Come out of curiosity. Stay for the next opportunity.
Neamț comes to Bucharest. Business, investment and new partnerships.
Meet the entrepreneurs, public officials and organisations driving the development of Neamț County. Discover companies, products and projects that could become the starting point for your next collaboration.
Meet the entrepreneurs, public officials and organisations driving the development of Neamț County. Discover companies, products and projects that could become the starting point for your next collaboration.
“Neamț - The Next Move” brings these questions before entrepreneurs, investors and organisations in Bucharest. The programme combines presentations on the county’s economy, discussions with business people and public officials, an exhibition of local products and services, and time for participants to meet.
Industry, agriculture, tourism, research, education and culture will be presented through the projects and the people working in these fields. The aim of the meeting is to foster new business relationships, partnerships and conversations about investment.
One of Romania’s best-known and most respected television journalists and programme makers, with a long career at Romanian Television (TVR). Winner of 7 APTR awards.
Professor, PhD, Vice-Rector of the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences in Iași, author of more than 148 scientific papers and 19 books and university textbooks. His research covers Smart Villages, the agri-food economy and clusters.
Economist, risk analysis specialist and co-founder of AlertaCUI.ro, one of Romania’s most widely used applications for monitoring company data.
One of Romania’s most powerful and best-known entrepreneurs, famous for founding and leading the Altex group, the leader of the Romanian electronics and IT retail market, with annual turnover of more than €1.6 billion.
Co-founder and CEO of Autonom, Romania’s largest private rent-a-car company, launched in 2005 in Piatra-Neamț. With his brother, Dan Ștefan, he built a business that has grown by double digits every year; in 2025 its turnover exceeded €185 million.
Co-founder and CEO of Rubik Hub, a business incubator and coworking space in Piatra-Neamț, originally developed with ADR Nord-Est. In May 2026, Rubik Hub won the title of “Best Coworking Space in the World” at the Global Startup Awards.
President of OMD Piatra-Neamț, the local destination management organisation. A former tour guide in Bucovina and abroad, he runs the incoming agency HelloBucovina Travel & Tours and left his mark on the Asociația pentru Turism „Bucovina”.
Explorer and motivational speaker, the first Romanian to cross the Americas by bicycle, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, in 3 years, 2 months and 18 days, a feat that earned him the title of “European Adventurer of the Year” in 2018.
A portrait painter admired by the Romanian Royal House, with paintings in collections in Romania, the USA, Canada, Europe and the UAE. After 30 years of painting churches, he is working on a global project: “Dumnezeu este viață” (God is Life), for the world’s 7 spiritual leaders.
An Italian businessman who came to Romania in 1995, when he opened a factory making decorative products from marble and travertine dust for export. In 2008, with his wife, Ionela, he bought a small restaurant near Târgu Neamț - today “Armonia by Aristocratis”.
Founder of the comedy group Distractis and member of Divertis. More than 40 years of live shows, 7 years of TV programmes, tours for Romanians in the USA, Canada and Germany, and programmes for Radio Free Europe. A sommelier since 2015, he has become a wine storyteller.
She runs the SmartyKids non-formal education centre in Piatra-Neamț, part of the Eva’s Tree House STEAM hub. The children she trains practise mental arithmetic and speed reading and have won multiple champion titles at international olympiads.
Gala host, TVR journalist
Irina Păcurariu is one of Romania’s best-known and most respected television journalists and programme makers, with a long career at Romanian Television (TVR).
Over the years she has stood out for exceptional documentaries, reports with a strong social impact and interviews with leading cultural and public figures, in the programme “Rețeaua de Idoli”.
She was the first Romanian reporter to make a documentary in the Himalayas: “Țara Șerpașilor” (The Land of the Sherpas).
She has won 7 APTR awards and many other journalism distinctions.
Vice-Rector, Iași University of Life Sciences
Professor Gavril Ștefan, PhD, is a renowned Romanian academic and researcher, Vice-Rector of the “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences in Iași.
His academic record includes more than 148 scientific papers published in specialist journals, 19 books and university textbooks for students and specialists, and the coordination of or participation in 16 national and international research grants and contracts.
His extensive research focuses on modern concepts such as Smart Villages, the agri-food economy and cluster-type associations, and he has lectured at numerous conferences and congresses. He is a true “guru” of the North-East Region’s economy and of attracting investors.
Co-founder, AlertaCUI.ro
Antoaneta Pop is an economist, a risk analysis specialist and co-founder of AlertaCUI.ro, one of Romania’s most widely used applications for monitoring company data, which helps businesses manage commercial risk and check their business partners.
