Equity-free and No-fee

Accelerator for Early-Stage Startups in Central & South-East Europe

Partners

Accelerator Program for Early-Stage Startups

Rubik Garage Accelerator is an equity-free and no-fee accelerator that helps you increase revenue, expand into new markets, or raise investment.

While sector-agnostic, we prioritize B2B startups in deep tech areas like Cybersecurity, MedTech, GreenTech, EdTech, and other impact-driven solutions.

Elite network

Access that goes beyond what money can buy.

Firsthand insights

from experienced mentors and investors.

Tailored support

to help you hit your goals.

Practical workshops

60+ hours and 1:1 feedback and coaching sessions.

Is This For You?

Apply if you are a tech early-stage startup:

Agenda & Topics

Business Model Innovation

Program Start & Ikigai Concept

Business Model Innovation

Pricing Strategies, Business Model, Value Proposition

Growth Hacking & Sales Mastery

Sales Strategy, Sales & Marketing on Low Budget, Go to Market

Customer-Centric Design

Customer Development, Product Market Fit, Customer Experience

Pitching & Investor Relations

How to Pitch, Approaching Investors, First Investment Round

Media & Brand Building

How to Handle Media and Leverage Its Power

Scaling & Team Leadership

Team Dynamics when Scaling

Market-related topics

Customer Development, Product Market Fit, Go to Market

Legal & Governance for Startups

Legal Basics for Startups

Ethical Tech & AI Workshop

Building Ethical AI Startups

Bootstrapping & Resource Optimization

Sales & Marketing on Low Budget, Pricing Strategies

Use Cases

from Startup Founders

Bogdan Stoian

Equity Business Development Manager at SeedBlink

#BusinessGrowthStrategies

Biography:

SeedBlink is the all-in-one solution for equity management and financing for private European tech companies. My role within the company started with the Operational Investment side of the business and it exponentially changed within the last three years. Now it revolves around helping Founders and VC funds to increase the transparency and understanding the implications of their Equity Ownership. Started with the SeedBlink Equity product from scratch and made it grow in less than 1 year to 100+ clients and 18k recurrent users.

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Sonia Damian

Head of Platform & Community Crew Capital

#HumanResources

Biography:

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Yael Tamar

CEO & Co-founder DIBS – Distributed Investment Banking

#BusinessDevelopment

Biography:

My true passion is turning ideas into business: I love building my own businesses (tech & service) and helping others build theirs, assisting them with various business aspects through coaching and hands-on help, for which I built a full operations and marketing team. Most of my time is spent on DIBS – a platform to make asset investing accessible, transparent and streamlined – a company I cofounded.

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Mircea Ghita

Principal at Metis Ventures

#SeedInvesting

Biography:

Principal at Metis Ventures, leading our efforts in the CEE market. Previously Country Manager at SeedBlink (responsible for the commercial initiatives in our home market). Before SeedBlink, worked at henQ Capital Partners as a venture scout during my undergrad studies. Have lived, worked and studied in Rotterdam, Boston and Bucharest. Graduated BSc. International Business Administration (including an exchange at Babson College) and MSc. Finance & Investments at RSM (with hons).

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Milana Slobtcova

Principal at Underline Ventures

#FundsAnalysis

Biography:

Milana is a Principal at Underline Ventures. She focuses on pre-seed and seed stage startups, supporting Eastern European founders at the earliest stages.She has been a startup fan since day 1 of her career.

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Valentin Filip

Managing Partner at Fortech Investments

#BusinessDevelopment

Biography:

Valentin Filip is the Managing Partner of Fortech Investments, where he oversees the portfolio of start-ups and the development of partnerships. With over 15 years of experience in technology, startups, product and business development, he’s now using his expertise to actively support founders in achieving their business goals as an investor, strategic partner, and board member.

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Alex Burciu

Tech Venture Partner at Fortech Investments

#ProductDevelopment

Biography:

I run an Applied AI Research program for startups and companies. Interested solving hard ML challenges and investing in data-driven startups. Amazon veteran seasoned in software development management of deep-tech products. I built and led an organization of 3 teams processing billions of daily page-views for detecting website robots using machine learning and surfacing website performance optimization opportunities to hundreds of internal customers. Reduced yearly website hosting costs by tens of millions of USD and decreased page-load times by multiple seconds for hundreds of millions of Amazon customers.

