We sat down with the team at principal33 to discuss how they’re leveraging AI, cloud, and continuous learning to drive innovation and how their evolving identity and hybrid delivery model are shaping the future of enterprise technology across the continent.

principal33 has grown significantly in recent years, with over 75% of your engineering team based in Romania. What role does Romania play in your 2025 growth strategy, and why is this region such a strong asset for the company?

Romania is central to our 2025 growth strategy. With over 75% of our engineers based here, the country provides a rich pool of technical talent, strong education, very good communication skills and a culture aligned with our values. We see Romania not just as a delivery center, but as a true innovation hub.

Your company operates in highly regulated industries like energy, pharma, aerospace, and automotive. How do you combine domain expertise with emerging technologies like AI and cloud to deliver value in these demanding sectors?

We combine deep industry knowledge with AI and cloud by working closely with experts who understand sector-specific regulations. This allows us to build tailored, compliant solutions that improve processes like predictive maintenance, quality control, or compliance automation. Cloud platforms provide secure, scalable environments, ensuring our solutions deliver measurable business value while respecting regulatory demands.

You’re expanding your presence across Europe with new offices in Germany, Ireland, and Spain. How are you balancing nearshore delivery from Romania with this new onshore footprint, and what impact does that have on your client relationships?

We use a hybrid delivery model: Romanian teams provide scalability and technical expertise, while our local offices ensure close client collaboration and faster feedback. This balance strengthens trust and partnership, allowing us to deliver efficiently while maintaining a personal touch with clients across Europe.

principal33 emphasizes a people-first culture, with impressive retention and talent satisfaction. What’s your secret to building and scaling a high-performing engineering team in such a competitive talent market?

Our secret is investing in people through continuous learning, career development and meaningful work. We create a supportive culture where engineers have ownership and a clear path to grow. Respect, transparency and challenges keep our teams motivated and committed.

AI and data are key pillars in your offering. How are you helping clients integrate AI into their workflows and what trends do you see shaping the future of intelligent enterprise solutions?

We help clients move AI from pilot projects to full integration in workflows: automating tasks, enhancing decision-making and improving efficiency. The future lies in operational AI embedded in daily processes, combined with data-driven insights that enable smarter, faster business outcomes.

You’ve worked with Fortune 500 and DAX-listed companies. What lessons have you learned from serving large-scale enterprises that might inspire startups or scale-ups in Techsylvania’s ecosystem?

From large enterprises, we learned the importance of scalable processes, strong governance, and building trust. Startups can apply these lessons by designing their operations to scale early, focusing relentlessly on customer value and building reliable delivery frameworks.

In a world moving rapidly toward industry 4.0, how do you envision the role of Eastern European tech talent evolving on the global innovation stage and what part does principal33 want to play in that evolution?

Eastern European talent is increasingly becoming a driver of global innovation, not just a support center. principal33 aims to be a launchpad for this talent, helping engineers take leading roles in cutting-edge projects and shaping the future of digital industries worldwide.

You’re currently upskilling dozens of Romanian engineers in SAP, Salesforce, and even foreign languages like German. How do you approach continuous learning as a strategic lever for company growth?

Continuous learning is a core part of our strategy. We invest in technical training, certifications and language skills to keep our teams competitive and ready for new challenges. This focus on upskilling ensures our growth and the ability to serve diverse markets effectively.

Your rebranding in 2024 signaled a more mature and international identity. How do you define principal33 today and what story do you hope people will associate with your name in the next 3 years?

Today, principal33 is a trusted, international partner for digital transformation with deep technical expertise and a people-first culture. In the next three years, we want to be known as the company that delivers innovative, reliable technology solutions that truly drive client success.

Their story is one of scale, substance, and strategic vision. From embedding AI into regulated workflows to cultivating top engineering talent in Romania, the company is proving that innovation and operational excellence can go hand in hand. As they continue to grow across Europe, their focus remains clear: building trusted partnerships, nurturing talent, and delivering real business value in some of the world’s most demanding industries.

With their eyes set on 2025 and beyond, principal33 isn’t just following the digital transformation wave, they’re helping define it.

The post Engineering Trust and Transformation: principal33’s Vision for the Intelligent Enterprise appeared first on Techsylvania.

Real Stories, Bold Strategies, and the Builders Behind the Next Wave of Tech

Day 2 of Techsylvania 2025 didn’t just deliver ideas, it delivered blueprints for action. From billion-dollar scale-ups to breakthrough infrastructure, every speaker brought depth, honesty, and vision to the stage. If Day 1 lit the spark, Day 2 turned up the heat.