Before developing and running this project, Antoaneta built almost two decades of experience in Romania’s banking and financial sector, holding key positions as Risk Analyst, Financial Analyst and Client Relationship Manager at major banks such as UniCredit Tiriac Bank, Raiffeisen Bank and UniCredit Leasing.
She has written numerous specialist articles on digitalisation and corporate risk management, in publications such as BusinessEdge.
Founder, Altex Group
Dan Ostahie is one of Romania’s most powerful and best-known entrepreneurs, famous for founding and leading the Altex group, the leader of the Romanian electronics and IT retail market, with annual turnover of more than €1.6 billion.
Besides retail, Dan Ostahie controls a broad group of companies active in fields such as financial services (Credex, a consumer credit company), real estate (development of retail parks and logistics) and automotive (a Dacia-Renault dealership).
Recently, Altex made a major strategic move by acquiring the Brico Dépôt network in Romania from the British group Kingfisher.
He is recognised in the Romanian business community as a discreet but extremely pragmatic leader, consistently ranked among the wealthiest Romanians.
Co-founder and CEO, Autonom
Marius Ștefan is a well-known Romanian entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of Autonom, Romania’s largest private rent-a-car company, which he launched in 2005 in Piatra-Neamț. In 1994 he went to the United States for an MBA programme, but came back and, together with his brother, Dan Ștefan, got a business on the road that has grown by double digits every year since it was founded. In 2025, turnover reached more than €185 million.
In 20 years, Autonom has grown from a local business into Romania’s largest mobility operator. From just three “Autonom Rent a Car” Dacia Logans, it has reached a fleet of more than 7,000 vehicles and operations in more than 40 cities in Romania and in five other countries, including the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria.
Besides the Autonom group, the Ștefan brothers invest in companies and investment funds through ATM Ventures, buying stakes in complementary companies in technology, insurance and transport.
In July 2026, Autonom raised €30 million on the Bucharest Stock Exchange through a bond issue oversubscribed by investors.
Marius Ștefan sits on the board of Romanian Business Leaders, which he chaired from 2023 to 2025.
Co-founder and CEO, Rubik Hub
Vlad Gliga is the co-founder and CEO of Rubik Hub, a business incubator and coworking space in Piatra-Neamț, originally developed together with the North-East Regional Development Agency (ADR Nord-Est). The hub has supported hundreds of Romanian and international startups, helping them grow and raise significant funding.
He studied in the United States and completed an MBA programme at Aarhus University in Denmark.
Today Rubik Hub has a portfolio of more than 900 co-founders, more than 600 startups that have raised over €75 million in capital, more than 370 mentors and more than 4,000 students who have taken part in its entrepreneurship and digitalisation programmes, such as RubikGarage and RubikEDU.
Starting from scratch, Vlad has built a strong community dedicated to startups and placed Rubik Hub among the world’s leading organisations of its kind. After being named “Best Coworking Space in Eastern Europe”, in May 2026 Rubik Hub won, by public vote, the title of “Best Coworking Space in the World” at the Global Startup Awards, having been noticed by a jury of experts from more than 154 countries.
In 2024 he was elected president of the Romanian Start-up Ecosystem Strategy Association.
President, OMD Piatra-Neamț
Ciprian Șlemco is the president of OMD Piatra-Neamț, the local destination management organisation. Before taking over its leadership, he gained extensive experience as a tour guide in Bucovina and abroad. He is recognised as one of the presidents who left a profound mark on the work of the Asociația pentru Turism „Bucovina” (the Bucovina tourism association).
At OMD Piatra-Neamț he champions digitalisation, connecting local attractions and integrated projects between the counties of the North-East Region, arguing that destinations inside the country should be promoted together, under the umbrella of Romania’s tourism brand.
Under his leadership, the organisation runs large-scale activities to raise the profile of the Piatra-Neamț resort: participation in national and international tourism fairs, HoReCa business development seminars, fam trips for professional guides and new sustainable tourism concepts.
He runs the incoming agency HelloBucovina Travel & Tours and, together with his wife, Roxana, restored a traditional house in Bâtca Doamnei, near Piatra-Neamț, which is now the “Poem Rural” guesthouse.
Explorer and motivational speaker
Radu Păltineanu is an explorer and motivational speaker, the first Romanian to cross the Americas by bicycle, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, in 3 years, 2 months and 18 days, a feat that earned him the title of “European Adventurer of the Year” in 2018.
He crossed New Zealand and Australia at a slow pace on a recumbent tricycle, and now organises unusual adventure tours to places at the “end of the world”, such as Patagonia, Australia or Tibet.
