Make IT in Oradea, a public-private initiative developed by the city to support tech entrepreneurship, has launched Startup Fortress, a year-round program offering tech founders access to infrastructure, funding, and networking.
The program aims to attract talent and promote the local tech ecosystem through a paid residency designed for digital nomads and professionals interested in discovering Oradea, offering benefits such as accommodation, a co-working space, and access to the local community.
It also transforms the program Bright Labs from a cohort-based accelerator into an always-open program for early-stage founders. It offers three months of personalized mentorship, accommodation, workspace, grants of up to EUR 5,000, and syndicated investment opportunities ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 300,000, along with extended post-program support for one year.
“We aim to support between 15 and 30 startups every year through a model that combines local and international resources, creating measurable impact both in Oradea’s community and within the broader European innovation ecosystem,” David Achim, program director of Bright Labs, said.
“Bright Labs is not a one-size-fits-all acceleration program. It adapts to the diverse realities of founders and industries. That’s why, in only five years, we’ve managed to build, through public-private collaboration, an authentic startup community in the heart of the city. The most valuable outcome is that founders genuinely feel part of an ecosystem that supports them long-term,” said Rebeca Avram, marketing & community manager at Make IT in Oradea.
“Programs like Bright Labs are essential for a healthy startup ecosystem. Before founders pitch to investors, they need initiatives like this where they can learn directly from mentors, executives, and experienced entrepreneurs. These programs help them refine their vision, test their ideas, and build confidence. At the quality level we’ve seen here, we would love to have more initiatives of this kind,” said Marius Istrate, chairman of TechAngels Romania.
Eight startups from Romania, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Italy, and France participated in this year’s Bright Labs program, held at the Oradea Fortress.
The 2025 edition brought together startups from various fields, including EdTech, AI, Productivity, DefenceTech, SpaceTech, and MediaTech. All eight teams launched functional MVPs, seven validated their products with pilot customers, and two have already generated early revenue. Among the most successful stories are OnStage, which repositioned its product and reached over one thousand users, Lifetoon, which launched version 2.0 of its product, Nyra AI, founded by two Oradea students who built and validated their product from scratch, and Babayte, which expanded its commercial model and attracted new clients, Make IT in Oradea said.
Make IT in Oradea was developed by the Municipality of Oradea to strengthen the city’s position as an innovation hub in Central and Eastern Europe. Through programs such as Bright Labs and Startup Fortress, Make IT in Oradea provides founders with access to infrastructure, funding, and strategic connections, helping turn ideas into scalable products with global impact.
(Photo: Make IT in Oradea)
simona@romania-insider.com
Leave a Reply