Here’s a deeper look at what went down on Center Stage, Impact Stage, and the exclusive Q&A sessions.

CENTER STAGE

Scaling Revolut: From Idea to Europe’s Biggest Private Tech Company – Vlad Yatsenko, Co-Founder & CTO, Revolut

In one of the most anticipated talks of the conference, Vlad Yatsenko gave the audience a behind-the-scenes look at Revolut’s journey from a scrappy startup to Europe’s most valuable private tech company. He spoke about building code by hand, answering customer tickets himself in the early days, and launching with just a few thousand euros.
Yatsenko emphasized that Revolut succeeded not because of perfection, but because of relentless iteration and clarity of purpose.

Beyond Autocomplete: Developers, Agents, and the Future of Building Together – Kyle Daigle, COO, GitHub

Kyle took us into the evolving relationship between developers and AI through the lens of GitHub Copilot. Instead of treating AI as a shortcut, he positioned it as a creative partner that helps teams focus on what really matters solving meaningful problems. He shared internal GitHub stories on how AI agents are transforming engineering workflows and offered a compelling case for why AI won’t replace developers, but elevate them.

“We don’t need more tabs we need more time.”

From Seed to Stock: Investing, IPOs & the CEO Skills That Drive Success – Tim Jackson, Managing Partner, Walking Ventures

With experience that spans founding VC-backed startups to taking companies public, Tim Jackson provided practical wisdom on the emotional side of the startup journey. He talked about weathering market downturns, managing investor expectations, and building companies that last not just ones that raise.

“Resilience, not hype, separates good founders from great ones.”

Jackson also highlighted how great founders show up consistently especially when things get hard.

Bad Day? Good. Turn It into Rocket Fuel – Adrian Ionel, Founder & CEO, SurfDancer

Adrian shared an emotional and raw journey through the highs and lows of building companies including moments of burnout and near failure. His talk wasn’t about celebrating success, but about surviving the hard parts and continuing anyway. Through humor and personal stories, he reminded the audience that progress starts with small steps even if it’s just writing a subject line.

“Just begin. Even the tiniest action can create momentum.”

From Kabul to Silicon Valley: Entrepreneurial Innovation in GovTech – Zac Bookman, Co-Founder & CEO, OpenGov

Zac delivered a compelling story of how OpenGov, now valued at $2 billion, came from humble beginnings in a shipping container in Afghanistan. He spoke about designing systems that make local governments more transparent and efficient, and how OpenGov succeeded by staying mission-driven even through 49 funding rejections.

“Don’t raise too much too fast. Stay capital-efficient. Stay focused.”

His session underscored that purpose and capital discipline can (and should) coexist.

From Legacy to Leading Edge: The Tech Behind the UK’s Payment Modernisation – Karrista Rayment, Technology Service Owner & Eugenia Planas, Deputy Governorship Chief Information Officer, Bank of England

This technical but powerful session highlighted how the UK’s core payment infrastructure processing up to £750 billion per day was rebuilt from the ground up. Karrista and Eugenia walked the audience through the process of replacing legacy code with modular APIs, while ensuring zero downtime.
From digital currency compatibility to fraud protection, this was a masterclass in modernizing systems that can’t afford to fail.

“We’re not just building for now we’re building for the next 30 years.”

Economics of Living Longer and Why We Need a Whole City for This – Alexey Strygin, Core Team Member, Viva.City

Alexey Strygin took the stage with a provocative talk on the economics of living longer. He explored why the world urgently needs cities designed for health span, not just lifespan, citing the looming demographic crisis driven by aging populations and declining birth rates. From breakthroughs in biotech to experimental “pop-up cities” like Viva.City, Alexey challenged conventional thinking and made a compelling case for targeting aging itself, rather than individual diseases. His bold vision? A future where longer, healthier lives are not only possible but sustainable.

Panel: Bridging Silicon Valley and Transylvania: Lessons in Global Scale-Up – Mark Porter, CTO, dbt Labs & Adrian Ionel, Founder & CEO, SurfDancer

In a dynamic conversation about scaling across continents, Adrian Ionel, Mark Porter, and Philipp Kandal shared hard-earned lessons from building global tech teams. From early culture shocks to structuring truly autonomous teams, the panel explored how to balance independence with shared purpose. They emphasized the value of clear communication, strong local leadership, and purpose-driven expansion—especially when bridging ecosystems like Romania and Silicon Valley. Their key takeaway? Don’t just replicate Silicon Valley abroad—build systems that empower, trust, and scale locally with global impact in mind.

