We are delighted to have Google for Startups as partners at StepFWD from the beginning of our initiatives. Because of this, we wanted to take a moment to thank them for all their continuous support in helping us make the tech entrepreneurial ecosystem more diverse and inclusive while having tens of startup founders launch their businesses packed with the skills needed to succeed.
Recently, we sat down with Dan Oros, Head of Marketing at Google & YouTube Romania for a short talk about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial market and how Google contributed to the startup ecosystem so far and is planning to do it even bigger in the future.
Why did you choose to make a partnership with StepFWD?
Google for Startups is on a mission to support thriving, diverse, and inclusive startup communities around the world.
StepFWD is one such community, with similar values as ours. We want to help startups at all stages and we believe it’s important to collaborate with partners who add value and serve as connectors for the community.
How do you think the vision of Google complements StepFWD?
StepFWD supports tech startups with diverse teams through the first stages of their growth, which aligns very well with Google’s values.
First of all, Google is a strong supporter of diversity and inclusion, and secondly, it provides tools and resources to help founders who are just starting out.
How important is diversity in a startup? But in a corporation?
Diversity of ideas, approaches, and ways of thinking leads to better solutions and more effective problem-solving. Fostering diverse teams can help a startup be more competitive, can drive innovation, and unlock growth opportunities, both for the employees, but also for the business.
What’s your biggest achievement in working with startups so far?
The biggest achievement is being a key contributor to the growth of the local startup ecosystem. In the last 5 years, we played a significant role in helping Romanian entrepreneurs start, build, and grow amazing startups.
From supporting the biggest tech conferences to partnering with the top local accelerators, we had the opportunity to engage with more than 500 founders. We helped them with tools, resources, and expertise and, together with our partners, contributed to the acceleration of the local tech ecosystem.
What’s the opportunity for startups when working with Google?
Google connects startups with the right people, products, and best practices to help their businesses grow. Startups working with Google get access to the best resources in marketing, insights & analysis, product design, and technology overall. Moreover, we facilitate access to different programs, communities, and potential customers and partners.
Google provides support for every stage of the startup journey, from founders just starting out and validating their MVP, to scaleups growing to meet the needs of new customers and markets.
What’s your take on the future of entrepreneurship?
More entrepreneurs. From local to global. Startups solving problems in all industries.
Firstly, we see more people launching entrepreneurial projects. Launching a new product or service is easier and cheaper than ever. The availability of educational resources on these topics, and the increased number of programs to support them, enable a new, much larger generation of entrepreneurs.
Secondly, easy access to global markets and cutting-edge technologies allows any local startup to compete internationally.
Thirdly, there will be a further increase in the number of startups solving problems in more “traditional”/ non-tech sectors. From agriculture to energy and construction, entrepreneurs will use new technologies to solve challenges in these areas as well and make them more efficient.
What’s your plan for the future in working with startups?
We want to continue being the main partner for startups at each stage of their development: start, build, and grow. We believe that our success is directly linked to the success of the startups, and we’re honored to be able to support that much innovation.
We also see the importance of partnerships and communities, so this will remain an area of focus for us. The growth of a startup ecosystem requires close collaboration between many stakeholders, and our plan is to continue being as helpful as possible.
If you want to learn more about our programs and how you can pre-accelerate your startup with us, stay in touch!