They created over 230 jobs, run businesses with overall revenue of above 45 million lei (EUR10 million) and survived on the market despite challenging economic conditions. This is the record of the 20 largest startups set up in Romania until last year, according to a ZF survey based on Trade Registry data.
In the past 4 years, more than 16,000 Romanians decided to become entrepreneurs with the aid of the SRL-D scheme through which the state grants funding of as much as EUR10,000 to people who set up a first business.
All of these people took on the obligation of creating at least two jobs to get state funding and bet their own money to become entrepreneurs.
However, only a few were prepared enough to drive their businesses, in just one or two years, to revenue of above RON1 million and much fewer above the RON2 million threshold.
Ramona Cimpianu, of Mures county, managed to generate over RON4 million last year from pharmaceutical product trade (through Saramis company), with an average number of just three employees. She could not be contacted by ZF to comment on the issue.
The field the young woman bet on is by far among the least interesting for most people who took money from the state to set up a business. Car services, construction companies, freight transport companies or restaurants lead by far in the ranking of business models preferred by Romanians.
“There should be more people wanting to bet on tourism, IT, innovative industries as these will drive the economy to growth in the future,” says Mihai Marcu, a stakeholder in MedLife, the biggest player on Romania’s private healthcare market.
In his opinion, the RON4m threshold the young woman’s business went beyond in just three years is a very good result, showing small entrepreneurs can make it on the market.
Saramis SRL-D is the second startup of Mures county among the 20 largest startups set up with money from the state. Cluj entrepreneurs are the most dynamic from this point of view (with four SRL-Ds in the top).
As a matter of fact, according to statistical data Cluj inhabitants set up the biggest number of SRL-Ds since 2011 (over 2,100 this October), outrunning the capital city by around 300 companies.
ZF’s ranking also includes companies that were part of the “first league” of SRL-Ds last year as well, such as Naxaltrans, Banat Grup, Auto Pneu Service, Avilo Cable, KA.LE.MAR or Autobit.
The 20 largest startups in 2013 had 232 employees and the biggest employer was I&A NItu Sistems construction company, a family business of Buzau county, which was not included in the leagues of SRL-Ds last year.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)