Inside the Second Cohort: Kicking Off the New Scale Up Program by Endeavor Romania

When we launched the first edition of the Scale Up Program, we set out to build something that was missing from Romania’s ecosystem: a space dedicated to founders who are beyond the early stage but still navigating their path to scale; founders who were growing fast, but also looking for clarity, mentorship, and long-term thinking. 

As there were already plenty of programs for early stage teams, we thought it relevant to focus on this next growth stage, which also sits closer to our Endeavor DNA – supporting companies from emerging markets that sit right at exponential scale inflection points to dream bigger. 

Now, as we welcome the second cohort, we see signs that the ecosystem is approaching a new phase of maturity, and an increasing number of founders are realizing the potential behind getting help from an established network to achieve that.

 

The Second Cohort and What They’re Building

This year’s cohort brings together eight companies building across sectors, but united by a common goal: solving complex problems with clarity and scale in mind. 

The entrepreneurship journey isn’t only about the business, but also the changes we make in ourselves. Now we want to scale, grow, conquer new markets, and the Endeavor program is the right fit for us because we have the chance to get some help from Endeavor Romania. We hope to be in a position to accelerate our growth exponentially. During the program, we plan to learn how to double down on the things we already do well… – Claudiu Petria, Questo

Although they span different domains, their common denominator lies in the relevance and the global nature of the problems they’re solving:

Expanding access to capital. 

Fagura and Lendox are rethinking the infrastructure of lending. Fagura makes community-powered financing more accessible to small businesses, while Lendox helps banks and large institutions lend smarter, faster, and more inclusively through AI-powered credit intelligence.

We are ready to scale, we are preparing to launch a new investment round, and we’re also planning to launch a new market in the EU next year, maybe in Bulgaria or Hungary, and we think that this program is the best for us today. We need partners, know-how and expertise from different mentors that we are convinced we’ll find in the Endeavor network. – Tudor Darie, Fagura

Laying down a growth infrastructure. 

Symphopay and Licenseware are tackling the invisible architecture of how modern businesses operate, making systems more agile, transparent and scalable from payment orchestration to enterprise software cost control. MeetGeek captures and structures team knowledge directly from conversations, turning meetings into continuous momentum.

For any ecosystem it’s important to have contact with a global network like Endeavor’s, the value being generated by the different perspectives you have access to, like companies abroad, use cases that are happening all over the world, professionals that can help you find the answers to your own questions with a global partner that is helping you every step of your development. – Daniel Nicolescu, Symphopay  

 

Driving real-world impact. 

Munevo, Questo and Rayscape operate closer to the immediate. Munevo builds assistive smart-glasses that give back mobility and autonomy to people with physical disabilities, while Rayscape supports radiologists with tools for earlier, more accurate detection of lung diseases, where every moment matters. At the same time, Questo reconnects people with the world around them by turning everyday walks into immersive, city-based adventures. 

The Scale Up Program means meeting relevant people with know-how in our industry, seeing the experience of founders who’ve scaled into similar markets, and also being able to share what we as co-founders have been through.  – Stefan Iarca, Rayscape

 

What Makes This Edition Different

One of the most relevant and exciting additions to the program is the introduction of dedicated fellow mentors, experienced operators from Endeavor’s network who are matched to each company and stay closely involved throughout the program, whose role is to act as a consistent sounding board in moments that require focus and clarity.

You always need to get a mix between a good network and a good execution framework, not rely solely on the strategy, but to have meaningful conversations and to open doors that you wouldn’t be able to open without getting out of your comfort zone.  – Dan Huru, MeetGeek.ai

At the same time, we’re seeing a broader shift: founders are increasingly aware that scaling means operational sustainability, decision quality, and building teams that can grow alongside the business. And as the local ecosystem matures, so does the need for long-term thinking. The more support founders receive in these early scale moments, the stronger the base for future success stories.

Risksilience is so low in this part of the world, the risk capital culture is still at incipient levels. Without connecting and being close to knowledge and people that have succeeded, without success stories it’s really impossible to succeed. It is mandatory that programs like Scale Up by Endeavor take place in this ecosystem. – Cosmin Curticăpean, Lendox 

 

Several founders from the first cohort returned for the kick-off event. Their involvement creates the premises for a peer-driven network, where founders can share experience and create a safe space for other founders navigating similar challenges. It is our hope that, with every cohort, the graduates will slowly become examples of success and resilience, a local mirror of the very mentors they were looking for when they joined our program.

 

What We’re Really Building

At Endeavor Romania, our aim is to help founders operate with more clarity, more confidence, and a broader sense of what’s possible. We’re also working towards bringing together a local ecosystem of trust, where founders can find the kind of support that only comes from being in one’s shoes. 

This second cohort reflects the direction we believe the ecosystem is heading: more collaboration, more structure, and more willingness to learn from each other. The journey of scale doesn’t need to be isolating, it can be shared, and we look forward to supporting these companies as they move forward, and to the broader momentum their progress can help instill in the next generation of Romanian entrepreneurs.

Special thanks to our partner UniCredit Bank Romania and our supporters Mastercard, and UiPath, for their involvement in the Scale Up Program, as their commitment to strengthening the Romanian tech ecosystem makes this kind of founder-first initiative possible.