November 27th / GO GLOBAL Meetup to Support Romanian Startups’ International Expansion

UPGRADE 100 and How to Web are organizing a meetup in Bucharest on the 27th of  November, bringing together ambitious founders from the Romanian startup ecosystem, international investors, product experts, tech engineers, and thought leaders. The event is organized under the umbrella of the GO GLOBAL program, co-produced by UPGRADE 100 and How to Web, led by Arieli Capital investment fund, supported by Raiffeisen Bank Romania, and AmCham Romania. The program aims to turn Romanian startups into global market leaders.

The meeting brings together leading industry voices such as Laurențiu Balașa, Founder and CEO of BibleChat, Or Haviv, Partner at Arieli Capital, Bogdan Popa, COO at Raiffeisen Bank Romania, Smaranda Heroiu, Executive Director of UPGRADE 100, and Monica Zara, Head of Conference at How to Web, and promises opportunities to connect and generate impactful partnerships.

The agenda includes:

• 18.00–18.30: Networking session
• 18:30–18.40: Official opening of the event with speeches by Smaranda Heroiu, Executive Director UPGRADE 100, and Monica Zara, Head of Conference at How to Web
• 18.40–19.05: Panel “How to scale globally from Romania,” which will discuss the topic of international expansion—Or Haviv, Partner at Arieli Capital, Bogdan Popa, COO at Raiffeisen Bank Romania
• 19.05–19.30: A discussion centered on how to overcome technical challenges so that Romanian startup founders, product people and engineers in their teams can reach the scaling stage with Laurențiu Bălașa, Founder and CEO of BibleChat
• 19.30 – 21.00: Networking session with Laurențiu Bălașa, Founder and CEO BibleChat, Or Haviv, Partner Arieli Capital, Bogdan Popa, COO Raiffeisen Bank Romania.

“We live in an era where technology is transforming industries and shaping our future. Startups are the engine of this transformation, and our mission is to empower them to expand beyond local borders and become global forces. This event represents more than networking – it’s about creating tangible pathways for Romanian innovation to reach the well-deserved notoriety. We are bringing together the right people at the right time to make international recognition a reality for local startups,” says Bogdan Popa, COO at Raiffeisen Bank Romania.

“This meeting is a crucial moment for Romanian entrepreneurs who are ready to think on a large scale, especially because existing projects in Romania demonstrate exceptional potential, with technical capabilities that are up to global standards. At the meeting, we aim to exchange more than just ideas. We want to open doors to long-term partnerships and give Romanian startups the competitive edge they need to succeed globally, “ says Or Haviv, Partner and Head of Innovation at Arieli Capital.  

“Romanian founders who want to build a solid customer base or are looking for investors or mentors to help them expand their business, in Europe or globally, have the best opportunity through the GO GLOBAL program. Through our How to Web events and projects, we aim to connect the most promising local start-ups with the expertise and international connections they need, and this will be the case at this meetup,” adds Monica Zara, Head of Conference at How to Web.

“We are pleased to bring this program to Romania through a strategic partnership that combines expertise, advanced know-how, and an extensive network of local and especially global contacts. This unique mix will give program participants access to outstanding development opportunities. We invite as many of you as possible to join us at this meet-up, and we hope that the startups that will be part of the project will become outstanding examples of success in tech entrepreneurship with the Made in Romania  label, added Smaranda Heroiu, Executive Director of Upgrade 100.

This is an apply-only event, with registration possible via this link.

GO GLOBAL is an international accelerator specifically designed to turn promising startups into global market leaders. With successful operations in Italy, Slovenia, Utah (USA) and the Czech Republic, the program combines Arieli Capital’s proven global accelerator methodology with deeply integrated local ecosystem support, offering a unique advantage to companies ready to scale ambitiously and internationally. The intensive program runs from December 2024 to March 2025, culminating in a high-impact, in-person program in Milan, where participants will connect with international investors and potential partners.