IMPACT STAGE

Identifying Your Target Customers: A Guide for Engineers in Tech – Sebastian Dobrincu, Co-Founder, Revocalize AI

Sebastian shared the story of Revocalize, a startup that uses AI to create digital voice replicas for music production. At first met with skepticism, the tool is now embraced by artists looking to scale their creativity not replace themselves.

“It’s not about replacing artists. It’s about giving them a powerful tool.”

His message resonated deeply with creators in the audience, showing that ethical AI can enhance not erase human expression.

How to Make $100 Million in the Stock Market – Dylan Yolles, Former Partner & Portfolio Manager, Capital Group

Dylan gave a masterclass in equity investing, explaining how real returns come from unique insights not chasing trends. He encouraged attendees to look for “rabbits dressed as ducks” companies that are miscategorized and undervalued.

“The best returns come when your insight becomes consensus years later.”

Owner-Led, Investor-Free: How to Build and Grow Without VC – Anurag Mendhekar, Co-Founder & President, Paper Culture

Anurag’s session was a refreshingly honest take on building companies without VC funding. He talked about aligning purpose with profit, and why owning your business matters more than chasing scale.

“When you’re mission-driven, you can choose freedom over pressure.”

Scaling Enterprise Sales in EMEA: Lessons from SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and ScaleUps – Thomas Cser, Seasoned Enterprise Software Leader

With over two decades in enterprise sales, Thomas broke down the complexity of selling across culturally diverse regions like EMEA. From compliance to communication, his session offered practical advice for scaling across borders  without losing local relevance.

“In EMEA, one-size-fits-all will kill your deal before it starts.”

Workshop: Building Great Products at Scale – Daniel Chis Product Manager, Ilona Farkas UX Researcher, Mihai Mustea Software Engineer and Technical Lead Manager, and Catalin Miclea Technical Program Manager at Google

Google hosted an immersive workshop using Transylvanian woodcraft as a metaphor for product development. Teams explored how to build at scale, test ideas quickly, and stay grounded in user empathy.

“Great products come from teams who listen, iterate, and build together.”

Q&A STAGE: Honest Questions, Unfiltered Insights

Day 2 also featured intimate Q&A sessions with some of the most inspiring speakers:

• Kyle Daigle (GitHub) on AI’s real role in creative work
• Adrian Ionel (SurfDancer) on failure, grit, and mental resilience
• Alexey Strygin (Viva City) on smart cities and public infrastructure

These off-stage conversations gave attendees space to ask bold questions and receive practical, human answers from leaders who’ve been through it all.

Surprise session at this year’s Techsylvania!

Billion-dollar company founders Sacha Dragic and Zac Bookman went head-to-head in a live, on-stage chess match.

The tension was real, the moves were bold, and the crowd was hooked.

Congratulations to both players on an intense and unforgettable game!

Techsylvania 2025: Day 2 Wasn’t Just a Finale It Was a Launchpad

Day 2 reminded us that behind every bold vision is a team, a mindset, and a million small decisions. From founders building systems governments rely on, to investors spotting value where others don’t, the message was clear: the future belongs to the builders.

Techsylvania 2025 brought together over 3,000 participants and over 50 leaders in business and technology across three main stages: Center Stage, Impact Stage and Q&A Session Stage.

With over 400 meetings facilitated through the matchmaking area, attendees had the chance to engage in meaningful conversations that might not have happened anywhere else. The Startup Alley brought together 35 innovative startups, creating space for discovery, partnerships, and peer exchange. At the expo area, our partners hosted interactive booths sharing opportunities, insights, and even prizes!

The Official Reception on Day 1 and the Cocktail Party on Day 2 offered exclusive settings for deeper networking and relaxed conversations. Whether you were speaking with a global tech leader, connecting with a potential investor, or simply sharing ideas over coffee, the real value of Techsylvania lives in the community it brings together one you don’t easily find anywhere else.

As we reflect on the success of Techsylvania 2025, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire community, participants, partners, speakers, and volunteers who contributed to making this event a resounding success. We look forward to continuing this journey of business and technology exploration and discovery with you all in the years to come!

We’ll see you in 2026 until then, keep pushing boundaries.

