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The startup scene across Romania
Where startups are forming across Romania: the cities, accelerators and investors, and how you get close to them.
The ecosystem
The European Commission classified Romania as an Emerging Innovator in its 2025 European Innovation Scoreboard, with a summary innovation index of 37.7 against an EU=100 benchmark. The index was 2.7 points higher than in 2024 and 8.2 points above 2018.
In the 2025 EIS, high-speed internet access scored 127.5 relative to EU=100, while medium- and high-technology product exports scored 91.2; above-basic digital skills scored 21.3 and venture-capital expenditure 12.6. These are comparative national indicators, not startup-specific measures.
Sectors and strengths
The EIS structural table reports that high- and medium-high-technology industries accounted for 35.5% of Romanian employment in 2022-2024, while manufacturing accounted for 19.4% and knowledge-intensive services 19.6%. These figures describe the broader economy, not startup-sector employment.
As of . Official information. Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2025: Country profile Romania
Hubs and regional differences
Capital.ro's account of StartupBlink's 2026 city rankings placed Bucharest at 112 globally and Cluj-Napoca at 336, reporting Bucharest's score as 5.5 times Cluj-Napoca's. These are index placements, not direct measures of startup counts or investment.
As of . Official information. Source: Romania rises to 44th in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026
The same 2026 account listed Oradea at 592, Timișoara at 650, Iași at 738, and Brașov at 817 in StartupBlink's city ranking.
As of . Official information. Source: Romania rises to 44th in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026
For founders
Use the 2026 StartupBlink city placements as a dated reference when comparing Romanian locations, while treating them as index results rather than direct measures of startup activity. The EIS connectivity score is above the EU=100 benchmark, whereas its above-basic digital-skills score is substantially below that benchmark; the measures should be considered separately.
As of . Official information. Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2025: Country profile Romania; Romania rises to 44th in Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026
For investors
Romania's EIS profile pairs a 35.5% employment share for high- and medium-high-technology industries with a venture-capital expenditure indicator of 12.6 relative to EU=100. Treat broad industrial employment and the relative venture-capital indicator as separate context signals.
As of . Official information. Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2025: Country profile Romania
Constraints and recent changes
The 2025 EIS reports above-basic digital skills at 21.3 and venture-capital expenditure at 12.6 relative to EU=100. Its innovative-SME collaboration indicator is displayed as zero on that relative scale; the source specifies that this is an indicator-scale value, not a literal count of Romanian collaborations.
As of . Official information. Source: European Innovation Scoreboard 2025: Country profile Romania
WIPO's 2025 Global Innovation Index country profile reports Romanian gross R&D expenditure at 0.52% of GDP in 2023 and 1,088.61 full-time-equivalent researchers per million people that year. These are national measures rather than startup-specific indicators.
As of . Official information. Source: Global Innovation Index 2025: Romania country profile
Startup ecosystem standing
Where Romania ranks
| Ranking | Edition | Position | Since last edition | Trust | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bloomberg Innovation Index | 2019 | #29 | Up 8 | B | Innovation, Research |
 Global Startup Ecosystem Index (countries) | 2025 | #48 | No prior edition | B | Ecosystem, Activity, Finance, Business Climate |
 Global Innovation Index | 2025 | #49 | Down 1 | A | Innovation, Competitiveness, Research, Talent |
 Doing Business (Ease of Doing Business ranking) | Doing Business 2020 | #55 | Down 3 | B | Business Climate |
 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking | 2026 | #61 | Down 11 | B | Competitiveness, Business Climate, Performance |
88 organizations with a profile
Who's based in Romania
Investors 40
Investor
InvestorConnecting investors and startups in Transylvania.
InvestorEmpowering early-stage tech startups in Romania.
The 3 most prominent of 40. Browse all investors
Accelerators 31
AcceleratorAccelerating innovation and collaboration.
AcceleratorEmpowering founders to build successful startups.
AcceleratorAccelerating bold visions in Romania.
The 3 most prominent of 31. Browse all accelerators
Incubators 11
IncubatorTransforming CEE into a region known for innovation.
IncubatorFostering innovative business growth for IT startups.
IncubatorEmpowering youth entrepreneurs for social innovation.
The 3 most prominent of 11. Browse all incubators
Venture studios 6
Venture studioEmpowering local SMEs through sustainable investments.
Venture studioBuilding and growing technology-driven ventures.
Venture studioAccelerating early-stage tech startups.
The 3 most prominent of 6. Browse all venture studios
Pick what describes you
Your way in
Raising in Romania
Investors based here, and the programs that take teams at your stage.
Get investor introsFinding startups in Romania
Accelerators and incubators here see the earliest teams first.
Get startups that fitScouting in Romania
Campuses and communities are where teams form before anyone funds them.
Start scoutingCity guides
Cities in Romania
The largest 4 of 6 published city guides.
City
1,877,155 people
City
378,954 people
City
316,748 people
City
315,053 people
Questions about Romania
How does Romania rank as a startup ecosystem?
Its best position is #29 in Bloomberg Innovation Index (2019). It appears in 5 published rankings; the table above lists each one.
How many startup investors are based in Romania?
40 investors based in Romania have a profile here, including SeedBlink, Transylvania Angels Network (T.A.N.) and TechAngels Romania. The real number is higher.
Are there accelerators or incubators in Romania?
Yes. Romania has 31 accelerators, 11 incubators and 6 venture studios on record, including InnovX, X by Ascendis and V7 Capital.
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