ROTSA - Romanian Tech Startups Association

20/08/2026

Earlier this year, DroneWatch AI was submitted to the EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026. We are glad to see the Romanian project developed by AI engineer Marius Andronie continue beyond the hackathon and start looking for the partner that could take it into real-world testing!

DroneWatch AI combines RF signals, acoustic signatures, telemetry and live air traffic data to help operators assess whether an alert points to a possible drone threat or a false alarm. The system is currently a concept demonstrator: its threat signals are simulated, and it has not yet been tested with real drones and sensors.

Its next step is connecting the software to existing infrastructure at an airport, port, logistics centre or energy site.

🔗 Read the full story by start-up.ro: https://start-up.ro/dronewatch-ai-proiectul-romanesc-care-isi-propune-sa-ajute-operatorii-sa-deosebeasca-o-drona-de-o-alarma-falsa/

Într-o industrie în care investițiile și atenția se îndreaptă mai ales către tehnologiile care pot opri dronele, proiectul românesc DroneWatch AI încearcă

17/08/2026

Lovable has raised $400 million at a $13.3 billion valuation, with the new Scaleup Europe Fund co-leading the round alongside Menlo Ventures.

It is an early indication of how the fund plans to support European companies with global potential across AI, space and dual-use technology, life sciences, deep tech and robotics. Romanian founders have already demonstrated their ability to build globally competitive technology companies, making the fund’s future investments particularly relevant to our ecosystem.

We will be following whether this new European capital moves beyond the established tech hubs and gives more founders the resources to scale from Romania.

👇 Read more in the StartupCafe.ro article below:
https://startupcafe.ro/suedezi-lovable-finantare-400-milioane-dolari-bani-mega-fond-scaleup-europe-104988

Startup-ul suedez de codare cu inteligență artificială Lovable a strâns 400 milioane dolari, la valoarea de 13,3 miliarde dolari.

12/08/2026

Strong regional communities give Romania’s tech ecosystem much of its depth. They bring founders, technology professionals and local companies into the same space, making it easier to discover what is being built nearby and meet the people behind it.

🗓️ On September 1, Banat IT brings this community together in Timișoara for BIT BBQ 2026, an informal evening open to tech professionals and their families.

⏱️ 18:00
📍 Iulius Gardens, Timișoara
🎟️ Free entry, registration required

👇Registration link in the post below.

Free entry to the block party of the year is officially open. 🎉

🗓 When: September 1st
📍 Where: Iulius Gardens, Timișoara

Expect food trucks, a proper drinks corner, tunes on the front steps, actual physical games (we know, right?), a photo album worth keeping, a plaza built for meeting people, and a supervised kids’ corner so parents can enjoy the evening while their kids are making their next friend on the block.

🎟️ Grab your FREE spot: link in bio / https://bit.ly/BIT-BBQ-26

Don’t just hear about it later, be part of the tech neighbourhood.

10/08/2026

On 17 September, the Epic-X community will be at Startup Fair Vilnius, where visitors can discover the ventures in the Acceleration+ programme and meet some of the women founders developing deep-tech solutions across Europe. 🌍

As a partner in the Epic-X consortium, ROTSA supports the programme’s work to improve access to acceleration, investment readiness and international connections for women-led deep-tech startups.

Find the event details in the original Epic-X post below. 👇

On 17 September, EPIC-X will be at Startup Fair Vilnius, one of the key meeting points for start-ups, investors and innovation leaders from across Europe.

Visit the EPIC-X booth to learn how our Horizon Europe programme supports women-led deep-tech start-ups through acceleration, investment readiness, international connections and access to Europe’s innovation ecosystems 🚀

You will also have the opportunity to discover the ventures taking part in our Acceleration+ programme and meet some of the founders developing technologies with the potential to create meaningful economic and societal impact.

📅 17 September 2026
📍 LITEXPO, Vilnius, Lithuania

Come and meet the EPIC-X community, exchange ideas and explore opportunities for collaboration. See you in Vilnius!

05/08/2026

⏳ Just 10 days left to secure your DefCamp 2026 Early Bird ticket!

CEE’s largest cybersecurity conference returns to Bucharest on November 19–20, bringing together the region’s cybersecurity community at the Palace of Parliament.

🎟️ Early Bird pricing ends August 15.

Check the original post and secure your ticket. 👇

🚨 The clock is ticking on our best ticket deal! Early bird ticket pricing for 2026 wraps up on August 15.

Once the deadline hits, there's no going back, so if you've been meaning to secure your spot at CEE's biggest conference, now's the time.