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Marius Istrate

Chairman of the Board at TechAngels Romania

#Investor

Biography:

Marius Istrate is the Chairman of the Board for TechAngels Romania, the largest and oldest Business Angel Network in our country. He was previously the Chief People Officer of UiPath, and the CEO of SkillValue, an IT assessment and IT recruitment platform. His background is in software engineering and telecom.
He’s been a business angel and growth adviser since 2020, with a focus on Romania and the CEE region. Marius is actively supporting founders to build great teams, to set them to perform, and to scale the company culture.

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Robert Herscovici

Investment Director at Gap Minder VC

#InvestmentManagement

Biography:

Tech VC investor with mid-market M&A / Corporate Finance background

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Vasile Tiple

Investor at United Angels Network, Member of Tech Angels, Founder at Legal Sandbox

#InternationalLaw

Biography:

I began my professional journey at Transparency International Romania, then I transitioned to the private sector as a legal advisor for Fashion Days Shopping. Afterwards I held the role of Senior Legal Specialist at Adobe for a few years. From here I jumped at the opportunity to become UiPath’s first in house legal counsel, where I also served as their General Counsel and eventually as the Head of Legal & Compliance Automation. Within UiPath, I spearheaded the Legal Automation Program, leveraging their technology to automate critical legal, compliance, and business processes, later presenting it to the broader market.As General Counsel, I led the design and implementation of UiPath’s legal operations, support, and automation vision. By establishing a streamlined contracting framework and internal standard operating procedures, me and my team were able to accelerate customer onboarding and enhance global compliance standards.In my role as Head of Legal Automation, I drove industry-wide adoption of automation by developing new licensing models, crafting UiPath’s go-to-market strategy for legal automation solutions, and identifying opportunities to enhance legal and compliance processes.Post-UiPath, I founded Goodlegal, a startup offering users a ready-made legal infrastructure. Goodlegal provided free access to essential legal tech tools, content, and support, enabling users to establish their legal organisation swiftly and implement policies and templates company-wide. Regrettably, the company faced challenges in progressing further and the development of the product is currently on hold but I continue to see a definite need in the market for it and hope that I (or someone else) will pick it up again at a later time.Throughout my career, I’ve remained committed to advising and seeking out companies that drive digital transformation and efficiency for their customers. Disrupting the status quo is both my professional ethos and investment philosophy.

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Gabriela Dia

Senior Associate GapMinder VC

#MarketAnalysis

Biography:

Gabriela is currently a financial advisor at Finergreen Romania, specializing in the field of finance with applications in renewable energy and energy transition. She is developing a multi-energy investment expertize being involved in manifold renewable energy projects with different technologies (i.e. solar, wind, storage and hydro). She finds very compelling the linkages between energy and financial markets.

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Manuel Damian

Chief Customer Officer SmartDreamers

#GrowthAdviser

Biography:

Customer Success & Operations professional with 20+ years of experience building and developing successful teams. Skilled in building custom processes at scale. Driven, result-focused leader that loves growing people, leveraging technology to increase efficiency, building lasting relationships based on trust, and creating a customer-centric culture.

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Mihai Nas

Operations Manager at Transylvania Angels Network (T.A.N.)

#AnalyticalSkills

Biography:

As an Operations Manager at Transylvania Angels Network (T.A.N.), I work with a team of passionate investors who support and mentor early-stage startups in Romania. I oversee the daily operations of the network, including managing the portfolio, organizing events, and communicating with stakeholders. I use my skills in strategic marketing management, communication, and start-up leadership to facilitate the growth and success of the network and the startups. My entrepreneurial spirit and desire to give back to society are driven by my diverse and rich background in sports, hospitality, and design. I graduated from IHTTI School of Hotel Management in Switzerland, where I also gained valuable experience in a 3* Michelin Restaurant and the largest hotel chain in Iceland. I learned how to lead and motivate teams, solve problems creatively, and pay attention to details. I also completed a short course in Business Statistics at Copenhagen Business School, where I enhanced my analytical and data-driven thinking. In addition, I was involved in the rebranding process of Bonas, a newly listed company at BVB, where I discovered my passion for marketing and branding. I also served as a Board Member for Bonas, where I acquired skills in financial analysis, conflict resolution, and decision making.

