Bucharest (October 21, 2025) – Entrepreneurs and business leaders attended the first edition of Financing & IPO Summit, an event organized by VERTIK Group on October 10th, at BT Stup. The event underlined one of the greatest pressures in current business environment: for growing Romanian companies, access to financing is no longer merely an option, but an urgent necessity. Over the course of one day, international financial institutions, private equity and venture capital funds, entrepreneurs, capital market representatives, and consultants debated about the main capital routes available in Central and Eastern Europe. The shared message? Companies aiming for growth must strategically select their type of financing and ensure transparent preparation for investors.
VERTIK Group, consisting of the management consulting company VERTIK and the VERTIK Association for the Future, a development and investment think tank, with the support of the European Investment Bank and several local partners, gathered over 100 participants in a critical debate on the future of financing.
What are investors looking for nowadays?
“It is not enough to have a good idea. Today, investors are looking for companies with financial discipline, governance, a growth plan, and a clear story. Entrepreneurs must analyze which investor is the right fit for them.” — Daniela Maior and Daniela Aldescu, Partners, VERTIK Group
“Europe has ideas, talent, and ambition, but our companies still face barriers in attracting capital. An integrated capital market is a strategic necessity, not an option.” – Ioannis Tsakiris, Vice President, EIB
“The capital market is not just about money, but also about visibility, trust, and legitimacy. Companies need to be visible.” – Radu Hanga, President, Bucharest Stock Exchange
“The European Investment Bank offers solutions for a wide range of companies, from startups supported through venture capital funds, to large projects requiring solid loans.” – Marius Cara, Head of EIB Group Office in Romania
How do entrepreneurs who have succeeded in attracting investors think?
“Two weeks after we were listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, the war in Ukraine began. We had to make rapid decisions. Financing through the stock market means responsibility, not just capital. Three years later, we have increased the company’s value by over 300%.” – Peter de Boer, CEO, DN AGRAR Group
“We did not put the company up for sale. Capital came to us because there was trust in our business model. A good fund brings more than just money; it brings discipline and vision.” – Radu Savopol, Co-founder, 5togo
What does access to financing depend on? 4 key conditions
- Clarity of the business model – numbers, EBITDA, sustainability.
- Governance and transparency – reporting, ESG, management.
- Scalability – regional vision, new markets.
- Story and positioning – strategic communication with investors.
The Financing & IPO Summit 2025 demonstrated that Romania does not lack ideas or ambition, but it needs preparation for capital. Therefore, VERTIK has committed to transforming the event into an annual platform connecting entrepreneurs and capital markets.
The line-up of the event also included: Cristian Nacu, Senior Country Officer for International Financial Corporation Romania (IFC), Andrei Svoronos, Associate Director European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Răzvan Butucaru, Partner, Financial Services & Advisory Leader Forvis Mazars, Daniel Slăvenie, CEO & Partner Limitless Agency, Ștefan Pârvu, Managing Partner, eVantage Soft, Iulia Lascău, Managing Partner, Argus Audit, Emeric Domokos, Domokos Partners, Tony Romani, Investment Committee Member, Invenio Partners, Valentin Filip, Managing Partner, Fortech Investments, Ciprian Cazacu, Founder easySales, Bogdan Chiriță, Partner, Value4Capital, Cosmin Daraban, CEO and Co-Founder Silkweb (trading under GoMag), Daniela Iliescu, Executive Director, ROPEA, Ionuț Bonoiu, Head of Context & Clarity, Termene.ro, Raul Țărnaru, CEO & Founder Novarion, Ligia Ciornei, Film Producer, Viorel Chesaru, Executive Director, Chainsaw Europe Studio, and Livia Rusu, Digital Strategist, The Recursive.
The event was designed by VERTIK Group, in collaboration with BusinessMark. The strategic partner of the event was the European Investment Bank. The main partners were: Banca Transilvania, BT Stup, Forvis Mazars, eVantage Soft, Limitless, Argus Audit, Domokos Partners. Bucharest Stock Exchange, ROPEA, and BRCC were institutional partners.
About VERTIK Consulting
VERTIK is a consulting company with extensive expertise in investor relations, growth financing, and strategic communications for high-potential companies, serving as an authorized BVB consultant for the AeRO market. We’ve supported publicly listed companies, expanding entrepreneurial ventures, and management teams seeking to raise capital through professional and efficient processes. https://vertikgroup.eu/
About VERTIK Association for the Future
The VERTIK Association for the Future operates as a development and investment initiative group within VERTIK Group, focused on sustainable development projects. An idea incubator for value-based economic growth, VERTIK has a vision that integrates policies for developing our capabilities, through horizontal, cross-cutting, and sectoral approaches for a prosperous, future-ready Romania: https://vertik.ro/
About BusinessMark
BusinessMark is a full-service B2B company that has been organizing business events since 2013, primarily developing original concepts, planned and executed in-house – from idea through final implementation. The company takes an all-industries approach, creating projects across diverse sectors and professional domains. https://business-mark.ro/
