The final week of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Course at the Technical University of Moldova was filled with intensive activities aimed at preparing students for Demo Day, the course’s final event, which took place on March 4, 2025, at Tekwill. Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to attend sessions on financing strategies, available grants, incubators and accelerators, angel investors and venture capital, as well as to understand the legal aspects of startups, including intellectual property and international business structures.
The event was officially opened by UTM Rector, Prof. Univ., Dr. Hab. Viorel Bostan, who emphasized the importance of entrepreneurial education and the university’s support in shaping young entrepreneurs. The event was also streamed online, allowing participation and engagement with prominent figures from the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including Rick Rasmussen, Industry Fellow at UC Berkeley, and Tanmay Vijaywargiya, Strategy Consultant at Accenture. Other distinguished guests included Stalla Jemna, Country Representative for Moldova at UMAEF, as well as the deans of the three faculties involved in the course: Dumitru Ciorbă (FCIM), Rafael Ciloci (FIEB), and Sergiu Tronciu (FD).
To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, renowned experts from various fields were invited to lead presentations and interactive sessions:
- Sergiu Perju, Head of Business Clients Department at OTP Bank, spoke about financing strategies for startups.
- Elena Rusu and Cristina Modirca, representatives from ODA, presented the available grants in Moldova and the incubator network.
- George Teodorescu, Regional Director at Mixbook, discussed the legal framework for startups and incorporation structures in Moldova.
A significant moment of the week was the Dress Rehearsal, where teams had the opportunity to test their presentations in front of mentors and peers. The constructive feedback provided by Gigi Wang, an international expert in entrepreneurship and innovation, mentor at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, UC Berkeley, and Veronica Covali, a startup ecosystem specialist, was crucial in refining students’ final pitches, preparing them for the highlight of Demo Day.
Demo Day, held on March 4, 2025, marked the successful conclusion of the second edition of the Innovative Entrepreneurship Course at UTM, organized following the UC Berkeley methodology. This event provided students with an excellent platform to present their startup ideas, showcasing innovation and progress in their entrepreneurial projects.
The course was designed to offer a practical and intensive experience in entrepreneurship and innovation, with essential support from Rick Rasmussen at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, UC Berkeley. The Technical University of Moldova expresses its gratitude to Rick Rasmussen for his valuable contribution to the development of this course and the evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at UTM. With extensive experience in Silicon Valley, he has mentored over 1,000 companies and has had a significant impact on shaping future generations of entrepreneurs.
One of the startups that caught the jury’s attention was Docsignal, team number 25, consisting of Artiom Balan, Loredana Beregoi, Anatolie Telug, Alexandr Costruba, and Victor Stoian. Their proposed idea was an innovative solution for managing software documentation, allowing developers to accelerate the process and build a functional MVP more efficiently. Both Dreamups and XYPartners recognized the potential of this project and expressed interest in supporting the team in further developing their product.
The course was taught by a team of dedicated professionals, including Conf. Univ. Dr. Nina Puțuntean, Conf. Univ. Dr. Rina Țurcan, and Lect. Univ. Dr. Cristina Diaconu, who guided students through their learning journey. Essential roles in organizing and conducting activities were also played by course assistants Iuliana Stețenco, a fourth-year student at FAF, FCIM, and Alex Alcaz, an MBA master’s student at FIEB.
This year’s edition brought together approximately 130 students from various fields of study, including Software Engineering, Business and Administration, Information Technology, and Game Design. They worked in multidisciplinary teams, learning from each other and developing innovative ideas. A total of 26 teams had the opportunity to present their startup concepts on the Demo Day stage.
To evaluate the final presentations, a panel of experienced experts provided valuable feedback to student teams:
- George Teodorescu – Regional Director, Mixbook
- Traian Chivriga – Founder, XYPartners
- Sergiu Perju – Head of Business Clients Department, OTP Bank
- Silvia Cangea-Digolean – Head of Project Development and International Cooperation Department, ODA
- Dmitrii Namașco – CEO, Mozaic
- Liliana Cimbir – COO, Dreamups
- Nicoleta Mogildea – Project Coordinator, UMAEF
This edition of the course demonstrated the importance of learning through practice and the impact an innovative approach can have on students’ development. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the success of this program and are confident that the ideas presented at Demo Day will continue to evolve and turn into successful startups.
We congratulate all teams for their effort, creativity, and dedication and look forward to future editions of this innovative course.
