Rubik Garage, the acceleration program organized by Rubik Hub and dedicated to early-stage startups from Central and Southeastern Europe, has selected 13 startups for its 7th edition. Chosen from over 100 applicants, the teams have founders from Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Together they have raised approximately 2 million euros in investments. Although they are early-stage, most have already launched their products in various markets and have revenue.
Over the next two months, the teams will go through an intensive program with over 60 hours of online workshops, individual and group feedback sessions, as well as coaching sessions. Alongside mentors from the Rubik Hub community – including investors, founders, and experts in various fields – they will learn how to grow their revenues, expand into new European markets, or secure further investment. This edition is supported by Orange Romania as a strategic partner.
About the startups
Apollo Technologies (Romania) – Empowers healthcare professionals with advanced AI-driven software for instant, reliable access to certified medical data.
Brainactive (Romania) – An AI-driven platform that empowers companies to directly interview their current and potential customers to get vital insights on their products and services.
CraftGenie AI (Bulgaria) – Helps organizations without IT departments and users without IT skills to digitalize their data and processes via GenAI.
Fairytales (Bulgaria) – A mobile app that offers audio stories for children, narrated in the voices of their parents through a voice cloning process.
Forensics Lab (Romania) – An advanced intelligence and investigation system empowering brands and BP companies to swiftly identify, investigate, and eliminate infringers.
FreedHome (Italy) – Simplifies and streamlines property rental for landlords by mitigating high payment risks, optimizing rental income, and providing comprehensive, end-to-end real estate services.
GapMatch (Romania) – Revolutionizes talent management with a dynamic skill-based platform for sourcing, resource redeployment, learning, and career pathing.
Ruuts.travel (Romania) – One-stop hub for sustainable slow travel, offering responsible transportation, alternative accommodations like camper-vans, camping, glamping, and immersive local experiences.
SiWeGO – Smart Eco Transport (Italy) – Revolutionizes logistics by connecting individuals, SMEs, and transporters through a sharing-economy platform that optimizes vehicle space, reduces empty trips, and promotes eco-friendly transportation.
STEMIX.TECH (Romania) – Builds hardware devices that can collect real-world data from machines and sensors, that it sends to our software solution, where data is interpreted by custom AI agents that can output actions and control physical devices.
SQBRobotics (Romania) – Transforms retail with fully autonomous, AI-powered stores that operate 24/7, offering cost-effective solutions for businesses with zero staffing needs.
Waitless (Hungary) – Empowers restaurants to overcome workforce challenges without high initial costs by enabling customers to order and pay instantly on their own devices, with no app download or onboarding required.
WeReload (Romania) – Offers eSIM data plans for over 200 countries and is launching mobile top-up services for 150+ countries, aiming to revolutionize travel and telecom solutions.
The startups operate in fields such as HealthTech, LegalTech, Martech, Data Tech, EdTech, PropTech, HRTech, DeepTech, HoReCa, E-commerce, and Mobility. Their clients come from a wide range of countries, including Spain, Romania, Greece, the UK, Belgium, Canada, and India.
“Selecting participants for this edition was once again a challenging process, given the large number of promising applications, both in terms of founding teams and innovative business visions. This year, we are focusing on helping startups achieve product-market fit as quickly as possible. We will tailor our support to the needs of each team, but there will be one common aspect for all: a clear and constant focus on the customer. At Rubik Hub, we believe that a startup’s success comes from its ability to build products and services that truly meet customer needs. Every action or decision should always start from the needs of the customers,” says Ela Asaftei, Program Manager at Rubik Hub.
An Intensive Bootcamp Ahead
From September 25-27, the bootcamp marking the launch of this edition will take place at Rubik Hub’s home, in Piatra Neamț. The selected teams will meet for the first time offline, connect with some of the mentors and the Rubik Hub team, and participate in workshops and activities. Among the 20+ mentors present will be Alexandru Chifu (Investment Analyst – Fortech Investments), Alina Georgescu (Investment Manager at Catalyst Romania), and Andrei Vacut (EMEA Senior Director at UiPath).
The accelerator will wrap up with a Demo Day organized in Bucharest on November 28, where teams will present their innovative solutions and progress throughout the program to a large audience of investors, corporate partners, Rubik Hub mentors, and other key players in the startup world.
So far, Rubik Garage has supported over 200 startup founders, with notable alumni including Rayscape, Bloomcoding, DDDInvoices, and Chambr. As an example of success, less than half a year after completing the accelerator, Bloomcoding secured a €1 million investment and was a finalist at the How to Web conference.
About Rubik Hub
Rubik Hub, part of the North-East Regional Development Agency, offers a comprehensive entrepreneurial experience through its programs, supporting startups to grow globally in an environment that promotes innovation, creativity, and collaboration.
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