Cristian Dascalu is the European Innovation Council Ambassador for Eastern Europe, where he serves as an Investment Jury member for deep-tech startups and scaleups with breakthrough technologies across Europe.
He has also acted as a NATO DIANA evaluator and a Google mentor in multiple AI accelerator programs, bringing his expertise to the forefront of Europe’s innovation landscape.
With over 41 portfolio companies, Cristian is a seasoned investor and accelerator of startups in Romania and Eastern Europe. As an entrepreneur, he founded or co-founded several key initiatives shaping the regional ecosystem, including GapMinder VC, Techcelerator, and ROTSA – the Romanian Tech Startups Association. Earlier, he launched TEDxCluj (2010) and ClujHUB (2012), now the second-largest startup hub in Romania, both of which became cornerstones of the local innovation community.
Cristian holds a Master’s degree in Economics, specializing in Management & Marketing, and combines strong investment readiness expertise with deep experience in go-to-market strategies, business development, and ecosystem building. A creative strategist and passionate community builder, he continues to play a pivotal role in advancing digital innovation and supporting founders across the region.
Other featured speakers
Andrei Dudoiu
CEO & Co-Founder @ SeedBlink @ SeedBlink
Andrei Dudoiu is the CEO and Co-Founder of SeedBlink, one of Europe’s most dynamic investment platforms focused on tech startups and equity management.
Alexander Agureev
Investor @ Northzone
Alex focuses on growth-stage companies across enterprise, fintech, and infrastructure & developers both in Europe and on the East Coast. He is particularly interested in verticalized solutions that cater to underserved market niches and have the potential to disrupt sleepy market incumbents.
Pavel Petrek
General Partner @ Tilia Impact Ventures
Pavel Petrek is the General Partner at Tilia Impact Ventures, the first impact venture capital fund in the Czech Republic, backing founders in Central and Eastern Europe who are solving the region’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.
Stefan Walter
Co-Founder & Managing Partner @ Nap
Stefan holds degrees in finance, tax law and business administration, and supports founders in areas such as funding, fundraising strategy, financial modeling, and investor communications.