We've been ranked 39th out of #150 in Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted We've been ranked 39th out of #150 in Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted
We've been ranked 39th out of #150 in Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted We've been ranked 39th out of #150 in Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted
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Pre-accelerator for idea-stage startups

Next edition: October – December 2025
Pre-apply to next edition

Who Is It For?

The pre-accelerator RubikEDU provides the knowledge and connections to take your idea to the next level!
  • Have a tech idea but haven't had the chance to work on it?
  • Started working on an idea but feeling stuck?
  • A student with a business idea, curious about entrepreneurship?
  • Discovered an innovative solution through research that could become a business?
Join us and experience the perfect blend of in-person workshops in Iasi, personalized 1:1 feedback sessions, and exclusive mentoring with industry experts from our community.
Overview
Mentors
Testimonials
FAQ

The RubikEDU Edge

Build a solid foundation for your entrepreneurial journey.

Gain firsthand insights from experienced mentors and founders.

Achieve clarity on the next steps to build your successful startup.

Access support from our vibrant startup community.

Program Structure

Registration

Kick-off

Workshops and 1:1 sessions

Demo Day

Ongoing support

(during and after the program)

Benefits

  • Connect with mentors from our community to increase your startup's success rate
  • Visibility in our international startup community and the possibility of promoting your startup
  • Exclusive access to our Iasi Startup Community Meet-ups
  • Feedback tailored to your needs from our mentors and team
  • Warm intros to relevant ecosystem stakeholders
  • Fast track into our acceleration program (Rubik Garage)
  • Free tickets to conferences and events relevant to your startup
  • Free-of-charge access to our coworking space from Piatra Neamt
  • Startup support package worth $50,000 total credits and other perks, freebies, and discounts from our partners (Notion, Miro, HubSpot, SMSO, etc.)

The RubikEDU Vibe

Agenda & Topics

How to Assess Your Idea

How to Assess Your Idea

Lean Canvas

Validation Framework

Defining Customer Segments

Client Discovery & Running Experiments

Ask Me Anything Session with Startup Founders

Business Models – What’s the Right One for You

Mentor’s Feedback [Work Group]

How to Build a Dream Team

How to Pitch

Sales

Legal Tips for Startups

Raising Investment for Early-Stage Startups

Pitch Practice [Work Group]

Mentors

Mihai Mocanu

Chief Marketing Officer at Adservio

  • #BusinessDevelopment

Biography:

Communicating with the public and institutions to raise awareness and awareness of the organization’s educational initiatives.

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Oltita Volovat

Marketing Rockstar at NNC Services

  • #Marketing

Biography:

nu am gasit

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Patricia Bertea

Assistant Professor of Business Studies at FEEA Iași, co-founder Brandweb & Poloniq

  • #MarketingStrategy

Biography:

I can describe myself as an entrepreneur with a strong orientation to research and marketing strategy, as well as with a fervent interest in innovation. I run my own company since 2005 and I also teach university students about entrepreneurship & business. I launched my own startup Poloniq in 2018, a software as a service dedicated to restaurants who want to go digital in managing the relationship with their customers. I am involved in the startup community organizing entrepreneurship events & bootcamps for students. I am also happy to be part of The Football Brain team, a tech startups in Sports, in charge of Strategic Marketing & Communications. I have advanced know-how in marketing research, with a PhD in E-commerce and Consumer Behaviour and research stays in Germany, Netherlands and Austria. My strong interest in research, quantitative & qualitative, and in strategic marketing gave me the opportunity to challenge my creative mind with everyday market opportunities.

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Ruxandra Pui

Founder & CPO at Digitail

  • #ProjectManagement

Biography:

I’m passionate about pets and improving their lives, which is why I started Digitail. We are a pet care startup with a mission to create innovative solutions that make life easier for pets and their care providers. At Digitail, we’re focused on building technology that enhances user experience, both in our products and in the real world. With a strong tech background, I’m always seeking out new challenges and opportunities to create impactful solutions that solve real-world problems. Traveling and discovering new places is one of my favorite things to do, and I’m always looking for inspiration to bring back to my work. Since founding Digitail in 2018, we’ve raised $15M in funding and have put together a talented team of professionals who share the same vision.

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Liz Ștefan

CEO & Co-Founder at Nifty Learning

  • #BusinessStrategy

Biography:

Building a single source of truth for workplace learning data, reducing L&D admin workload, and keeping L&D budgets healthy

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Mădălin Miu

CEO at Aquavita Solutions

  • #MarketingStrategy

Biography:

Marketing Strategy, Social Media and Research professional on the rise. Advertising, Design and Tech enthusiast with experience in marketing campaign mechanisms, loyalty solutions and education. Passionate about knowledge attainment in marketing adjacent domains, avid strategist, eager creator. My specialties include: Marketing Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Marketing Research, Inbound Marketing, Marketing Presentations, Retail Loyalty Solutions, Marketing Campaign Mechanisms, Event Management and Education Management.

