Startarium PitchDay announced the start of registrations for the fifth edition named – “Romanians are Entrepreneurs”. It`s a competition initiated by ING Bank Romania and Impact Hub Bucharest, supported by Pluxee. The new concept focuses on the Romanian entrepreneurial spirit. It encourages as many existing and future entrepreneurs as possible to enter for the chance to win cumulative prizes worth EUR 100,000 (non-refundable).
This year’s edition comes with a series of additional novelties. For example, participants are invited to present their business ideas through a video of a maximum of 60 seconds within the new category – “Your Idea”.
“Romanians are entrepreneurs” also brings with it the simplification of the application process: in the “Your Idea” category, any aspiring entrepreneur who has a business idea can apply to win one of the ten dedicated prizes. For existing businesses, the organizers have created two distinct categories: “Startup” for businesses that work for 1-3 years, and “Running ops” – dedicated to businesses with more than 3 years of business activities.
“After a three-year hiatus of Startarium Pitchday, one of the most famous competitions in Romania dedicated to startups, we are happy to relaunch it under a new name, but with the same goal: reconfirming the diversity and potential of good business ideas, startups’ efforts to turn ideas into successful businesses and as proof that there are businesses that have proven they can grow and evolve. Startarium, the largest entrepreneurial education platform in Romania, is here for all these entrepreneurs. Through the “Romanians are Entrepreneurs” competition, together with our partners, ING Bank Romania and Pluxee, we offer a launch pad, visibility, and prizes totaling EUR 100,000 to existing and future entrepreneurs,” – declared Vlad Craioveanu, CEO and Co-Founder at Impact Hub Bucharest.
The competition discovers business ideas, supports entrepreneurs, and focuses on successful businesses
Those who want to compete in the fifth edition of the Startarium competition are invited to register on the dedicated platform until November 12th.
To register in the “Your Idea” category, entrepreneurs will upload a video to the platform, which, once validated by the organizing team, will enter the stage of collecting votes. Ten prizes of EUR 1000 will be awarded to those entrepreneurs who gather the highest number of votes, while the prizes dedicated to businesses in the “Startup” & “Running ops” categories will depend on the jury’s decision. The jury consists of Startarium mentors, business people, and representatives of the corporate environment.
From the total entries, the jury will select 35 businesses in the “Startup” category and 21 – in the “Running Ops” category, which will enter the semi-finals. Among them, the jury will select two winners per category, who will receive total prizes worth EUR 90,000 (non-refundable).
“ING supports the growth of startups and small businesses and makes continuous efforts to provide them with customized, simple, relevant, and instantly available solutions through our ING Business digital channel. The financial health of customers is one of our main pillars, that’s why we support mentoring and consulting programs dedicated to entrepreneurs who want to grow their business. Therefore, we are pleased to resume one of the most important competitions for early-stage entrepreneurs in Romania, known until now as Startarium PitchDay. We aim to build opportunities for all those who are or aspire to become entrepreneurs, both for those who have ideas that they want to turn into businesses and for those who already have promising businesses. We encourage existing and future entrepreneurs to enter the competition to win cumulative prizes worth EUR 100,000 to accelerate investments in their businesses, but also to enjoy an unparalleled experience,” – said Serge Offers, Head of Business Banking at ING Bank Romania.
The new format of the “Romanians are Entrepreneurs” competition comes as a response to the needs of business owners, who want quick access to financial resources and less bureaucracy.
“We are happy to join the Startarium program, the largest entrepreneurial education platform in Romania, and the “Romanians are entrepreneurs” competition, as part of our strategy to support Romanian SMEs. In the current economic context, we aim to be the same reliable partner for SMEs in Romania, which responds every day to their needs in a sustainable way, offering them access to educational resources and financing opportunities,” – said Manuel Fernandez Amezaga, CEO at Pluxee Romania & Bulgaria.
About previous editions of Startarium PitchDay
Startarium Pitchday has already had four successful editions, organized between 2016 and 2019: 580+ entrepreneurs competed in the competition, 155 businesses were supported by providing exposure, growth tools, and connecting with an active community of investors and consultants, and 35 of them benefited from total prizes worth EUR 450,000. Among the winners of the 2019 edition are the successful startups Digitail, Medicai, and Kinderpedia.
Source: the Bank`s press release
