On October 5, the European Innovation Council (EIC), together with the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, Techcelerator, UEFISCDI, and Endeavor Romania, will host an event for startups and scaleups at STUP in Bucharest, Romania.
The event will present the current EIC Work Programme, providing detailed information on the individual calls and highlighting funding opportunities available to potential applicants. During the day participants can:
- Discover the EIC funding programmes and support opportunities
- Learn directly from EIC experts about eligibility, application processes and what makes a strong proposal
- Hear from EIC-backed Romanian founders about their experiences and success stories
- Connect with members of the innovation ecosystem
- Ask questions and get practical advice on how to take your innovation to the next level
The provisional agenda is available below.
Please note that this is an in-person event only. Registration is required and spots are limited.
Registrations have now closed.
- innovation
- Monday 5 October 2026, 10:30 - 17:00 (EEST)
- București, Romania
Programme
- 5 Oct 2026, 10:30 - 11:00 (EEST)Registrations and welcome coffee
- 11:00 - 11:15 (EEST)Opening
Event host: Cristian Dascalu, Partner GapMinder VC & Techcelerator, EIC Ambassador & Jury member
Speakers:
- Momchil Sabev, Director of the EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
- Nicoleta-Ramona Dinu, State Adviser for Corporate Governance and Tourism, the Presidential Administration of Romania
- 11:15 - 11:35 (EEST)Inspirational talk
Presenting:
- Cornel Amariei, CEO and founder of .lumen
- 11:35 - 12:10 (EEST)A walk through the European Innovation Council (EIC) journey
Presenting:
- Momchil Sabev, Director of the EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
- Lucia Fernandez Martinez, EIC policy team in DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
- 12:10 - 12:30 (EEST)Panel discussion on the EIC Pre-Accelerator and Plug-in
Moderated by Aoife Mangan, Communications Advisor, EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
Presenting:
- Momchil Sabev, Director of the EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
- Dragoș Pîslaru, Minister of European Investments and Projects (MIPE)
- Cristian Dascalu, Partner GapMinder VC & Techcelerator, EIC Ambassador & Jury member
- Roxana Sabau, co-founder at Synaptiq, Pre-Accelerator beneficiary
- 12:30 - 13:30 (EEST)Networking Lunch
- 13:30 - 14:15 (EEST)Deep dive into the EIC Accelerator
Presenting:
- Georgeta Serb, Project Officer, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
- 14:30 - 15:10 (EEST)Masterclasses and Q&A with experts
Presentation of Application Roadmaps (per programme) and Q&A with experts.
The parallel sessions will take place in different rooms. Participants can move between them and join the sessions that best suit their interests. You’re welcome to come and go throughout the sessions, giving you the flexibility to shape your own programme.
Topics:
Masterclass 1: EIC Pre-Accelerator
Moderated by Lucia Fernandez Martinez, EIC policy team in DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Presenting:
- Dan Mares, COO at Cortiscope Ai, Pre-Accelerator beneficiary
- Roxana Sabau, co-founder at Synaptiq, Pre-Accelerator beneficiary
Masterclass 2: EIC Accelerator and Plug-in Scheme
Moderated by Georgeta Serb, Project Officer, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency
Speaking
- Elena Ungureanu, Horizon Europe National Contact Point for EIC
- Roxana Lupascu, Project Coordinator, EEN2EIC Romania, Innovation & Business Development, MSP-EEN Partner
- Cristian Dascalu, Partner GapMinder VC & Techcelerator, EIC Ambassador & Jury
- Anca Marcu, CFO at HyperPV, EIC Accelerator awardee
Masterclass 3: EIC Equity Instruments
Speaking:
- Ioana Mihai, Head of Unit, EIB, EIC Investment Services to EIC Fund
- 15:10 - 15:55 (EEST)EIC for investors
15:10-15:30 Presenting:
- Momchil Sabev, Director of the EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
- Ioana Mihai, Head of Unit, EIB, EIC Investment Services to EIC Fund
15:30-15:55 Panel discussion: How can the EIC and VCs collaborate in support of deep tech
Moderated by Momchil Sabev, Director of the EIC and SMEs Executive Agency
- Marius Ghenea, Founder & Managing Partner, Catalyst Romania
- Ioana Mihai, Head of Unit, EIB, EIC Investment Services to EIC Fund
- Cristian Munteanu, Founder and Managing Partner of Early Game Ventures
- Daniel Rosner, Co-founder, Innovation Labs
- 15:55 - 16:00 (EEST)Closing Remarks
- 16:00 - 17:00 (EEST)Networking cocktail
Practical information
- When
- Monday 5 October 2026, 10:30 - 17:00 (EEST)
- Where
- Stup - Banca TransilvaniaCalea Șerban Vodă 206, 040215 București, Romania
- Languages
- English