The post Techsylvania 2025: Day 2 Wrapped Up with Vision, Energy, and Connection appeared first on Techsylvania.

Real Conversations, Big Ideas, and the Minds Shaping the Future

Now in its 12th edition, Techsylvania remains a cornerstone event for tech leaders, founders, and future-focused thinkers. Day 1 set a bold pace, delivering sharp insights on scaling global companies, designing with AI, transforming industries, and unlocking Europe’s innovation potential.

From the main stages to backstage Q&As, the conversations reflected a shared belief: the future belongs to those who combine technology with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Here’s a look back at some of the standout moments from Day 1 of Techsylvania 2025. 

CENTER STAGE

Rewriting the Narrative: Managing Culture in a Fast-Growing Betting Company – Sacha Dragic, Founder & Co-CEO, Superbet

Phillipp Kandal and Sacha Dragic broke the ice at Center Stage and talked about how a company can remain competitive and successful in the sports betting world. Sacha believes that:

”It is essential to live by the principles, not just have them on paper. The most important principle from the very beginning of Superbet is to do what is right.” 

However, it is also vital to focus on encouraging employees to take ownership of their work, promoting open communication, and fostering responsible gaming.

CTO Confessions: What I Got Right (and Wrong) About Team Building – Mark Porter, CTO, dbt Labs

Most companies solving big challenges lack leaders who genuinely care about people. Few people combine care for their teams with business needs, value kindness and growth, and treat mistakes as learning opportunities.

”Google found out that psychological safety is the secret ingredient for having a great team where members trust each other, and the productivity is very high. It’s your job to make teams better. Focus on tomorrow being better than yesterday.”, Mark told us. 

Building Ecosystems: Driving Sales Through Problem Solving – Lizzy Eisenberg, VP Global Sales, Lightspark

Lizzy Eisenberg was highlighting the surprising fact that, unlike communication, the evolution of money movement hasn’t kept pace with technology. 

“We don’t want to recreate the old system with new players, we want to build an entirely new system… If you want money to move around the world freely, I think it’s quite arrogant to think that one company can be at the center and control it all. Another important thing is never to lose sight of the customer.”

Lies, Damn Lies and Gen AI – Jon McLoone, Technical Director, Wolfram 

AI language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are not primarily designed to provide factual accuracy, but rather to produce fluent, plausible-sounding responses. This results in correctness being a byproduct, not the core goal. Large Language Models like to hallucinate when they do not know facts and have to fill in the gap, but they also like to convince you. 

“Facts are not actually the core design purpose… correctness is a side effect that comes out of that very often“, said Jon McLoone.

Their job is to write, not to think. GenAI has improved a lot in the past year and generates content faster.

How Semiconductor Designers and Football Teams Fit into the Same Fund: An Intro to Today’s Private Equity – Chris Puscasiu, Managing Partner, Presidio Investors

Private equity (PE) firms usually invest in companies that are past the risky growth phase, stable, often founder-led businesses that don’t need fresh capital but would benefit from operational improvements. Rather than pursuing disruptive innovation, Chris Puscasiu focuses on “measured scaling” by institutionalizing small businesses: implementing tools like CRMs, expanding sales teams, and optimizing processes to grow from, say, 5% to 10% annually. Their investment approach includes partnering with founders who are willing to reinvest and stay involved to realize long-term value.

Is the Evolution of AI Headed in the Right Direction? – David Johnson, Founder & CEO, NovaTek Global Partners

AI has advanced features in fields like healthcare, robotics, and public safety, but there are also real risks such as bias, misuse (e.g., deepfakes), and ethical concerns. David Johnson has emphasized that both opportunity and risk coexist in AI’s development:

”Uncertainty is not just risk, it’s also opportunity. AI deals with probability, not possibility… it’s not perfect, but it’s a useful tool.”

Next-Gen Finance: From Compliance to Competitive Advantage – Giuseppe Castelbuono, Chief Digital & Information Officer, UniCredit Bank

Giuseppe Castelbuono and Philipp Kandal have talked about digital banking trends in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe. Romania stands out due to its digitally demanding young population, especially in large cities, contrasted by more conservative users in rural areas. Unicredit is already approaching Generative AI while navigating the strict regulatory environment in financial services. 

“Sometimes clients don’t even notice the difference between working with the robot and talking with a human. This was already a successful experience born in Romania. We’re piloting one tool that allows employees to navigate the complexities of procedures and documentation… we called it ‘UniAsk’ you can ask any kind of question connected to this domain.”

