RubikEDU Incubator: The 7th Batch in Retrospective

  • Categories RubikEDU
  • Date June 10, 2023

RubikEDU Incubator: The 7th Batch in Retrospective

June 10, 2023

In March 2023, we launched the seventh edition of our RubikEDU incubation program. We received 60 applications, out of which we selected 24 with ideas that needed clarity in their startup journey. The program included workshops on relevant business topics, from validation to investment, 1:1 feedback sessions with mentors from our community, and office hours with the Rubik Hub team.

The Startups

  • In-crowd: Aims to connect individuals with like-minded people in a safe and supportive environment. The app is designed to provide a space where people can alleviate/overcome their fears and connect with others who share compatible interests and experiences, without fear of judgment or rejection. 
  • Berny.ai: Automated meeting notes that you can actually use.
  • Metal-projects: Streamlines communication and the sales process between metalwork workshops and architects, designers, engineers, and enterprises, providing them with an objective market perspective.
  • Nutritivo: A mobile app that helps you find healthy food in any place you are in.
  • eNomads: Platform for digital nomads.
  • Vital 5G: Experimentation Platform & Open Online Repository 5G-Testbedsrecrutare.
  • MyRetriever: Accounts aggregator that uses Open Banking for budgeting.
  • EXPERTlive: Nurturing your soft skills through master classes crafted by experienced authors.
  • InoDigitalSig: Provides process automation solutions using software robots (RPA) for small and medium-sized companies, based on a monthly subscription.
  • altJob: Discover the future of freelance collaboration with altJob matching algorithm. Freelancers can easily find perfect projects for them without spending hours in bidding or writing applications. altJob intelligently matches businesses with skilled freelancers, streamlining the hiring process like never before. 
  • Signal Sigma: Helps investors in the capital market to test their trading strategies and manage their portfolios to achieve their financial goals.
  • MessengerOS: Helps you unlock the full potential of your communications strategy.
  • Patriot Invest: Platform that aims to contribute to the development of Romanian capital both domestically and abroad.
  • GoZero: Reusable packaging for food and drinks.
  • Timey: Mobile app for services.
  • Andrei Bumbu: E-learning hybrid platform that helps you land your IT job.
  • Eduard: Consultancy in understanding and choosing an electric vehicle.
  • Diana Șerbănescu: A new way of hiring starting from values.
  • Cătălin Stitz: The medical network that works.
  • busGO: Aggregator for urban transportation ticketing.
  • Octavian Burlacu: Proprietary trading firm.
  • Sergiu Cojan: Combines the advantages of digital with the practicability of physical stores.
  • Ana-Maria Niculescu: A platform for small farmers, agriculture experts, and fertilizers suppliers.
  • David Bucovschi: Platform that automates the DevOps initiation in IT.

Mentors & Curricula

During the 9-week program, the participants had the support of 32 mentors, to whom we are grateful. The curriculum included:

  • How to Assess Your Idea with Mircea Vădan, Partner at Activize
  • Defining Customer Segments with Mădălina Vasiu, Content Marketing Consultant & Podcast Host at Thinking Made Visible
  • How to Validate Assumptions with Valentin Toc, Coordinator of Rubik Garage, and Ionut Amariei, Coordinator of RubikEDU
  • How to Design an Experiment to Validate Your Assumptions (part 1) with Ilie Andrei Leonard, Founder at Inntech
  • How to Design an Experiment to Validate Your Assumptions (part 2) with Radu Ștefan, Product Manager at Edenred, and Raluca Voinea, Innovation and Product Lead Advance Analytics at ING
  • How to Build a Dream Team with Ioana Cerescu, Program Coordinator of Rubikigai, and Georgiana Vieru, Head of Community at Rubik Hub
  • Legal Tips for Startups with Claudia Jelea, Founder at Jlaw. Attorneys at law
  • Business Models – What’s the right one for you with Mihai Cepoi, Founder & CEO at Jobful
  • Leverage Your Startup Using Marketing Tools with Mădălin Miu, Head of Strategy at Aquavita
  • Ask Me Anything – What You Should Know as a Founder From the Start with Gabriela Constantinescu, Co-founder & COO at Chambr, and Florin Pop, Managing Partner & Strategist at Primainvest
  • How to Craft Your Go-to-Market Strategy with Ciprian Trip, Owner at TRIP Business Consulting
  • How to Pitch with Vlag Gliga, CEO at Rubik Hub
  • What You Need to Know about Investment from Day 1 with Mihai Ursache, Co-founder & CEO Metabeta and Qualibro

Other mentors from our community shared their vast expertise during individual feedback sessions:

Demo Day

On May 26th, we gathered in Iasi for Community & Demo Day, to celebrate the graduation of this batch. Eight founders had the courage to take the stage and present their pitches for the first time: Metal-Projects, Signal Sigma, In-crowd, InoDigitalSig, MessengerOS, EXPERTlive, Patriot Invest, and altJob.
Four jurors evaluated their pitches:
The winners were:
🎊 Best Startup – Metal-Projects
🎊 Best Pitch – Signal Sigma
🎊 Most Promising Startup – In-crowd

We want to express our gratitude to:

  • Marius Ursache for delivering an insightful in-person workshop on investment
  • Alexandru Holicov (Adservio) and Valentin Pintilescu (LooLoo Kids & TraLaLa) for their valuable talk on scaling in international markets
  • Magor Csibi and Radu Predescu for presenting their newly-launched book on leadership – “Bataliile care conteaza”

We couldn’t have organized the event without the support of our partners: Expertware, Microsoft, Code932, and Muzeul Național al Literaturii Române Iași.

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Alexandra Hutanu