest buildings in the office scene in Romania. Untold Festival and Banca Transilvania supported our initiative, giving us a huge boost of confidence. And, of course, we had a scorching topic, artificial intelligence, and ChatGPT.”, said Adrian Vlasiu, founder of the Cluj Hackathon.

Out of the 43 teams which took part, team TestBusters emerged triumphant as they won the first prize in the hackathon. Their creation, an AI-powered solution for automated software testing, showcased ingenuity that pleased all the judges. There were other outstanding projects, and eventually, the score was tight. However, when measured against the hackathon’s primary objective of delivering a functional product within the allotted time, TestBusters stood firmly at the forefront, embodying the essence of the event.

Team TestBusters emerged triumphant as they won the first prize in the hackathon.

“We have created a solution that uses artificial intelligence to test applications automatically, but not only does the test, it also creates tests automatically. With artificial intelligence, it’s possible to automate more and do more. Basically, those tests are needed in every software or manufacturing firm, so we can solve them by automating them. The goal of this kind of application is ease of use. The product manager or the product owner can use it because it’s very simplified; you don’t need to know how to code; you need to fill out a form, and the computer will be able to understand what you want to do.” explained their solution, Gaëtan de Smet and Stan Ciprian, two of the members of the winning team.

The second place was awarded to the Tech Titans, who worked on detecting anomalies in a dataset from a sensor system (car batteries). Their project underscores the importance of data analysis in solving real-world issues. And, not to be overshadowed, Brainiax took the third spot for their effective solution for detecting potholes on the road. As one of the lead engineers from Bosch pointed out, detecting and analyzing potholes on the road in real-time is one of the toughest engineering challenges in the auto industry today.

A team of mentors from diverse backgrounds in technology and entrepreneurship extended unwavering support to the hackathon participants. Their invaluable expertise and guidance catalyzed innovation and critical thinking, nurturing an environment where teams could thrive and unleash their true potential. Through their mentorship, these seasoned professionals empowered the participants, enabling them to transcend boundaries and realize their ideas.

“We started with 43 teams. I was amazed by how motivated they were and how fast they developed a functional prototype that fit the purpose they created it for. It was an excellent start for the participants, and I think that maybe all the startups should go through a hackathon at some point to kickstart their idea.”, said Smaranda Ignat, mentor.

“I’ve seen some great ideas, for example, one team taking care of the blind people and trying to integrate them in society by offering an easier integration in the digital world, like websites that can be translated into Braille, using speech-to-text. I’ve learned a lot from the teams. I believe this mentorship experience happened from both sides. I hope to see at least one or two of the teams hopping to the next stage and talking to some investors.” added Victor Dinică, mentor.

Mentorship during the Cluj Hackathon.

The host for the hackathon was none other than the Bosch Engineering Center Cluj. Renowned for its cutting-edge work in developing software and hardware solutions for automated, electric, and connected driving technologies, the center boasts an end-to-end approach. Bosch Engineering Center Cluj is a pivotal software hub in the realm of automated driving innovation, from crafting the software integrated within the vehicle to the cloud-based software that facilitates seamless connectivity.

“We’ve hosted the Cluj Hackathon to enable the community to grow because AI is a promising technology. Reflecting on our collaborative internal working environment, one of our goals as an engineering center is to develop with the local and international communities. We cannot do a one-man-show these days, it takes teams to build big things, and as a reflection of that, we want to be part of the community, the ecosystem and develop together with the universities, other companies, and startups.”, said Cătălin Golban, responsible for the Department developing Computer Vision technology for automated driving at Bosch Engineering Center Cluj.

The host for the hackathon was the Bosch Engineering Center Cluj.

When considering productivity enhancements, implementing AI can yield significant optimizations across various job domains, encompassing software development and testing. However, the realm of technology development is also profoundly impacted. Notably, Bosch has been harnessing the power of AI for an extensive duration, commencing a decade ago with the ambitious objective of assembling a team specializing in computer vision for automated driving. The outcomes of this endeavor have been truly remarkable, with millions of cars worldwide currently equipped with AI-based technology crafted by the Engineering Center situated in Cluj-Napoca.

“For us, AI is not new, but we see more and more new models emerging, which help us solve problems that previously were either unsolvable or maybe were solved by rather traditional algorithmic methods. The ecosystem consisting of startups and companies needs to adapt, it needs to professionally convert people in the software area to get familiar with using AI when developing features and as productivity tools. I think we should, as a community, not miss that train.