Cultivating Impact – From Conferences to Communities – Steffi Czerny, Co-Founder & Managing Director, DLD Media & Natalia Brzezinski, Founder & CEO, Absolute Strategies

Steffi Czerny and Natalia Brzezinski were challenged by Cory Reid to talk about the true power that lies beyond the main stage in the communities, collaborations, and movements it helps ignite.

”Shake it up, don’t bring the same people together. Don’t talk to the same people, you know the magic happens in between sectors, in between generations, in between cultures.”, Natalia encouraged us. 

”We grew slowly but steadily, a nice network of interesting people. We thought we shouldn’t talk only about the past, we should invest together in the future. The next ingredient for building a community is not being shy.” “There are no borders, just come, just talk to us, be present. Time is too short to talk about negative communities. Leave your comfort zone, be curious and courageous, and very driven.”, Steffi told us. 

Global Tech Trends & The New Rules of Raising Venture Capital – Sarah Kunst, Managing Director, Cleo Capital

Sarah Kunst has noticed a disconnect they often see between founders’ capabilities and their confidence or ambition. Founders with elite qualifications sometimes undervalue themselves or aim too low, despite having the skills to build world-changing companies. The speaker emphasizes the importance of confidence, ambition (even a bit of delusion), and understanding how to build venture-scale businesses that can make significant returns for investors. 

“The thing I want to understand from any startup is: how are you going to buy me a yacht? That is the other thing in this region that is sometimes missing brilliant, brilliant, brilliant ideas that just don’t have the ability to make enough money for venture scale.”, Sarah discussed with Andreas Cser.

Tales from the World of Tech Startups: Lessons Learned and When to Avoid Drinking Your Own Kool-Aid – Eric Friedman, Co-Founder, Fitbit

Eric is a seasoned entrepreneur who’s seen it all from launching multiple startups and learning the hard way. Now he is involved in other challenging projects, including an R&D hub in Romania. 

“As a founder, you have one pile of money when that’s gone, it’s game over. My first exit was a $4 million exit. That was life-changing. You’ve got to pitch your crazy vision, but you can’t drink your own Kool-Aid. You’ve got to pitch it like a business.”, Eric said to us.

Remixing Reality: How AI & AR Are Reshaping the Creator Economy – Kathy Wang, Head of AR Product, TikTok

Kathy Wang discussed the current state and future of AI and AR in creative workflows. She emphasized that the industry is still in its early stages across the hardware, software, and application layers, with many open questions about how these technologies will evolve and integrate. At TikTok, she helped pioneer the AR strategy by introducing tools that empower creators, especially non-technical users, to build interactive content. Sarah has shared some insightful information: 

“One of the biggest breakthroughs needed is around how we interact with 3D content hasn’t evolved yet. You’re looking at things in 3D, and there’s still an X button in the top right corner. We’re stuck in 2D thinking. To support AR content, we needed a completely new type of creator more like developers and designers, not just video creators. In a world overflowing with content-user-generated, AI-generated-being good isn’t enough. What matters more is having an authentic voice and building trust with your audience.”

Q&A STAGE: Intimate Access, Candid Answers

While the Center Stage brought scale and story, the Q&A Stage brought personal connection. Speakers like Mark Porter (dbt Labs), Lizzy Eisenberg (Lightspark), Chris Puscasiu (Presidio Investors), and Sarah Kunst (Cleo Capital) engaged in raw, audience-driven discussions on leadership, venture, and the real work behind the scenes. Also the “Working at Google” Q&A session featured Daniel Chis, Ilona Farkas, Mihai Mustea, and Catalin Miclea (Google), who shared candid insights on Google’s culture, careers, and day-to-day life at the company.

IMPACT STAGE

Stage of Scaling: Culture, People, Process – Sacha Dragic, Founder & Co-CEO, Superbet & Eric Friedman, Co-Founder, Fitbit

The first session on the Impact Stage at Techsylvania 2025 set the tone for the day. Sacha Dragic and Eric Friedman, joined by moderator Cory Reid, dove into what it really takes to scale beyond the usual metrics. Culture, people, and process emerged as the true drivers of sustainable growth. A powerful kickoff full of clarity and real-world lessons for any leader navigating the scale-up stage.