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Stefan Iarca

Co-founder & CEO Rayscape

Biography:

Passionate about Machine Learning and AI, Stefan is the co-founder of Rayscape, a startup that uses AI to assist radiologists in analysing medical images, cutting analysis time by about 25% while also reducing the risk of human error.

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Radu Negulescu

Founder & CEO SESSIONS

#BusinessStrategy

Biography:

building tools for the next billion entrepreneurs

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Mihai Guran

Co-founder & CEO SalesOMMO

#AngelInvestor

Biography:

Inspirational leader with a passion for software and technology companies. Current mission: building a great tech startup, SalesOMMO.Guran Consulting Global mission of the past five years: helping Tech companies to expand globally, do it quickly and do it professionally. MBA and Electrical Engineering studies, strategy specialization, business consultant with experience in business strategy, sales and go-to-marketing strategy, coaching and international business development experience in Europe, North-America and Middle East.

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Ovidiu Tuduruta

Founder & CEO Beesers

#Innovation

Biography:

As the CEO and founder of Beesers, I have dedicated myself to creating a company that specializes in innovative healthcare solutions. Under my leadership, Beesers focuses on leveraging technology to improve patient care and streamline healthcare services. With my strong background in entrepreneurship and a passion for advancing healthcare, I have positioned Beesers as a key player in the digital health industry.

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Julia Sisu

Co-founder & CMO iflows

#OperationalManagement

Biography:

As the Co-Founder of iflows and CEO of Arcadia Solutions, my expertise spans multiple domains and industries, ranging from operational management, integrated software systems, and real estate to the distribution of industrial equipment. iflows, as the flagship product in my portfolio, epitomizes my deep commitment to innovation and efficiency. Featuring a comprehensive suite of functionalities, from CRM and ERP to Project Management, iflows is designed to meet the complex demands of SMEs in an efficient and transparent manner.

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Nino Karas

Co-founder & CEO CodeWell

#SerialEntrepreneur

Biography:

I am CEO and Co-Founder of CodeWell Group and CodeWell AICo-Founded CodeWell back in 2011, which today represents an award-wining international IT company with offices in US, Norway and North Macedonia. CodeWell’s portfolio is consisted of amazing brands like Sony Music Entertainment, T-Mobile, A1 Telecom Austria and our products are getting featured on best media portals in the world including Forbes, The Huffington Post, Tech Crunch, and many other. Back in 2016 our first chatbot won Product Hunt – Product of the Year Award for the best Chatbot competing against companies like Google, Slack, Duolingo, etc. Realizing the potential set us on a path to create CodeWell AI in order to help other businesses use the full potential of the conversational channels. With CodeWell AI we help companies automate entire departments through AI assistants, reducing costs, driving sales up while at the same time improving customer satisfaction

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Ilya Novodvorskiy

Co-founder Readmio

#ProductManagement

Biography:

Experienced Growth Executive with a demonstrated history of working with Startups.

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Vukasin Pejovic

Co-founder & CEO Atfield

#BusinessStrategy

Biography:

Focused business leader with a strong engineering background across multitude of technology disciplines. Strategically growing self-sustainable and successful companies from ground up. Holistic and patient

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Tori Master

Co-founder & CEO Revital

#StartupDevelopment

Biography:

I’ve got an extensive experience in software architecture, software design, small business management and engineering.There’s also experience working as a head of Tech Support in my arsenal.At the moment I am an owner and a CEO of a small IT business and a startup founder.

