Techcelerator teams up with Google Developers Launchpad – the first partnership of this kind in Romania

Cristina Blanaru Business, Digital & Media, Marketing, Start Up

Starting this week, Techcelerator, the acceleration program in Bucharest and Cluj and one of the relevant catalysts of the local tech ecosystem’s growth and development, will team up with Google Developers Launchpad to support Romania’s growing startup industry. Techcelerator financially supports Romanian technology startups through its strategic partner, GapMinder Venture Partners BV, co-financed through the Competitiveness Operational Program.

Google Developers Launchpad is a branch of Google that operates a global acceleration program that helps startups grow. Google is a thought leader when it comes to building and scaling products and businesses using the most advanced technologies.

The “Techcelerator Powered by Google Developers Launchpad” initiative will connect Techcelerator to an elite group of the world’s top accelerators, allowing it to share information and leverage resources. Techcelerator will also access Google’s global network, insights from the company’s Silicon Valley-based startup programs, and twenty years’ worth of Google research and best practice insights on building businesses, products, and teams at massive scale.

These resources will help Techcelerator’s startup portfolio – which already includes some of the fastest-growing companies in the region – scale its businesses exponentially. The benefits apply to all upcoming batches of Techcelerator and also to the startups from other two concluded rounds of acceleration.

Kevin O’Toole, Head of International Growth for Launchpad:

We are thrilled to work with Techcelerator to promote entrepreneurialism across Romania. The “Powered by Google Developers Launchpad” program is about empowering startup communities around the world, and helping them leverage each other for insights and resource sharing. Google Developers Launchpad doesn’t take an equity stake in accelerator portfolio startups, but instead focuses on developing companies and their ecosystems over the long term.

 Cristian Dascălu, GapMinder Venture Partners BV, Partner and liaison between Techcelerator and local startups ecosystem, added:

We, at Techcelerator, aim to become a key player in supporting the Romanian and CEE Startup ecosystem to make its mark at the global level by growing high-quality relevant products. The partnership with Google Developers Launchpad will give us a huge boost in conquering international markets and will minimize the visibility and business connectivity gap of our prodigy tech startups.

Through its collaboration with Google Developers Launchpad, Techcelerator and implicitly Romania will join a growing network of top, independent accelerators across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia which currently reaches worldwide 14 such entities.

Moreover, the startups to be accepted by Techcelerator for the third batch will have access to bootcamps and intensive business coaching sessions, mentoring, start-up industry specific know-how, and marketing services offered in partnership with Google.

Techcelerator is an acceleration program targeting Romanian technology startups. Headquartered in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, two important centers of Romanian innovation, Techcelerator is the first accelerator in Romania to allocate funds for the development of companies in the (pre)acceleration phase. Thanks to the strategic partnership with GapMinder Venture Partners, are targeted for acceleration and investments young innovative companies with high potential for international development and expansion in growing industries such as: software, cyber security, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, IT solutions for health, FinTech and others.

GapMinder Venture Partners BV is an investment fund set to provide capital for early stage companies with traction and for developing technology SMEs in expansion phase both on local or international level. The focus is on technology and services, sectorial diversification, product-centric and team-centric targets. GapMinder invests in Series A, Seed, and pre-Seed rounds.

Fund’s partners have a hands-on approach as investors, enhancing companies’ organic growth via direct involvement in operational streamlining, corporate governance, financial discipline, and coaching management. The fund is co-financed through the Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020.