Panel: Building Technology to Scale – Josephine Hus, Chief Transformation Officer & Albert Simsensohn, Chief Operating Officer, Superbet

Andrei Dusu, Chief Product Officer & Sameen Jalal, Chief Technology Officer, Happening

What does it take to design, grow, and sustain tech platforms that serve millions? The panel explored how AI is transforming their business through user personalization, workflow automation, and enhanced engineering tools. They also addressed the risk of “perpetual piloting” in fast-evolving tech and stressed the importance of acting decisively on proven innovations. A great talk on scaling smart and staying agile in a global, regulated environment.

Why I Left Venture Capital and Have Not Looked Back? – A Primer on Search Funds – Jon Staenberg, Founder & Managing Partner, Agate Hound Fund

In his talk Jon Staenberg laid out a compelling case for search funds and entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA). As baby boomers retire, thousands of solid businesses are becoming available quietly creating one of the biggest opportunities in the market. With strong returns and the chance to apply AI to legacy industries, ETA might just be the smartest path for the next generation of founders.

“This is where the action is,” Jon said and the room listened.

How AI Agents Can Save Your Job – Andrei Hasna, CEO, Hasna

Andrei Hasna flipped the narrative: AI isn’t here to replace us, it’s here to augment us. From generating contracts to managing operations, AI agents are evolving into digital coworkers.

“It’s not about replacement, it’s about augmentation,” he said, offering a fresh take on how we work.

The key? You don’t need perfect data, just solid input and the courage to start. A bold vision of productivity, redefined.

Building AI Focused Products – Rachana Kumar, Former CTO, Etsy

“What problem am I trying to solve, and how can AI help me?”

That’s the key question Rachana Kumar encouraged teams to ask during her conversation with Elena Enache at Techsylvania 2025. Sharing insights from her journey scaling human-centered products, Rachana emphasized that successful AI isn’t about perfect data, it’s about culture, curiosity, and intentional design. 

“Start small, experiment fast, and learn faster,” she advised, in a session that blended clarity, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose.

Panel: From Teaser to Champagne – The Anatomy of a Successful M&A

Chris Puscasiu, Managing Partner, Presidio Investors & Ovi Negrean, Director of Business Development, WebPros, moderated by Ioana & Alin Laurentiu, managing partners, Laurentiu, Laurentiu & Associates

Mergers and acquisitions might end with a toast, but the real work happens long before the champagne. In a candid panel moderated by Ioana and Alin Laurențiu, Chris Puscasiu and Ovi Negrean unpacked the full lifecycle of a deal from the first teaser to cultural alignment and final sign-off. The message was clear: M&A isn’t just legal or financial, it’s deeply strategic. “Don’t just build to sell. Build something worth buying,” one investor shared, striking a chord with every founder in the room.

Panel: European Innovation Council – What Does It Take to Succeed

Jorge Canovas, Communication Adviser & Andrei Lintu, Deputy Head of Unit & Cristian Dascalu, Ambassador, European Innovation Council  

Cornel Amariei, Founder & CEO, .lumen

At #Techsylvania2025, a high-impact panel featuring Cristian Dascalu, Jorge Canovas, Andrei Lintu,  and Cornel Amariei spotlighted how European funding is fueling global ambition. With over €20M already awarded, the EIC Accelerator offers more than capital; it brings validation, mentorship, and a launchpad for breakthrough tech. From deep tech to visionary leadership, the session delivered a practical roadmap for founders ready to scale with Europe behind them.

Not Another Panel: Join to Meet Your Edge – Laura Calmore, Conscious Regenerative & Mindfulness Facilitator, Revera

The session with Laura Calmore brought something truly unique to Techsylvania. This wasn’t just another talk, it was a guided somatic meditation, a moment to slow down and reset. Designed to interrupt the hustle not by checking out, but by checking in, Laura created a space to reconnect with the body as a compass for clarity, focus, and intention.

In a world driven by speed and logic, this gentle pause reminded us that real innovation begins from within.

Techsylvania 2025, Day 1: Mission Accomplished

With conversations that spanned from product to purpose and startups to systems, Day 1 proved one thing: the future of tech isn’t just about tools, it’s about the people brave enough to build what’s next.

Beyond the inspiring talks and panels, Techsylvania 2025 delivered powerful opportunities to connect, share, and grow.
With over 400 meetings facilitated through the matchmaking area, attendees had the chance to engage in meaningful conversations that might not have happened anywhere else. The Startup Alley brought together 35 innovative startups, creating space for discovery, partnerships, and peer exchange. At the expo area, our partners hosted interactive booths sharing opportunities, insights, and even prizes!