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Mircea Taune

Business Analyst & CEO at Sigmatic

  • #BusinessAnalysis

Biography:

Mircea Taune brings experience from previous roles at Sigmatic, The Factory Network and SigmaLogic Iasi. Mircea Taune holds a 2012 – 2016 Engineer’s Degree in Computer Science @ Facultatea de Automatica si Calculatoare “Gheorghe Asachi”.

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Andrei Voica

Integrated Digital Marketing Specialist and Responsive Web Designer at sigmadigital.ro

  • #MarketingStrategy

Biography:

I’m a seasoned digital marketing strategist with a knack for creating impactful campaigns across various digital platforms. With expertise in Google Ads, I optimize campaigns to achieve remarkable results. Crafting engaging email marketing automation sequences comes naturally to me, fostering meaningful connections with audiences. My proficiency extends to crafting captivating campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. Seamlessly setting up and automating CRMs, I ensure impeccable customer interactions. Leveraging the power of WhatsApp and chatbots, I enhance customer engagement and support. Equipped with Divi Builder skills, I create visually stunning websites that capture attention. Additionally, my proficiency in Shopify empowers me to curate exceptional e-commerce experiences. My holistic marketing strategy, combined with creative prowess, leads to tailored solutions that align with your business objectives. Let’s collaborate to enhance your digital presence and propel your brand’s success.

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Bogdan Alexandru Apetrii

Chief Executive Officer at Subsign

  • #BusinessDevelopment

Biography:

Modern day renaissance man, animal lover, human rights defender & much more.

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Claudia Jelea

Founder at Jlaw

  • #IntellectualProperty

Biography:

18 years of legal expertise in contract law, intellectual property (IP), new tech / IT, eCommerce, data protection (GDPR). I help our clients register, protect and exploit their IP assets and assist them with legal compliance on niche areas, contract drafting and negotiations. Proud to be among the first lawyers in Romania to specialize in personal data protection, since 2007. Lawyer since 2008. Trademark and design attorney since 2012. Member of Romanian Lawyers’ Bar, Romanian Chamber of Trademark Attorneys, IAPP Privacy and ITechLaw.

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Costina Mitrofan

Managing Partner - Business Development at ex- Rungutan

  • #ProgramDevelopment

Biography:

With extensive work experience for various types of entities such as NGOs, IT corporations, SMEs & Startup, my overview on the entire organisation has evolved to the extent where I can be a trusted resource for any company. I’m the go-to person for getting things done. I also love connecting people with the right opportunities and scale their potential. My people-oriented side always guided me to join projects and organisations where “the end-user” is usually the main focus. I’m an Implementer and a Resource Investigator, according to the Belbin Team Role Report. My specialties are Project Management, Event Management, Account Management, Training, Community building, PR

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Georgiana Olaru

Senior Director, Digital Product at Wiley / Country leader for Wiley Romania

  • #StrategicThinking

Biography:

Georgiana Olaru brings experience from previous roles at Hindawi Publishing, Pentalog and Sonovision Romania. Georgiana Olaru holds a 2008 – 2010 Master’s degree in Business Administration Information Systems @ Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași. With a robust skill set that includes UML, Databases, Requirements Analysis, SQL, Testing and more

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Emanuel Martonca

Fractional Pricing Manager at Soft Fight

  • #PricingStrategy

Biography:

My whole professional life is about software, algorithms, pricing. 11 years of sales and pricing experience in the software industry. 300+ negotiations for software development projects and complex software + hardware implementations. 55+ pricing optimization projects for software companies, helping them increase revenues and profits.

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Editions since 2020
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Aspiring startup founders joined our program
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Students learned during our bootcamps
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Mentors shared their expertise
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Don’t Take Our Word For It
Because Alumni Say It Best

#ALUMN

Adelina Ezariu

founder EZYMEM
For me, RubikEDU has been a journey to reflect on the next steps. We managed to clarify our concept, and we met people who changed our perspective. RubikEDU is a true adventure and I recommend it to all those who have an idea but need the courage to speak up, to those who feel they need guidance in their journey, to those who may have questions they can’t find answers to, and to all those who want to have a cool community around them. I tell you that here you will find support, motivation, and inspiration. #WeAreInThisTogether is not just a hashtag.

