2021 was a great year, packed with surprises and exceeded expectations in all areas. This is why we want to take a moment to reflect on the accomplishments and, of course, thank those who helped us achieve them as well as those that trusted us with the future of their businesses.
We defined our positioning and we realized, more than ever, the power of the ecosystem as a whole and the impact it can have on the founders and all those involved. This is why we tried to support it as well as we could:
- We continued the tradition of Fortech as long-time Techsylvania partners, and this year we had our first Live Panel at the Impact Stage where we discussed with foreign investors about the peculiarities of the Romanian Start-up Ecosystem.
- We were sponsors of the biggest #EdTech Hackathon in Romania where we witnessed some great innovative solutions proposed by young promising professionals in the field.
- We spoke at Legal Accelerators about funding LegalTech start-ups and the additional support these companies can get from strategic investors.
- Valentin got to talk more about our mission and accomplishments to strong business publications in Romania such as Profit.ro and Wall-Street.ro
And, of course, this year wouldn’t have been such a success without the superstar founders that trusted and let us lend a hand in the growth of their businesses, as strategic investors, board advisors, and most importantly, as friends. We are approaching the end of the year with 4 investments in 3 start-ups and 6 more deals in the process of being finalized.
Racketpal helps racket sport players spend more time on court with technology
Our first investment was with RacketPal, a start-up from the UK but with Romanian founders and a strong team behind it that continues to keep growing. Since our investment, the founders made their first hire and reached over 20.000 users in the following month. Since then, the number has doubled and it keeps growing. Congrats, Robert and Bogdan! Read more about RacketPal’s story here.
“Fortech Investments not only provided the money but their tech expertise too, an area where they have great experience. We knew from the beginning that was something we could count on. They had a good understanding of our needs, and the process was very slick without any crazy term sheets or investment sheets. This is why they proved to be a strong strategic investor that we needed on our side. “ – Bogdan Rizea, CEO RacketPal
Telios is the first Telemedicine company in Romania
Healthcare has always been on our radar and we try to support the field as much as we can. Helping Philip grow the first Telemedicine company in Romania at such a rate is an honor. We are glad to work with such an experienced team with their plans of expansion in the CEE as members of the Board of Advisors along T.A.N, TechAngels and Growceanu. Read more about this round of investment, as well as the plans of Telios Care here.
“Fortech Investments helped us transition by adding more depth to our team, not just our product. They approached the investment in a soft way too, other than the financial collaboration, by understanding our core needs. That and the similarity in our thought processes now stand at the base of a strong relationship and a successful partnership” – Philip Choban, CEO Telios Care.
Licenseware creates an app ecosystem to innovate the IT Asset Management Industry
In only one year we invested two rounds in Licenseware, and this is the only validation that both our companies needed. A follow-on round like this means that the goals were achieved and they are ready to ramp up their growth with our help and that of Early Games Ventures and to innovate an industry that all of the team members love and have great experience in. Read more about the second round of investment in 6 months here.
“Fortech Investments provided us with smart money as well as their technical expertise and this is something that gives us a great strategic advantage. The partnership also means that they can help us with increasing our sales and development cycles, while we can keep control of our company and, of course, of our vision.” – Alex Cojocaru, CEO Licenseware
Lastly, but not least we want to thank you for following us and keeping close in this great journey that 2021 was. Together we can make a change for the good in the start-up ecosystem, not only in Romania because the plans for 2022 are greater! We are already starting strong, with 6 ongoing deals but there’s so much more planned. Stay in touch and you will see what we are talking about.
We are still on the lookout for the most innovative founders that we can help with Capital and SmartMoney, for great companies that want to be partners with us, and of course, for the problems that need innovative tech solutions.
If you would like to work with us or just talk about your plans, don’t hesitate to contact us, now or in 2022. We are here to help.
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