🎟️ Claim your early bird ticket now 👉 https://def.camp/tickets/ 👈

🗓️ 19-20 November 2026
🏛️ Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest

03/08/2026

A new opportunity for early-stage startups ready to step into the spotlight.
PROWpeller is back with 10 Startup Expo spots and one winner, who will secure a place in Cohort 2 of the Vest Ventures Accelerator and the opportunity to receive a €150K investment from Vest Ventures.

Applications are open until September 25, with Pitch Day taking place on October 30 at Prow Conference in Timișoara. 🚀

Zece startup-uri vor fi selectate pentru a doua ediție PROWpeller din cadrul conferinței PROW care va avea loc pe 30 octombrie la Timișoara. Cele mai bune trei

30/07/2026

Europe is taking another step towards expanding its AI computing infrastructure. 🇪🇺

The European Union has launched a call aimed at establishing up to seven AI Gigafactories. The initiative is expected to mobilise more than €30 billion in public and private investment.

The proposed facilities would provide the large-scale computing capacity needed to develop and train advanced AI models. If implemented as planned, they could also improve access to this infrastructure for European startups, scale-ups and research teams, although this is not a direct funding call for startups.

Romania has already proposed the Black Sea AI Gigafactory and has been preparing the consortium behind the project. The newly launched EU call could provide the framework for advancing this bid.

The call is open until 12 November 2026, with the site selection process expected to begin in early 2027.

Its outcome could influence where Europe’s future AI infrastructure is built and which ecosystems are best positioned to support the development of advanced AI companies.

🔗 Source in the comments.

29/07/2026

Women TechEU is an EU-funded programme supporting early-stage, women-led deep-tech startups through €75,000 in equity-free funding, alongside tailored mentoring, training, expert guidance and access to investors and European innovation networks.

The programme will support 160 startups between 2026 and 2028, and companies registered in Romania are eligible to apply.

Founders interested in the current open call can join the third online InfoDay on 6 August to learn more about the eligibility criteria, application process and programme requirements.

A valuable opportunity to strengthen women-led innovation in Romania and increase its visibility across Europe’s deep-tech ecosystem. 🇷🇴🇪🇺

🌟3rd InfoDay🌟

Mark your calendar for the 3rd Women TechEU Open Call InfoDay happening 6 August!

📆 Date: 6 August 2026
⏰ Time: 12:00 CEST (Brussels Time)
➡️ Platform: Zoom

Learn all you need to know about our application process, eligibility requirements, and project specifics. We'll give you a detailed overview and a clear, step-by-step guide on how to successfully apply.

Register now: https://womentecheurope.eu/register-to-women-techeu-infoday/

Website: https://womentecheurope.eu/

28/07/2026

Romanian-founded startups raised more than €170 million in the first half of 2026. 🇷🇴

The figures reflect the ability of Romanian entrepreneurs to build technology companies that attract international capital, with AI-focused ventures receiving a significant share of the funding.

At the same time, the distribution of capital reveals an important gap: the five largest rounds, ranging from $18 million to $50 million, were secured by Romanian founders building their companies abroad. In Romania, local investors remained active, but primarily through smaller tickets.

Romania is clearly producing globally competitive founders. The next step is to create the conditions that enable more of them to finance, scale and build their companies from within the local ecosystem.

A stronger connection between entrepreneurial talent, growth capital and the European market can help Romania retain more of the innovation and economic value it already knows how to generate.

🔗 Source in the comments.

27/07/2026

Europe’s technological competitiveness is not built only in its capitals.

Timișoara is consolidating its position as a Romanian hub for automotive engineering and advanced mobility, bringing together capabilities in software, e-mobility, braking and steering systems, inverters and the technologies shaping the vehicles of the future.

The presence of companies such as Bosch, Porsche Engineering, ZF, Huf and Magna illustrates a broader transition: from manufacturing capacity to higher-value research, engineering and product development.

For Romania’s tech ecosystem, this matters beyond the automotive sector. Strong regional specialisation creates the conditions for new suppliers, technology companies and partnerships to emerge around established expertise.

It is also evidence of a more decentralised innovation landscape — one in which Romanian cities can contribute distinct capabilities to European value chains.

This is what place-based innovation can look like: global connections, regional expertise and technology developed within the European Union.

👇Read the analysis by Ziarul Financiar. Link in the comments section bellow.

Check also the great innovation work done by fellow parteners and operators in the West regional ecosystem: Agenția pentru Dezvoltare Regională Vest - ADR Vest, Vest Ventures, Growceanu, Cowork Timisoara, Timisoara Startups