I also think such hackathons’ social and learning parts are essential. People came here to learn not only about technology but also how to pitch ideas and present what they think. I believe that big things can be done in teams, through collaboration, by sharing know-how and exchanging ideas; this is how the community will grow. Events like Cluj Hackathon are a big boost for the community.”, added Cătălin Golban.

With their sights set on the future, the organizers expressed their aspiration for the Cluj Hackathon to become an enduring tradition, extending its legacy into the upcoming year. Driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence, they seek to elevate the standards of hackathon organization, aiming to amplify the event’s quality and the unparalleled value it delivers to participants. By striving for the maximum return on investment, the organizers are relentlessly creating an even more remarkable and rewarding experience for all involved.

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LevelUP, the first Health & Life Sciences startup accelerator in Romania, kicks of in Cluj-Napoca

Sebastian Florian — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:10:28 +0000

INNO, the North-West of Romania Regional Development Agency’s department responsible for regional innovation and attracting investors, launches the first accelerator in Romania exclusively dedicated to startups in the fields of health and life sciences, LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator.

The accelerator has been developed with assistance from EIT Health as part of their Drive program. The accelerator offers expert assistance to teams looking to hasten the commercialization, validation, promotion, and sales of their solutions, obtain authorizations or access funding sources.

Early-stage startups that are registered with the Trade Registry and working on solutions in the fields of life sciences and health can apply until April 2, 2023. Teams with just a prototype may also apply, but they must commit to forming a commercial company by the end of the acceleration program. Teams can apply by filling out this form.

LevelUP Health & Life Sciences Accelerator will take place in Cluj-Napoca over ten meetings spread over a period of six months, with the possibility of attending online. The program will start with a bootcamp designed to improve participants’ understanding of business development and introduce them to the accelerator’s specialists, with whom they will collaborate to chart their personal roadmap. Based on this plan, start-ups will conduct specific activities using the resources provided in the accelerator to validate the business hypotheses underlying their solutions and get closer to their objectives.

The bi-monthly meetings will provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs to share the results of their activities, as well as the lessons they have learned and other important nuances they have discovered in front of a panel of regional and international experts who will provide critical feedback. Between these meetings, participants will focus on executing their tasks and mentoring activities, with teams having direct access to any of the program’s experts and 1-on-1 meetings with them.

At the end of each meeting, there will be advanced workshops on topics relevant to their businesses, such as obtaining accreditations for medical devices, protecting intellectual property, promoting and selling their solutions, developing strategic partnerships and networking, attracting public and private funding, validating problems or solutions, and many other topics of interest to the field in which they operate.

The program’s highlight is Demo Day, where start-ups will have the opportunity to pitch in front of investors and experts and convince them to join their cause.

The program’s intrinsic value is of 8,000 euros per team, without quantifying the direct and indirect benefits resulting from interactions with experts, promoting ideas internationally, and being integrated into the international network of NW RDA and EIT Health partners.

The program would not have existed without the support of local and regional partners: the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, the Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, the Technical University Cluj-Napoca, FreshBlood, Fortech, Nagarro, Linnify, Activize, Transilvania IT Cluster, ROTSA, ClujIT Cluster, Startup Reaktor, Make IT in Oradea, AI Minded, Telios Care, the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and Local Council, and many others.

More details about the program can be found on the INNO platform.

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Cluj-based IT company offers resources, capital and expertise to entrepreneurs willing to innovate the essential industries of Romania

Sebastian Florian — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 10:29:23 +0000

Cluj-based Fortech, one of the city’s top software development companies, launches Fortech Products to help essential industries in Romania innovate through technology. The new division builds digital solutions from scratch and supports entrepreneurs developing products and services in the same direction with resources, capital, and technical and business expertise.

Many industries that have proven essential, especially in recent years, are affected by the lack of digitization. For example, Romania ranks last in the EU for digital competitiveness, according to the results of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2022, which tracks digital progress in EU member states in areas such as the integration of digital technologies by businesses and public services digital.

That’s why Fortech Products focuses primarily on medicine and production, to bring them to the standards of Western countries, working together with specialists who know best the challenges, shortcomings, and shortcomings “on the ground”.

“Although many companies and industries have intensified their activity and oriented towards digitalization in recent years, we are far from capitalising on this opportunity. Most initiatives fail due to a lack of the right approach, having an opaque strategy, without a deep understanding of the problems and contexts that foreshadow or exist in society. Because of this, the multitude of strategies implemented do not bring the desired results and end up being more expensive than their absence”, states Valentin Filip, VP of Products within Fortech.