Radu will tell you what it is like to emigrate to Canada with your parents at 15, to graduate from the country’s most prestigious university (McGill) as a software engineer, then to explore different continents on foot, by bicycle or by kayak, and to always come back home to Piatra-Neamț.
Visual artist, admired by the Romanian Royal House
Ciprian Istrate is considered one of Romania’s most talented artists, a portrait painter bordering on genius, noticed and admired by the Romanian Royal House.
His paintings are in collections around the world, from Bucharest, Râmnicu Vâlcea and Onești to the USA, Canada, England, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and the United Arab Emirates.
After 30 years devoted to painting churches and iconostases across Romania, Ciprian has started, together with his friend, the businessman Ștefan Vuza, a global project with a profound spiritual message: to recreate the work “Dumnezeu este viață” (God is Life) 7 times and offer it to the world’s 7 spiritual leaders.
Ciprian will also reveal the secret hidden between the wooden panel of the icon and the board that supports it, a secret that will show the whole world a sublime Romania.
Armonia by Aristocratis, Târgu Neamț
Francesco Capuano is an Italian businessman who first came to Romania in 1995 and opened a factory making decorative products from marble and travertine dust, exclusively for export. There he met his future wife, Ionela, with whom, in 2008, he bought a small restaurant on the outskirts of Târgu Neamț.
Today, “Armonia by Aristocratis” is a premium tourist venue, with a restaurant and terraces in a welcoming garden, an event hall for 600 people and its own vegetable greenhouse, while the Nenea Iancu beer hall brings Caragiale’s world back to life in the centre of the Piatra-Neamț resort.
Francesco will tell us his story: how to build a family and a business that combine Mediterranean and traditional Romanian cuisine, and why Neamț is a special place.
Founder of Distractis, member of Divertis
Cristian Grețcu hardly needs an introduction: a whole country has watched him impersonate the late President Iliescu. A few milestones and lesser-known facts reveal just a glimpse of the complex man behind the character.
He is the founder of the Distractis group and a member of Divertis, a group noticed by another Cristian - Țopescu - who made it known nationwide by inviting it to appear on TVR after 1989.
The rest, as they say, is history: more than 40 years of live shows, 7 years of programmes on Romanian TV channels, 5 tours for Romanians in the USA and Canada and 2 for those in Germany, dozens of serialised programmes for Radio Free Europe and dozens of televised live shows, online programmes and podcasts, appearances at events and countless other moments of fine, quality humour.
Since 2015 he has been a fully qualified sommelier, and over time he has become a remarkable wine storyteller.
Lead teacher and manager, SmartyKids - Eva’s Tree House
Florina Isachievici is lead teacher and manager of the SmartyKids non-formal education centre in Piatra-Neamț, part of Eva’s Tree House, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics) educational hub.
Under Florina’s guidance, children develop their cognitive skills, memory and concentration through mental arithmetic and speed-reading techniques, taking part regularly in international olympiads, where they have won multiple champion titles.
Eva’s Tree House is a modern educational hub for children and teenagers (aged 4–18), hosting innovative courses such as robotics and programming, art workshops and urban summer camps.
Accessibility, business opportunities and a place worth living in.
The A7 and A8 motorways open new prospects for connecting Neamț with Bucharest and other regions of the country. For companies, these links matter in decisions about transport, distribution, access to customers and the location of new investments.
Companies with a national presence, local producers, entrepreneurial initiatives and authorities open to collaboration. Neamț has people and businesses you can build partnerships with, whether you are looking for suppliers, expansion or a new project.
Mountains, lakes, nature parks, cultural heritage and local cuisine. For those considering an investment in tourism, a business or a move to the county, Neamț offers a setting where professional life can stay close to nature and community.
From the county’s economy to projects and partnerships.
10:00 · 15 min
Address by the special guests
An introduction to the local economy.
Gavril ȘtefanVice-Rector, Iași University of Life SciencesAntoaneta PopCo-founder, AlertaCUI.ro
10:15 · 30 min
Administration, communities and local development
Current and future projects that will improve quality of life in the Neamț region, and opportunities for residents, business people and investors.
Daniel-Vasilica HarpaPresident of Neamț County Council
Adrian NițăMayor of Piatra-Neamț
Laurențiu LeoreanuMayor of Roman
Vasile ApopeiMayor of Târgu Neamț
Iulian-Traian MătasaMayor of Bicaz
Vasile PavălMayor of Roznov10:45 Interactive session: questions and answers · 15 min
11:15 · 35 min
Entrepreneurship, economy and investment
Stories of Neamț’s entrepreneurial spirit, of investment, innovation and the growth of the local business community, and of how successful people with roots in Neamț can become ambassadors for the county.