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Ioana Văcărașu

Co-Founder & CMO Dyver

#ContentStrategy

Biography:

As Co-founder of Dyver, my journey through the content landscape has been both extensive and transformative. With over 15 years of experience in Content Creation & Strategy, I’ve pioneered SEO content strategies, managed teams of 30+ content experts and developed a deep expertise in Content Marketing, Native Advertising and Branded Content. My proficiency in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been a cornerstone of my career, driving measurable success in all projects.Now, my gaze is firmly fixed on the horizon where AI automation melds with content, promising a revolution in our digital dialogue. This shift is fueled by a deep-seated curiosity for the ways technology can refine and redefine our collective narrative. At the confluence of AI and content, my mission is clear: to unearth innovative solutions that empower creators, resonate with audiences and propel businesses. It’s a quest to enrich our digital lexicon, ensuring technology not only advances our story but elevates it, weaving a richer tapestry of connection.

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Emil Chichioi

Co-founder & CEO Bloomcoding

#Pitch

Biography:

Emil, CEO & co-founder of Bloomcoding, the leading startup from Moldova, raised the biggest pre-seed ($1.1M) in CEE EdTech, from investors like Credo & Inovo. With Bloomcoding, won 6 accelerator demo-days, and made the finals at How To Web 2022. Previously launched the National Debate Association of Moldova and scaled it to 10k+ children in 50+ schools.Emil Chichioi is a dynamic founder and CEO with a passion for empowering entrepreneurs and helping them pitch with impact. As a seasoned mentor, Emil specializes in guiding early-stage startups on how to refine their investment pitches, drawing from his successful experience raising €1M for Bloomcoding, Moldova’s fastest-growing EdTech. With a track record of winning major pitch competitions and driving startup growth across Central and Southeast Europe, Emil offers founders practical insights, strategic advice, and actionable feedback to accelerate their journey from concept to market. His mission? To help build the next unicorn and transform Moldova’s startup ecosystem.

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Program Structure

Plan to commit 4-8 hours weekly for online engagement, covering workshops, meetings, office hours, and more.

In-person Founders Bootcamp

September 25-27, 2024

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all program. The journey kicks off with a hands-on, three-day bootcamp at Rubik Hub in Piatra Neamt.

This exclusive in-person experience brings together the cohort founders for networking, mentor engagement, workshops, and a deep dive into their business challenges.

Online Workshops

October – November 2024

After the bootcamp, get ready for an intensive two-and-a-half-month online program packed with value. You’ll participate in:

Demo Day

End of November 2024

The program wraps up with Demo Day, where you’ll pitch your startup to a room full of investors, VCs, partners, and mentors.

Selected founders may be invited to join the Ready to Raise follow-on program.

The only thing we ask from you is full commitment. This program is free of charge, but the value of the support, perks, and services you’ll receive exceeds €200,000.

We’re serious about your success—are you?

Editions since 2019

Startups accelerated

0 +

Focused on boosting growth

0 %

Raised through our programs

$ 0 M+

Don’t Take Our Word For It
Because Alumni Say It Best

Rubik Garage gave us the guidance and tools to scale fast and smart. Now, we’re positioned for even bigger growth.

Success Stories

Rubik Hub Lands in Italy

13 October, 2025

News

[Guest Post] BRIDCON’s Approach to Supporting Companies Expanding into the UK Market

11 August, 2025

News

Rubik Hub Ranked 39th in “Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs” by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted

22 February, 2025

News, Events

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Do I have to be part of a team to apply?

Yes. This year, we focus on teams of 2+ members, but you don’t necessarily need to have an established company to apply.

Can I apply if I don’t have an established company at this moment?

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.

Can I apply if I have an SME?

It depends. During the program, we focus on startups, and by startup, we understand any initiative with innovative potential and an advanced technological component that can discover a scalable business model and achieve exponential growth. This type of entrepreneurship differs from “classic” entrepreneurship (SMEs) in at least two essential aspects:

The targeted geographical area – must be as large as possible, not reduced to a single city for example
The business model – should allow rapid scaling on as many markets as possible

If your SME does meet the criteria mentioned above, then YES, we encourage you to apply to our program.

Can I apply if I don't have a tech background?

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!

What do you mean by Central & Southeast Europe?

Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the cultural region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and archipelagos.

Sovereign states and territories that may be included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (alternatively placed in Central Europe), Greece (alternatively placed in the broader region of Southern Europe), Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania (alternatively placed in Eastern Europe), Serbia, and the European part of Turkey (alternatively placed in the broader region of Southern Europe, also in Western Asia with the rest of the country). Sometimes, Cyprus (most often placed in West Asia), Hungary (most often placed in Central Europe), Moldova (most often placed in Eastern Europe) and Slovenia (most often placed in Central Europe) are also included due to cultural or historical factors and affiliation despite their geography.

Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in this region also share historical and cultural similarities. Whilst the region is variously defined, it often includes Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Is there a cost to participate in the accelerator program?

The program is entirely free (NO fee, NO equity). However, while the accelerator program is free for startups, the value of the support, resources, perks, and services is worth over 150,000 euros. So the least we expect from our participants is full commitment during the period of the program.

Does the program require physical attendance?

The program has a hybrid format, with two offline moments when physical presence is required from participants:

The Founders Bootcamp (25-27 September) in Piatra Neamt, Romania
Demo Day (end of November – the location will be announced).

How much time will I need to commit to the program?

Throughout the program, we will meet online 2 or 3 times a week for specific workshops/office hours. In addition, each participant will benefit from one-to-one mentoring sessions, according to their specific needs and available time. We encourage participants to spend as much time as possible connecting with mentors to solve their needs and find answers or guidelines to their questions. During the program, we can help you achieve incredible results through our tailored program, BUT WE CAN’T DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU.

Also, there will be two offline moments when physical presence is required from participants: The Founders Bootcamp (25-27 September) in Piatra Neamt and Demo Day (end of November – the location will be announced).

Is funding or investment provided at the end of the program?

No – providing funding to participants isn’t the goal of this program. However, you will gain knowledge about various funding sources available for startups. During the acceleration period, you will have the opportunity to interact with mentors who are investors and will be provided access to angel investor networks.

Furthermore, at Demo Day, you will be pitching your startup in front of a wide community of investors (VCs, business angels, etc.). If your primary goal is to raise investment, we will tailor our focus to support you in achieving that objective.

What happens after the demo day and the end of the program?

Once you are accepted into the Rubik Garage accelerator, you become part of a community dedicated to supporting startups as long as you wish or need us. Moreover, the top startups from the acceleration program will be selected to take part in the Ready to Raise Program, meant to help the startups navigate the most important aspects of fundraising.

Media Partners

Tech Partners

Investment Community Partners

Community Partners

Ready to Fast-Track Your Startup?

Rubik Garage is your ticket to scaling fast and smart. Join us and take your early-stage startup to the next level!

Equity-free and No-fee

Accelerator for Early-Stage Startups in Central & South-East Europe

Partners

Accelerator Program for Early-Stage Startups

Elite network

Firsthand insights

Tailored support

Practical workshops

Is This For You?

Agenda & Topics

Business Model Innovation

Business Model Innovation

Growth Hacking & Sales Mastery

Customer-Centric Design

Pitching & Investor Relations

Media & Brand Building

Scaling & Team Leadership

Market-related topics

Legal & Governance for Startups

Ethical Tech & AI Workshop

Bootstrapping & Resource Optimization

Use Cases

Bogdan Stoian

Sonia Damian

Yael Tamar

Mircea Ghita

Milana Slobtcova

Valentin Filip

Alex Burciu

Marius Istrate

Robert Herscovici

Vasile Tiple

Gabriela Dia

Manuel Damian

Mihai Nas

Stefan Iarca

Radu Negulescu

Mihai Guran

Ovidiu Tuduruta

Julia Sisu

Nino Karas

Ilya Novodvorskiy

Vukasin Pejovic

Tori Master

Ioana Văcărașu

Emil Chichioi

Program Structure

In-person Founders Bootcamp

September 25-27, 2024

Online Workshops

October – November 2024

Demo Day

End of November 2024

Don’t Take Our Word For It Because Alumni Say It Best

Success Stories

Rubik Hub Lands in Italy

[Guest Post] BRIDCON’s Approach to Supporting Companies Expanding into the UK Market

Rubik Hub Ranked 39th in “Europe’s Leading Start-up Hubs” by Financial Times, Statista, and Sifted

Frequently Asked Questions

Media Partners

Tech Partners

Investment Community Partners

Community Partners

Ready to Fast-Track Your Startup?

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Don’t Take Our Word For It
Because Alumni Say It Best