#ALUMN

Ioana Axinte

founder ONE Learning
The RubikEDU programme exceeded all my expectations – from the supportive environment created by the team, learning from the peer network to the insights gained from the mentors and experts – the programme really helped us shape a go-to-market strategy. In addition to this, taking part in the Demo Day also brought exposure and opened doors and opportunities that we couldn’t have had access to. It was an incredible experience, and I’m grateful to the whole team. #WeAreInThisTogether

#ALUMN

Gabriel Vornicu

Position
For me, RubikEDU was a program to ground the notions I had heard about in business. The program is very well thought out for those just starting out and also gives exposure to investors, which is great, even if the goal is not to get funding just for an idea. RubikEDU’s networking is great, it brings together great people with different experiences and expertise from whom you can learn a lot.

Alumni Highlights

Synaptiq

In 2021, Synaptiq joined our program as a pre-MVP (minimum viable product) startup. Over the next 2 years, they have gained recognition in different acceleration programs, through successful participation in various acceleration programs and winning several pitch competitions. Now, Synaptiq is one of the most promising startups in Romania’s MedTech industry, having raised 250,000 euros.

Is4Heart

Alex Pleiosanu, the founder of Is4Heart, has a truly inspiring story. He started his journey with Rubikigai, our self-discovery program, and continued it in RubikEDU. He said the highlight of RubikEDU was discovering the WHY behind his idea of creating an accessible cardiac assist device that could transform the lives of millions of patients.

DriverUP

DriverUp is a transportation management system (TMS) focused on small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK. During our program, in the spring of 2022, they defined their business model. Following this, they fast-tracked into the Rubik Garage accelerator, where they successfully doubled their client base. Currently, they are seeking investment opportunities.

Lightpass

Following graduation from our program in the spring of 2022, Lightpass fast-tracked into our Rubik Garage accelerator. With a new CTO onboard, Lightpass is now focusing on developing a new MVP (minimum viable product) and defining its product-market fit.

ONE Learning

ONE Learning, alumni of the 2022 autumn batch, won the award for Most Promising Startup at the Demo Day and has officially launched their solution.

Qualas

Laur, the founder of Qualas, started his journey with a vague, technical idea that was difficult to communicate. By the end of the program, he had created a well-defined business plan and even won the pitching competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application deadline?
Registrations are currently closed. If you’d like to be notified when applications open for the next edition, please complete this form.

No — you don’t need to be part of a team or have an established company to apply. In fact, RubikEDU can be the place where you meet a co-founder or form a team.

We select participants based on their potential and drive to make an impact. If you already have a co-founder or are part of a team, that’s great! Each member should apply individually and mention the team’s name in the application.

Yes — we encourage you to apply if you have a startup idea and the motivation to turn it into a real business.

Absolutely. Around 30% of our participants come from non-technical backgrounds.
What matters most is your commitment and belief in your idea. If you’re driven and eager to learn, we welcome your application — regardless of your professional experience.
Yes — and you’re exactly who we’re looking for. We believe tech professionals make excellent founders.
RubikEDU will support you in building the startup mindset, understanding validation, and learning how to build a customer-centric business. We’ll help you develop the key skills every founder needs — step by step.
Yes. The pre-accelerator is also a great fit for founders who already have a startup and want to grow it the right way.
If you’re planning to start a business soon or you’re an employee looking to grow your entrepreneurial skills, RubikEDU can help you take the next step.
No — the program is completely free. However, we invest significant time and resources into every edition, and we expect a strong commitment in return.
Participants are required to actively engage in all program activities and complete the full experience. It’s an intensive journey — but one with meaningful results.
Expect to meet twice a week for dedicated workshops. Additionally, you’ll receive one-on-one mentoring and assignments to complete in your own time. The more you put in, the more you’ll gain.
We’re open to all innovative ideas, but we’re especially focused on tech-driven solutions, web/mobile apps, and products or services that create a positive impact in the community.
If you’ve discovered an innovative solution through research or personal experience and believe it can become a sustainable business, we strongly encourage you to apply.
No — direct funding isn’t the goal of RubikEDU. However, you’ll gain valuable insight into various funding opportunities, meet experienced investors, and get access to relevant angel networks.
What is the application deadline?
You can apply until the 3rd of September, 2024. In case you miss this opportunity, keep an eye on our website – here we announce the registration period for the next edition.
Yes. This year, we focus on teams of 2+ members, but you don’t necessarily need to have an established company to apply.
Yes! When applying to our program, is important to have a team of at least 2 members working at the MVP and, more importantly, to have an MVP ready to be validated or even launched on the market.
Yes, about 30% of the participants in each series are people without tech expertise.
Even if you don’t have a tech background, but you are confident in the potential of your startup, we invite you to apply to the program!

Have a Bold Idea? Let’s Bring It to Life.

RubikEDU is your launchpad to explore, create, and grow. If you’re an aspiring startup founder with a bold idea, this is where your entrepreneurial journey starts. Let’s make it happen!
Pre-apply to next edition

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