Dan OstahieFounder, Altex GroupMarius ȘtefanCo-founder and CEO, AutonomVlad GligaCo-founder and CEO, Rubik Hub11:50 Interactive session: questions and answers · 10 min
13:00 · 25 min
Experience, courage, talent and excellence
People who have carried the name of Neamț and of Romania beyond its borders, through tourism, art, courage and perseverance.
Ciprian ȘlemcoPresident, OMD Piatra-NeamțRadu PăltineanuExplorer and motivational speakerCiprian IstrateVisual artist, admired by the Romanian Royal House
13:45 · 15 min
Tourism, culture and education as a foundation for the future
How tourism, cultural and educational experiences can be reinvented, and how people and their stories can help promote the region.
Francesco CapuanoArmonia by Aristocratis, Târgu NeamțCristian GrețcuFounder of Distractis, member of DivertisFlorina IsachieviciLead teacher and manager, SmartyKids - Eva’s Tree House
14:00 · 30 min
14:30–15:00
Spit-roasted mutton, freshly pressed grape must and an authentic musical surprise.
From the county’s economy to projects and partnerships.
10:00 · 15 min
Address by the special guests
An introduction to the local economy.
Gavril ȘtefanVice-Rector, Iași University of Life SciencesAntoaneta PopCo-founder, AlertaCUI.ro10:15 · 30 min
Administration, communities and local development
Current and future projects that will improve quality of life in the Neamț region, and opportunities for residents, business people and investors.
Daniel-Vasilica HarpaPresident of Neamț County CouncilAdrian NițăMayor of Piatra-NeamțLaurențiu LeoreanuMayor of RomanVasile ApopeiMayor of Târgu NeamțIulian-Traian MătasaMayor of BicazVasile PavălMayor of Roznov10:45 Interactive session: questions and answers · 15 min
11:15 · 35 min
Entrepreneurship, economy and investment
Stories of Neamț’s entrepreneurial spirit, of investment, innovation and the growth of the local business community, and of how successful people with roots in Neamț can become ambassadors for the county.
Dan OstahieFounder, Altex GroupMarius ȘtefanCo-founder and CEO, AutonomVlad GligaCo-founder and CEO, Rubik Hub11:50 Interactive session: questions and answers · 10 min
13:00 · 25 min
Experience, courage, talent and excellence
People who have carried the name of Neamț and of Romania beyond its borders, through tourism, art, courage and perseverance.
Ciprian ȘlemcoPresident, OMD Piatra-NeamțRadu PăltineanuExplorer and motivational speakerCiprian IstrateVisual artist, admired by the Romanian Royal House13:45 · 15 min
Tourism, culture and education as a foundation for the future
How tourism, cultural and educational experiences can be reinvented, and how people and their stories can help promote the region.
Francesco CapuanoArmonia by Aristocratis, Târgu NeamțCristian GrețcuFounder of Distractis, member of DivertisFlorina IsachieviciLead teacher and manager, SmartyKids - Eva’s Tree House14:00 · 30 min
14:30–15:00
Spit-roasted mutton, freshly pressed grape must and an authentic musical surprise.
50+companies from Neamț
The exhibition area brings together products, services and initiatives from the county, presented by members of the “Produs în Neamț” Cluster. Participants can meet local producers and craftspeople, learn about what they offer and discuss collaborations.
Products from Neamț will also feature on the event menu.
The companies that make the gala possible. You will also meet them on stage at 14:00, in the sponsors’ panel.
“Neamț - The Next Move” gives companies the opportunity to present their work and to connect with entrepreneurs, public officials and organisations interested in the county’s development.
Depending on the partnership agreed, the collaboration can include a presence in the exhibition area, visibility on the website and on event materials, a company presentation and inclusion in the organisers’ communication activities.
For a proposal tailored to your company’s goals, get in touch.
TVM+ International IașiDiaspora media partner
Global Stage Piatra-NeamțLogistics partnerAccess is free, by invitation, subject to the 200 seats available in the hall. Completing the form is a request to attend; the organising team will then send you the confirmation and access details.
Founded in 2021, the “Produs în Neamț” Cluster brings together companies, local producers, public authorities, organisations and education and research institutions - 61 members today. It supports the promotion of its members, the development of partnerships and access to new business opportunities.
Its activities include taking part in fairs and events, promoting local products and services, and collaboration initiatives between the private sector, public administration and research. The “Neamț - The Next Move” gala continues this work with a meeting with the business and institutional community in Bucharest.
For attendance confirmation, event information and interview requests with the speakers, please write to us at [email protected]. Press materials and photos from the event will be available in this section.
Confirmed attendanceZiarul Financiar · Local press from Neamț