For the effective digitization of Fortech industries, partnerships are made with specialists in various fields to build solutions that can be integrated later into their professional activity. That’s why those who have identified a problem that needs a digital solution can develop it together with Fortech Products, having the option to choose their degree of involvement. Those who want to take the first step in entrepreneurship can become founders of a startup to develop, launch and finance together the technology and investment company. Instead, specialists who want to benefit from digitization can act as consultants and get involved with their professional experience, and Fortech will cover the entire solution development process. Regardless of the option, the goal is for them to be the first to benefit from the advantages of the technology so that their customers and, implicitly, the industry and the technological ecosystem in Romania develop as a result of these advances.

A recent example from the medical industry is EndologiQ, a digital assistant for doctors performing endoscopies. The solution helps them standardise their reports and extract data for research. When Andrei Groza, a gastroenterologist, turned to Fortech Products, he had only an idea, frustration with the state of reports at the time, and a vision of functionality and design.

“I was looking for an IT partner to help me build an application for digestive endoscopy, and they were the only ones interested in the idea and the solution’s potential. This collaboration helped me fulfil my dream of using the knowledge I gathered during my Ph.D. In developing a product used by all doctors practicing endoscopies, I participated directly in every stage of product development. The overall enthusiasm, professionalism, and openness to discussions and ideas made this experience among the best of my career, and I hope it will last”, explains Andrei Groza, doctor, about the collaboration with Fortech Products.

This division complements the main activity of Fortech, and the investment division, Fortech Investments, launched last year. Those who choose to collaborate with Fortech Products benefit from Fortech’s almost 20 years of experience in software development, knowledge accumulated in different industries, with numerous clients, and the most diverse solutions. Moreover, Fortech Investments has 17 startups in its portfolio, meaning that the beneficiaries have access to all their relationships and all the lessons learned about the life cycle of a successful start-up, as well as the barriers that arise along the way.

“The Fortech Products division naturally came to life, after developing software for almost 20 years and starting to invest seriously in start-ups more recently. In practice, we want to close the “circle” that we have created and for others to benefit from the dynamics between all entities – the technical expertise in software development and the business and market knowledge we have gathered by strategically investing in startups. These will be used to develop digital products that solve problems in essential industries such as medicine or manufacturing. Thus, everyone benefits – companies, employees, industries and, most importantly, consumers, people.”, adds Valentin Filip, VP of Products at Fortech.

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Cluj-based Nooka Space introduces the concept of flex office booths in aiport waiting areas

Sebastian Florian — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 15:03:21 +0000

Cluj-based Nooka Space, the company who designed the first smart proximity office network in the world, back in 2020, introduces the concept of flex office on demand in airport waiting areas, to provide passengers with private spaces to work or relax, while waiting for their flight. As such, Nooka Space launches Nooka Air, a smart office booth designed to offer better airport experience during the waiting hours in terminals.

Nooka Air state-of-the-art office booths are enhanced by technology, allowing users to have full control over the space, from booking the desired time slot to customizing the inside environment, such as lighting or temperature. The digitalized Nooka Air office booths are IoT integrated, providing smart access to the space and its features directly from a mobile app. Nooka Space offers fully equipped, Wi-Fi connected, pay-as-you-go office pods to better airport experience and work while traveling. With their sound proofing technology and ergonomic furniture, Nooka Air booths are designed to boost users focus and wellbeing and improve productivity on the go, without being distracted by the noise and bustle of the airport.

„In recent years we noticed profound changes in the way we travel, work, socialize, and engage with external environments. Like many other industries across the world, airports are still facing the effects of the pandemic and need to put more emphasis on passengers’ experience, safety, and wellbeing. As such, the waiting area experience is crucial to customer satisfaction. The lack of private spaces to work or relax in many international airports led us to the idea of creating Nooka Air, a high-tech office booth that can be booked and used as a private space to work, concentrate, or relax while waiting for the flight.”, said Sandu Băbășan, Co-Founder Nooka Space.

Cluj-Napoca’s International Airport is one of the first beneficiaries of Nooka Air office booths.

“Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport is a cosmopolitan and multicultural airport. Romania’s largest regional airport supports the development of its various types of traffic (leisure, business, VFR), and this has led to a steady increase in its annual passenger numbers and thus to the need of diversifying its service area. We particularly appreciate the decision of our partner Nooka Space to make Cluj airport one of the first beneficiaries of such innovative facilities. Whether for work or relaxation, we invite passengers of Cluj International Airport to discover the 4 state-of-the-art smart offices that Nooka Space has placed in the passengers waiting areas of the domestic and international departures terminals.”, said David Ciceo, General Manager of Avram Iancu International Airport, Cluj Napoca.

Nooka Air smart office booths are especially designed as private workspaces, offering a high level of privacy and the optimal conditions to work or relax, by creating an island of silence in an open, crowded area.

„We are in advanced negotiations and close to signing contracts with other 9 airports in Western Europe. Moreover, based on the data collected from the booking history within the app, 1 in 3 users have extended their stay, which makes us confident that the solution we offer will bring added value to passenger experience in airport terminals”, Sandu Băbășan added.

The company aims to develop an extensive network of smart offices in airports where there is a growing demand for flex work spaces. The types of offices developed by Noooa Space so far are suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces and can be located anywhere, from residential areas and public spaces to shopping centres, railway stations, and airports.

Nooka Space has the mission to create a global network of smart proximity offices and to grow a community of users, contributing to the sustainable development of the smart cities. Nooka Space has offices in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Romania, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy and France. For further information, visit nookaspace.com.

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Techsylvania 2022: tech enthusiasts and world renowned tech companies meet in Transylvania

Sebastian Florian — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:56:08 +0000

Between June 28-29, 2022, a new edition of Techsylvania, one of the most important technology events in Eastern Europe, will take place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a meeting place of technology enthusiasts and the most important tech companies in the world.

In 2022 the organizers propose a hybrid format of the event so that participants can choose whether they want to watch online from the comfort of their home or whether they want to physically participate in the activities and discussions on the spot. Global technology companies such as Grab, Chili Piper, Superbet, MongoDB or OLX Group will have important representatives present as speakers on the two stages on June 28th and 29th, 2022.

Techsylvania is one of the most important technology events in Eastern Europe, always on the agenda of those who want to be one step ahead of the trends and enrich their product, technology or business knowledge from industry leaders.

CEOs, founders and technical experts of the most successful technology companies in the world will be present at the 9th edition

Alina Vandenberghe is the co-founder of Chili Piper, the newest unicorn in the United States founded by a Romanian.

Sacha Dragic is the founder and executive chairman of Superbet Group, which has been active in the sports betting and gaming market for more than a decade. Although the business was originally founded and developed locally, 4-5 years ago international expansion began.

Other important names to be present on stage are: Mark Porter, CTO at MongoDB, Suthen Thomas, CTO at Grab, Lloyed Lobo, co-founder at Boast.AI, Trang Nguyen, co-founder at Transpose Platform, Zach Coelius, partner at Coelius Capital – they are just some of the professionals who will reveal their career’s secrets at Techsylvania 2022.

Business connections, workshops or startup awards complete the Techsylvania experience

The Techsylvania core is represented by the conference, which brings over 60 inspirational representatives from all over the world, but the event experience is complemented by many other components.

Over the years, Techsylvania technical workshops have covered various areas of interest for this industry and will continue to do so in 2022. Technology is evolving faster and faster and is segmented into complex areas that need to be studied individually.

Another focus is the opportunities to connect with business partners, facilitated within the Networking Area or Executive Roundtables. Participants who opt for these sections have the opportunity to discuss with founders, investors or members of top companies, the latest trends in the industry or the opportunity to collaborate. Techsylvania is also a space dedicated to the latest technologies and innovations, which will be present this year in the Startup Alley, a program hosted by Google for Startups.

Satellite events continue in the 2022 edition

This component has been a success in past editions, where participants had the chance to connect with other professionals, relax or deepen their knowledge also through satellite events, held near Techsylvania, by partners.

“Techsylvania is now at its ninth edition and has become more than just an event. It is a meeting place for the most passionate people in the field, but also for the most powerful companies on the market. Our mission is to build a bridge between Eastern Europe and the rest of the world through events, knowledge, networking and business and investment connections. Whether it’s people looking for inspiration or people who want to share valuable information or discuss ideas, this is the best place to be. Last year we had to organize this meeting in a virtual format and we lacked the physical interaction on the spot, but we also discovered a good part: overcoming geographical boundaries. For this reason, we decided to meet this year physically, but also online, so that those who can not attend the event can take part in these important discussions.”, said Vlad Ciurcă, Co-Founder of Techsylvania.

Tickets can be purchased at techsylvania.com/tickets.

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