Rubik Hub, the Romanian startup hub, together with two VC funds ROCA X and SeedBlink from Romania, and accelerator Global Kinetics from Silicon Valley and Startup Wise Guys from Estonia launched a startup accelerator. Rubik Garage is an equity-free acceleration program aiming to support startups from CEE or SEE raise their first investment round. The program is focusing on startups with an innovative product or business model that have a minimum viable product and/or an experienced team.
On behalf of the organising team, we invite startups from Sofia and Bulgaria to apply for participation.
Rubik Garage is free of charge and is organised by Rubik Hub and the North-East Regional Development Agency. Its main focus are startups from the verticals of MedTech, EdTech, Climate, Tourism, Social Impact, Fintech, Smart Cities, Automation, using technologies such as Saas, IoT, AI, VR, AR, XR, Big data, and blockchain. However, if you are focused on other areas and feel your startup can make a dent in the universe, then apply here!
Applications are open until May 1st, 2022.
The selection process:
The selected startups will be announced on the 6th of May. The selection jury is comprised of experts from Rubik Hub and its strategic partners: the Romanian VC funds ROCA X and SeedBlink, and the accelerators Global Kinetics from Silicon Valley, USA, and Startup Wise Guys from Estonia.
Rubik Garage 2022 – the program
Rubik Garage is a hybrid acceleration program, in English. The program will begin on 18th of May and it comprises 3 phases:
- The Accelerator Phase – May 18 – July 22. During 2 intensive months, startup founders take part in over 60 hours of practical workshops with experts and 1:1 sessions from mentors and investors – all with the purpose of accelerating the startups in areas that are key for their growth. These are tailored to the founders’ needs and cover a wide range of topics, including developing sustainable business models, sales, pricing and go-to-market strategies.
The acceleration phase starts with a Founders’ Bootcamp and a launch event, on 18th -20th of May. Here, the founders will meet the mentors, the strategic partners and the wider Rubik Hub community and will attend in-person workshops. This will take place in Rubik Hub, in Piatra Neamt, Romania, in a 1200sq space created exclusively for startup events and co-working, and surrounded by forests and mountains.
- The Demo Day – The founders will pitch their startups in front of over 100 investors, VC funds, partners and mentors.
- Preparation for raising investment & scaling internationally – The founders of the most promising startups will be selected to receive a pack of benefits created to support them raise an investment round or scale into a new market.
On top of this, founders will learn strategies and tips & tricks in raising investment straight from investors and experts from the Rubik Hub community. For the following 6-18 months, the investment experts in the Rubik Hub team will support the founders every step of the way, with the operational side, becoming their investment department.
Rubik Garage offers the following benefits to the selected founders:
Overall, Rubik Garage, the equity-free accelerator for startups in CEE and SEE, offers the selected founders the following benefits:
- Over 100,000 euros worth of tailored support, grants, prizes, and other perks.
- Over 60 hours of live, interactive and practical workshops in English.
- Live sessions with investors and feedback on pitching sessions before Demo Day.
- Access to a community of over 150 mentors, founders and experts from over 40 startups and 4 unicorns: UiPath, Branch, Front, Deel.
- Access to a 1200 sq co-working space surrounded by forests and mountains is included in the overall package.
- Benefits for going international: a week-long immersion in an international startup ecosystem, free tickets to an international startup conference and presentation booth.
- Access to the collective know-how and network of 50+ investors, accelerators and VC funds in Europe and the USA.
