Romania

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.

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.

Austrian Wellness Group Therme Appoints Former EU Commission Official as Vice President for Global Impact

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Austrian wellness group Therme Group, founded and led by Romanian businessman Robert Hanea, appointed Ramona Chiriac as Vice President for Global Impact. Chiriac, who ended her mandate as head of the European Commission Representation in Romania in March 2026, will focus on strategic partnerships, institutional relations, and thought leadership on the future of wellness and human development. The appointment reflects Therme Group’s ambitions for international expansion and positioning at the intersection of wellbeing, cities, communities, culture, and societal transformation.

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.

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.

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.

Romanian Automation Firm IT Genetics Lists on Bucharest Stock Exchange After Raising €1 Million

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IT Genetics, a Romanian IT company specializing in digital automation and operational efficiency solutions, listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange AeRO market on May 20, 2026 under the ticker ITG. The company raised 5.2 million lei through a private placement to support international expansion and business development. Operating in Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain, and Italy, IT Genetics serves over 20,000 companies across retail, logistics, manufacturing, e-commerce, and HoReCa sectors.

Binance Academy Brings Cryptocurrency Education to Romanian University Students

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Binance Academy, the educational platform of the world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform, conducted a workshop at Romanian-American University in Bucharest focused on educating students about cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, Bitcoin, DeFi, NFTs, and digital wallet security. The initiative aims to improve financial literacy in Romania, which currently stands at 22%.

Romanian Travel Consultant Launches NOZOMI Travel Agency After Decade at Eturia

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Travel consultant Răzvan Pascu launched NOZOMI – Travel Society by Răzvan Pascu, a new travel agency in Romania. After 11 years with tour operator Eturia, Pascu obtained the official tourism license and is actively hiring staff. The agency focuses on group circuits to remote destinations, individual vacations in exotic beach destinations, and carefully planned travel experiences.