Avatar photoAnna Kowalski

Warsaw-based, Anna focus is on the rapid rise of Central and Eastern European tech. She covers startups, investors and ecosystem builders across Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary and the broader CEE region, with expertise in SaaS, cybersecurity and gaming.

eMAG Cuts 3% of Workforce Ahead of Anticipated Economic Downturn

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eMAG, Romania’s largest e-commerce platform, laid off 3% of its workforce in April 2026 as a preemptive measure against anticipated economic downturn and declining consumer spending. CEO Tudor Manea stated the company observed declining real incomes starting in August 2025 and prepared organizational restructuring to withstand difficult economic conditions. Layoffs targeted offline operations (showroom closures) and content processing areas where AI adoption improved productivity. The company does not plan further restructuring in 2026.

Warsaw AI Startup Viktor Raises €64.7 Million in Series A to Expand Enterprise Agent Platform

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Viktor, a Warsaw and Munich-based AI startup that develops an AI coworker operating in Slack and Microsoft Teams, raised €64.7 million in Series A funding led by Accel. The company has reached €12.9 million revenue run rate within 10 weeks of public launch in February 2026 and serves over 2,000 organizations globally.

Romanian High School Students Win National Business Plan Competition With Social Networking App Concept

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Friend Quest S.R.L., a student exercise company from Colegiul Economic ‘Partenie Cosma’ in Oradea formed by five 11th-grade students, won the national Business Plan 2026 competition organized by IMM Romania in partnership with CNDIPT. The company’s idea focuses on a web application dedicated to real socialization and authentic human connections.

Romanian trainmaker Grampet Group showcases domestically-built LEON diesel train with international astronauts aboard

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Grampet Group presented the LEON train, the first domestically-built diesel train in Romania in 80 years, during a ceremonial journey from Bucharest to Brașov carrying international astronauts. The three-car LEON features 145-155 seats, dual 390 kW MTU engines, speeds up to 120 km/h, and modern amenities. Grampet plans to expand passenger operations with the LEON model and 80 ICE4 units purchased from Denmark. The event highlighted Romania’s aerospace and technological potential with visits to the Air Force Academy where an auditorium was named after Prunariu.

Polish Stem Cell Company Bioceltix Advances Canine Osteoarthritis Treatment Through EMA Regulatory Process

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Bioceltix, a Wrocław-based stem cell company, has submitted responses to regulatory questions from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding its lead therapeutic candidate BCX-CM-J for canine osteoarthritis. This represents a key milestone in the drug registration process ahead of market approval.

Polish Ready-Meal Producer Targets Cooking Enthusiasts With Counter-Intuitive Marketing Campaign

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Kuchnia Vikinga, Poland’s largest producer of fresh ready-made meals, launched a new marketing campaign targeting cooking enthusiasts – a demographic previously ignored by the industry. The campaign is based on research conducted on over 1,000 Poles revealing a paradox: people who are most passionate about cooking often have the least time to do it.

Rubik Hub Marks 9 Years With Major Networking Event Celebrating 600+ Supported Startups

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Rubik Hub, a startup accelerator based in Iași, Romania, is hosting a 9-year anniversary networking event on May 26, 2024. The event features pitch sessions from alumni startups, investor presentations, and panel discussions on investments and local-global ecosystems. The hub has supported over 600 European startups that have collectively raised over 75 million EUR, and was recently recognized as Europe’s top accelerator by Financial Times for the second consecutive year and won the Global Startup Awards for best coworking space globally.

Flip.ro Partners With iSTYLE to Launch Device Buyback Program Across Romania

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Flip.ro, a Romanian platform that refurbishes phones, tablets, laptops and gadgets, has partnered with iSTYLE, an Apple Premium Reseller chain, to launch a buyback program. Customers can trade in old devices in iSTYLE physical stores or online, receive instant evaluation, and complete their purchase of new products. The old device is then sent to Flip for verification, with payment made within 1-3 business days. The partnership launched in physical stores in May 2025 and online from May 2026.

Farm Innovations and DOGid Partner to Strengthen Animal Identification and Pet Reunification in Europe

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Farm Innovations S.A., a vet-tech company listed on NewConnect specializing in animal identification and health monitoring, has entered into a partnership with DOGid, which has operated a verified and regularly updated database of domestic animals for over 20 years. The partnership aims to create a quality animal identification system based on high-reliability data to increase the chances of lost pets being quickly reunited with their owners.

Fitch Ratings Elevates Banca Transilvania Above Romania’s Sovereign Rating

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Fitch Ratings upgraded Banca Transilvania’s long-term issuer rating to BBB, one notch above Romania’s sovereign rating. The upgrade reflects the bank’s strong financial performance, solid capitalization, access to international capital markets, and MREL-eligible bond financing strategy. Fitch noted the bank’s resilience despite operating in a challenging macroeconomic environment.