Deloitte: Romania’s Questo, Steepsoft AI and Ascendia among fastest-growing tech startups in Central Europe

Romanian companies Questo, Steepsoft AI, and Ascendia are among the fastest-growing technology startups in the region, being included in the main category of the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe ranking. In addition, eight other local startups have also been recognized regionally.

Questo, which created a platform that allows real-world exploration of tourist attractions with the help of games developed based on information related to the history and culture of each destination, ranked 13th with a growth rate of 1,955% between 2020 and 2023.

Steepsoft AI, which took the 32nd spot with a growth rate of 1,008% over the past four years, develops custom artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that optimize performance and accuracy in various activities, such as predictive analytics or natural language processing.

Ascendia had an increase of 822% between 2020 and 2023, which places it 45th in the ranking. The company creates e-learning solutions for various fields - education, employee training, healthcare, and entertainment - that can be used in both private and public sectors.

The winner of the ranking's main category, which offers recognition to tech companies established at least four years ago that have the fastest growth in Central Europe, is Oddin.gg from the Czech Republic, with a revenue increase of 7,958%, which has created an end-to-end esports betting ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Romanian startups Finqware, Plant an App, and Kinderpedia were included in the 'Companies to Watch' category, which brings together the companies with the fastest development between 2021 and 2023 but which still do not meet the criteria to enter the main category of the Fast 50.

Finqware ranks 6th with a growth rate of 856%. It provides solutions for automating cash management, accounting, and reconciling companies' financial operations.

Plant an App, with a growth of 252% between 2021 and 2023, is in 19th place in this category. The startup creates applications with the help of artificial intelligence, such as Bazinga AI, a no-code platform that allows the creation of functional proofs of concept (POC) based on AI, with the help of which companies can quickly validate the profitability and feasibility of an investment in AI.

Kinderpedia, in 24th place with an increase of 119%, has created a complete communication and management solution for schools and kindergartens.

Meanwhile, in the 'Impact Stars' category, which recognizes startups whose products or services have positive effects on business, society, or environment, in the field of diversity or innovation, the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe ranking offers recognition to the Romanian companies SymphoPay, Infosec Center, and Innoship.

Plus, the CE Tech Rocketship special recognition, offered by Google Cloud, the regional technology partner of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe program, went to the Romanian startup DRUID, specialized in developing intelligent virtual assistants dedicated to complex processes in organizations.

Google Cloud also provided special recognition in this category to the local company Hermix, which has developed a platform that helps companies learn about business opportunities in the public sector by automating marketing activities for the business-to-government area, sales, and pre-sales, as well as participation in public tenders.

"Romania is represented in this year's edition of the Fast 50 Central Europe program in all the ranking's categories, with no less than 11 startups, which have managed to stand out through their accelerated growth in recent years, through their further growth potential, through the positive effects in various fields of the innovative solutions they have created, as well as through the global business potential of the solutions they have developed. These results reflect the diversity and the potential of the Romanian startup ecosystem, to whose development we are honored to contribute through the benefits that the Fast 50 platform brings," said Andrei Ionescu, Partner, Consulting Market Leader for Deloitte Romania and coordinator of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe program in Romania.

The companies included in this year's main ranking recorded an average increase of 1,604%, Deloitte said.

Now in its 25th edition, the ranking is dominated by software players (28), followed by fintech (seven companies), media and entertainment (five companies), environmental technologies (four companies), and communication, hardware and health (two companies).

To be eligible for the main category of the Technology Fast 50 competition, companies must meet some financial conditions, namely to have a minimum annual operating income of EUR 50,000 in the first three years analyzed (2020-2022) and EUR 100,000 in 2023. They must also be headquartered in Central Europe and own the intellectual property rights or have created patented technology.

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Nov 15, 2024 - 18:18

China: Farming tradition meets innovation in China's vegetable heartland

China - November 27, 2024 Farming tradition meets innovation in China's vegetable heartland (Voice_over) From purple sprouting broccoli to tomatoes on the vine. This annual vegetable fair is a one-stop shop for China's agricultural traditions and innovations. (Sound_bite) Zhang Fuguang, Worker, Yurun Mengyang Vegetable Market: "Traditional broccoli is round and compact. This is a newly developed variety. It can be eaten raw because it's green and natural." (Voice_over) Location - Pengzhou, a small city on the Chengdu Plain - a historic agricultural hub, and now, one of China's major vegetable bases. The city has a cultivation area of more than 500 square kilometers, yielding an annual output of more than two million tons. (Sound_bite) Tao Yuan, Reporter: "Vegetables here don't just stay in the farmland. The city has partnered with leading agricultural research institutions to develop new varieties in the lab." (Voice_over) This laboratory is designed to support the high-quality development of the Pengzhou vegetable industry. Researchers here are working to tackle key challenges, such as food safety and the effect of climate change. (Sound_bite) Song Zhanfeng, Director, Vegetable Research Center, Horticulture Institute of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences: "In recent years, what we've observed most frequently is the irregularity of high temperatures, low temperatures, and rainfall. This lack of pattern in the climate makes it difficult for scientists to conduct research and for local farmers to grow crops. Without a predictable pattern, it's hard to manage things properly. Such environmental changes affect plant growth significantly." (Voice_over) This study is focuses on stress resistance, developing crops that can thrive under extreme weather conditions, such as high and low temperatures, excessive rainfall, or water scarcity. The goal is to identify and enhance the genetic traits that make these crops more resilient. (Sound_bite) Song Zhanfeng, Director, Vegetable Research Center, Horticulture Institute of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences: "We artificially create a high-temperature or low-temperature environment for it to grow in. Then we observe how it performs in those conditions. After that, we conduct genetic modification and run tests to see whether it expresses the desired traits. Once successful, we apply this technology to our vegetable varieties." (Voice_over) A testament to how science and innovation can shape the future of one of humanity's oldest industries. [Restriction: No access Chinese mainland]

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