GreenMatch Romania Strengthens Startup Investment Readiness and International Collaboration

The GreenMatch Brokerage Event Romania, organised under the IN4SFS project, successfully connected startups, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders in Cluj-Napoca on 25–26 June 2025 through two days of networking, pitching, and investment-focused activities.  

Organised by ADR Nord-Vest with the support of project partners and under the strategic coordination of CleanTech Business Institute (CBI), the event aimed to strengthen investor networks, facilitate startup-investor matchmaking, and support cross-border investment opportunities in green and sustainable technologies.  

The first day of the event took place within Techsylvania 2025, one of the region’s largest startup and technology conferences, where IN4SFS hosted a dedicated matchmaking area focused on sustainable innovation. Through formal and informal networking activities, startups and investors explored collaboration opportunities, discussed emerging innovation trends, and established new international connections.  

The second day focused on startup visibility and investment readiness through workshops, investor panels, and pitching sessions hosted at the North-West Regional Development Agency headquarters in Cluj-Napoca.  

Ten startups from Romania and Greece presented innovative solutions in sectors such as clean technologies, circular economy, biotechnology, sustainable materials, renewable energy, and digital sustainability solutions. Investors and ecosystem experts provided direct feedback to founders, helping startups improve their positioning, fundraising strategies, and scalability plans.  

The event gathered 81 participants in hybrid format and included more than 14 ecosystem speakers, multiple bilateral investor meetings, and extensive networking opportunities between startups, investors, accelerators, and innovation intermediaries.  

Several startups participating in the wider IN4SFS ecosystem have already demonstrated the long-term impact of this support. Romanian startup Recycllux, focused on tackling marine plastic pollution using AI, satellite data, and blockchain traceability, highlighted how the GreenLeap incubation and acceleration programme helped the company refine its customer-focused strategy and strengthen its international expansion plans.  

Similarly, RongoDesign, a Romanian startup developing regenerative materials and circular product design solutions, used the GreenLeap programme to rethink its supply chain, redesign products using biodegradable materials, and strengthen its sustainability-driven business strategy.  

The event also reinforced the role of women-led innovation within the green transition. Greek initiatives such as ACCESS Simple and WEnCoop benefited from mentoring, international visibility, and ecosystem networking through IN4SFS activities. ACCESS Simple focuses on inclusive and accessible tourism services, while WEnCoop is Europe’s first female energy cooperative supporting women entrepreneurs in renewable energy and sustainability.    

By connecting startups with investors and international ecosystem actors, GreenMatch Romania contributed directly to the IN4SFS mission of strengthening Europe’s green innovation ecosystem and supporting startups working on solutions aligned with Europe’s sustainability priorities.