On 28-29th March, the Connect4Growth accelerator programme, an integral component of the MoldoInova project, was successfully launched through a strategic partnership between Wolves Summit, MITP (Moldovan Information Technology Park), and the UNDP Polish Challenge Fund. This initiative aims to support and promote the growth of innovative startups in Moldova and Ukraine.

The project aims to help Ukrainian startups to settle down in Moldova and Moldovan businesses to expand internationally by bringing Polish and international know-how to the Moldovan ecosystem.

Over the course of two days, 12 selected participants, including nine from Moldova and three from Ukraine, were provided with an intensive acceleration programme. Local experts from Dreamups and international experts from iScale Hub shared their knowledge on international sales, fundraising, and other crucial aspects of business development. Additionally, participants benefited from two mentoring sessions tailored to their specific needs.

The live training sessions covered a wide range of topics, such as internationalization, competition analysis, communication and network building, sales prospecting, financial management, fundraising, and pitching. These sessions were broadcast live, making them accessible to interested startups that did not reach the finals. The recorded sessions will be made available on the project's website, www.connect4growth.eu, which also serves as an invaluable knowledge hub for entrepreneurs.

Following the training, an internal Demo Day was organized, during which the participants presented their refined pitches in a peer-to-peer learning environment. This event took place at iHUB Green, a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of Chisinau.

The full house Demo Day, hosted in the headquarter of MITP showcased an impressive array of pitches from a diverse group of startups, including Recycline, Click School, HeroDoc, MGrinder, Selftalk, BloomCoding, Langly, ViarLive, BOLD School, Oranta, and Parostok. All of them are tackling the acute and most pressing challenges caused by the global geopolitical conflicts and the Ukraine crisis.

The jury panel, comprised of esteemed local and international investors, serial entrepreneurs, and prominent stakeholders, selected five winners (Selftalk, Langly, Click School, BloomCoding, MGrinder) who will go on to participate in the Wolves Summit in Wrocław, Poland. At this prestigious event, the finalists will present their innovative ideas to an international audience of stakeholders. The MITP delegation and the five winning startups will be provided with a dedicated exhibition space to showcase their achievements. Additionally, an exclusive side event will be organised to highlight the potential of Moldova's contributions to the global tech ecosystem. The summit will also feature a panel discussion focused on the project's results and the importance of continued support for emerging startups.

For more information about the Connect4Growth accelerator programme and its outcomes, please visit www.connect4growth.eu.

Connect 4 Growth (MoldoInnova) was selected by the Polish Challenge Fund - Innovative Solution for the SDGs, implemented by UNDP IRH with financial support from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Connect 4 Growth Accelerator Programme is brought by Wolves Summit and MITP (Moldova Innovation Technology Park).

It is no secret that Moldova is still largely overlooked, for economic competitiveness on the international, or even regional stage. However, we note that lately, the country’s investment in tech and digitalization are bringing considerable results, with the IT sector becoming one of the drivers of the economy.

One of the reasons for Moldova’s rise in the tech sector is, of course, the internet facilities. The country is positioned as 8th in the world for providing mobile data, according to cable.co.uk. The website lists the country as having the most affordable internet price among Easter European countries, and the second most affordable in the whole of CIS.

On the opposite side of the pricing spectrum, we have Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic and Greece, the latter with prices up to 5.40 USD per 1GB of internet.

This offers a competitive edge to Moldova, who is now seen as a rising player in the regional market for technology and IT talent.