Diversity Report
The First Diversity Map of the Romanian Startup Ecosystem
- second edition -
Our Ambitions for 2024: Looking Beyond the Obvious?
Commiment to diversity
StepFWD's commitment to diversity deepens as we champion a broad, inclusive startup ecosystem.
Promoting diversity
Aiming at re-evaluating and promoting diversity in Romania's startup world.
Beyond gender
We explore the fabric of diversity in Romanian startups, analyzing trends, perceptions, and untapped talent.
Ongoing dialogue
With a survey revealing new insights and the need for ongoing dialogue, we recognize discrimination challenges and celebrate startups recognizing diversity's growth potential.
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Here are some of the most important figures
94 startups
89 startups with at least 1 marker of diversity and 50 startups with employees belonging to an underrepresented group
71% males vs 29% females
Ratio of males and femals who completed the survey.
54% first-time founders
With 74% of respondents being the CEOs
Startups founding
+50% of startups founded after 2021, 40% in growth stage, 27% in early revenue
Startups stages
51% boostrapping, 22% pre-seed, 21% seed
42% raised money
32M euros raised all in total by all respondents with a 334K euros median
The first 5 key findings
#1 Gender Perspectives on Diversity Importance
Women in the Romanian startup scene place a higher importance on diversity than their male counterparts, with 51% of female respondents considering it essential versus 34% of males.
#2 Funding Across Stages and Gender
Early-stage startups have an average funding of €376K, with a slight difference between male (€384K) and female (€368K) founders. In contrast, series A and B funding rounds were almost exclusively led by men.
#3 Diversity Brings Diversity
Founders identifying with a diversity marker are three times more likely to hire diverse employees, with 90% of diverse founders having diverse teams compared to 36% of non-diverse founders.
#4 Gender Differences in Perceived Diversity Pitfalls
Men are more likely than women (76% vs. 24%) to believe that emphasizing diversity might overshadow merit or lead to conflicts.
#5 Gender Discrimination in the Ecosystem
19% of respondents experienced a form of discrimination. 80% of women who reported experiencing discrimination in the Romanian startup ecosystem cited gender identity and expression as the cause.
Next 5 key findings in the report
Read the last 5 key findings and the extended analysis in the full format report.
Now let’s hear some exciting findings about diversity in the Romanian startup ecosystem!
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