Crash Program - Getting your first Investment
Join the first Crash Program to learn how startup investors operate, what the investment process looks like, and learn from people that have been involved in several fundraising rounds.
Applications are closed
StepFWD Crash Programs are a packed series of practical activities designed to offer you a structure to take your startup to the next level.
Timeline
March 30
Applications open
April 14
Applications close
April 18-19
Program Sessions
April 20
Mentoring Sessions & Closing
Who is it for
Before you spend time reading, do check if the Crash Program is the right fit for you.
We’ve designed the Getting your first Investment Crash Program for:
Early-stage startups
From a validated idea to first customers
Teams
Diverse teams of at least 2 founders
Solo founders
We do accept solo founders (need to emphasize how you’ll handle your startup needs)
Start fundraising
Don’t know how to start fundraising process
Keep going
Been trying to do it but don’t understand what’s actually going on
Continuous learning
Want to learn how to raise money properly and get a sweat deal
What’s in it for you
We mean business, so we’re involving entrepreneurs, professionals & investors we trust that have either grown their own startups or have been helping startups grow.
Find out how investors make money
Learn how the investment process works
Ask experienced investors what they look for in your startup
Ask entrepreneurs the do’s and don’ts of a fundraising round
An (equity-)free experience that only asks for your commitment
Get on the shortlist for the StepFWD pre-accelerator
The whole Crash Program is just a snippet of the pre-accelerator, so stay tuned when we launch the applications to be the first to get a chance for the full StepFWD acceleration experience.
Applications are closed
Applications for the next Crash Program will open soon.
Agenda
We appreciate it when everybody respects the founders, mentors, and their own time.
So before applying, make sure that at least one of the founders participates in all of the
activities.
The schedule below is subject to small changes.
Day 1 - April 18
Monday, 15:00 - 18:00
Workshop: Knowing your investor w/ Liviu Cadariu
Workshop Q&A w/ Bogdan Predusca
Day 2 - April 19
Tuesday, 15:00 - 18:00
Investor AMA w/ Malin Stefanescu
Other funding options AMA Ovidiu Mihaila
Day 3 - April 20
Wednesday, 10:30 - 12:00 & 15:00 -16:30
1-on-1 mentoring w/ Entrepreneurs & Investors
Crash Program Closing w/ StepFWD team
* all times are on GMT+2.
Mentors
Talking with an experienced mentor can help you validate your assumptions and avoid common pitfalls, which cost you both money and time (you don’t have).
Alexandra Roată
Manager Partner at Softlead
Business and IT entrepreneur with over 10 years building and growing digital projects. Combining tech with the creative skills, I am also helping tech start-ups to define, develop and generate go-to-market strategies for new custom software applications. Over my career, I have gained strong technical, business, strategic and operational skills.
Alexandru Bogdan
CEO at RocaX
With over 15 years of experience in the digital and innovation field, always on the move, passionate about simplicity, strategic thinking and crafted customer experiences, Alexandru is now CEO of ROCA X, hunting for promising start-ups, accelerating their growth and helping shape them into tomorrow’s unicorns.
Bogdan Axinia
Managing Director eMAG Ventures
Bogdan currently manages eMAG Ventures, a CVC looking for attractive startups in the CEE region to help them have a fast and sustainable scale-up. He is a senior leader with 20 years of experience in fast-growing tech companies. In the past ten years, Bogdan contributed to the growth of top CEE companies as part of their board.
Cristian Negrutiu
Founding Partner at Sparking Capital
He works side by side with the founders to build great companies that create long-lasting competitive advantages. In addition, Cristian has extensive managerial experience acquired through various positions in different companies at executive level since year 2000."
Catrinel Hagivreta
CEO & Co-Founder at MEDIjobs
Catrinel Hagivreta is the co-founder & CEO of Medijobs, a career marketplace for healthcare recruitment. In 5 years, Medijobs became the biggest digital community for healthcare specialists in Romania, went through Techstars ’19 accelerator, raised in total more than $1MIL from angel/VCs and launched operations in the US (in this order).
