MoonShotX Vienna Orbit: Vienna has become a meeting point for the Romanian companies in the MoonShotX programme that want to expand internationally

Entrepreneurs part of the MoonShotX programme, developed by Raiffeisen Bank and InnovX, took part in Vienna Orbit, the international programme organised by MoonShotX in Vienna, built around the idea of regional expansion, access to external markets and the development of strategic partnerships in the DACH region and Central and Eastern Europe.

For three days, the MoonShotX delegation took part in strategic meetings, business sessions, discussions about internationalisation and events dedicated to the regional innovation ecosystem, organised together with Raiffeisen Bank International AG, DLA Piper, UNIDO, ViennaUP, the Austrian Business Agency and the Romanian Embassy in Austria.

The programme was built around themes such as access to the Austrian market, collaboration between companies and financial institutions, the internationalisation of Romanian businesses and the development of regional connections between companies, investors and innovation ecosystems.

The delegation's first day was dedicated to understanding the Austrian business and innovation ecosystem. Participants were received at the headquarters of Raiffeisen Bank International AG, where sessions took place on collaboration models, regional opportunities and growth prospects in Central and Eastern Europe.

The MoonShotX companies that were part of the delegation included: Parapet, Quartz Matrix, Wolf-e Robotics, Instore Power Provider retail marketing services, mindit.io, Electroprecizia Holding, Verla, Răzvan Idicel, BitStone, Datacor, Bento – Intellectually Curious (a MoonShotX alumnus from the previous cohort), Printco – Editura Gama Group (Winner PinkMoon), alongside the programme's partners: Raiffeisen Bank Romania, InnovX, DLA Piper, Ziarul Financiar.

Subsequently, participants took part in the "Market Access for CEE/SEE Businesses" event, included in the official programme of ViennaUP, where aspects related to entering the Austrian market, administrative and legal requirements, financing opportunities and support mechanisms for companies wishing to expand internationally were discussed.

The second day marked the delegation's main event, organised at the headquarters of Raiffeisen Bank International AG, where companies, investors, representatives of the regional ecosystem and banking leaders discussed international growth, regional collaboration and innovation-based development.

During the opening sessions, Valerie Brunner, board member of Raiffeisen Bank International AG, stressed the importance of partnerships in the process of international expansion. "International expansion cannot be achieved in isolation. It becomes successful only if you have partners on your side," she said.

Cristian Sporiș, Vice President Corporate & Investment Banking and board member of Raiffeisen Bank Romania, spoke about the maturing of Romanian entrepreneurship and the potential of local companies to expand abroad. "Romania has strong entrepreneurs, increasingly competitive products and services. Now is the moment to go beyond borders," he said.

The event also included sessions dedicated to the retail, pharma, healthcare, agrifood, technology and real estate industries, where representatives of Raiffeisen Bank International AG and of the Elevator Ventures fund discussed the transformation of industries through digitalisation, AI, operational efficiency and sustainability.

Also during the second day, DLA Piper organised a session dedicated to the legal and fiscal aspects of international expansion, focused on operational structures, compliance and the complexity of expansion processes in European markets.

The delegation's last day was dedicated to institutional collaboration and diplomatic relations. Participants took part in a session organised by UNIDO, focused on industrial modernisation, sustainability and international collaboration for companies in the process of scaling.

The programme ended with a reception organised at the Romanian Embassy in Vienna, where representatives of the diplomatic world, of the business ecosystem and of the banking sector discussed strengthening economic relations between Romania and Austria and the role of Vienna as a gateway to the DACH region and Western European markets.