The Official Reception on Day 1 and the Cocktail Party on Day 2 offered exclusive settings for deeper networking and relaxed conversations. Whether you were speaking with a global tech leader, connecting with a potential investor, or simply sharing ideas over coffee, the real value of Techsylvania lives in the community it brings together one you don’t easily find anywhere else.

Let’s keep the momentum going, Techsylvanians. 

The post Techsylvania 2025: Day 1 Set the Pace for a Visionary 12th Edition appeared first on Techsylvania.

1. Why Romania? What strategic factors led dbt Labs to invest in a Romanian engineering hub, and how do you see Romania’s talent pool shaping the future of the dbt product suite?

We’re genuinely thrilled to be growing in Cluj and Bucharest—and I’m personally excited as well. So, why Romania? Let’s start with the people. At my previous company, Grab, we acquired a team in Cluj, and I was immediately impressed. The talent was exceptional. The culture was grounded in hard work, high judgment, and kindness. And the people? Really, really smart. That’s a pretty unbeatable mix.

We currently have two teams based in Romania—one focused on customer-facing special projects, the other working on core platform technology. While Romania’s tech talent pool may not be as large as that of the U.S., it’s more than robust enough for us to build full, capable teams. Between Cluj and Bucharest—and the strong technical universities in both—we’ve got access to a healthy pipeline of junior and senior engineering talent, as well as product managers and designers.

This is not about outsourcing. This is about building long-term, full-stack teams that own and ship critical pieces of the dbt product suite. We’re here to grow together.

2. Career Growth & Learning. What opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and technical leadership can Romanian engineers expect when joining dbt Labs?

Helping people grow is a personal passion of mine—because when people grow, amazing things happen.

Historically, our technical team has been concentrated in North America. But as dbt Labs becomes a truly global company, we’re committed to scaling the right way. That means avoiding scattered teams split across wildly different time zones. I’m not a fan of small engineering teams stretched across oceans—it’s hard to build the camaraderie and shared context that drive great outcomes.

Instead, we build complete local teams. That means engineers at all levels, paired with product and design teammates who are either local or in a nearby time zone—like Dublin, Ireland.

Of course, this takes real work. We have to architect our codebase, our org structure, and our internal systems to support distributed but self-sufficient teams. That means clean architecture, clear roles and responsibilities, and robust onboarding—designed to work in any time zone, not just U.S. hours.

When we launch a new hub—like in Cluj—we don’t just drop people in and hope for the best. We send Senior and Staff-level mentors to support the team. We nurture the environment. And we ensure that growth is baked into the experience.

This model benefits everyone. Diverse, empowered teams operating with psychological safety are more likely to take ownership and deliver exceptional results. That’s what we’re building.

3. Innovating in Data Transformation. Looking ahead, what emerging trends or features in data transformation and analytics excite you most, and how is your team preparing to integrate them into the dbt platform?

It’s a thrilling time to work in data. For the past 30 years, the industry has been laser-focused on collecting and analyzing more and more data. Today, we have systems that can process 100 times more data than before. But despite all that scale, one thing hasn’t changed much: how humans extract insights. We’re still looking at dashboards, writing SQL, and trying to translate machine output into business meaning.

AI is changing the game.

When AI operates on trusted data, it can surface real insights—not guesses. And when it has access to dbt’s rich metadata, large language models (LLMs) become dramatically more accurate and useful. They hallucinate less and help users more.

Enter MCP—the Model Context Protocol. It allows LLMs to do what they’re great at: ask smart questions and form answers. Meanwhile, MCP allows data systems do what they’re built for: provide timely, accurate answers. Paired with dbt’s multi-cloud, multi-warehouse capabilities, this enables our users to extract insights faster than ever across their entire data estate.

This is the missing link that data teams have been waiting for….forever.

4. Long-Term Vision. Where do you see dbt Labs—in terms of team size, product capabilities, and market impact—five years from now, and how will your Romanian engineering base factor into that vision?

If you’d asked me five years ago where tech would be today, I would’ve gotten a lot of it wrong—so I’m wary of five-year forecasts. In this fast-moving world, two years is about as far as anyone can reasonably see. But within that window? The future for dbt is electric.

We’re expanding our global footprint and rapidly evolving our product. What began as a focused transformation tool—turning raw data into clean, reliable models—has grown into something far bigger. dbt is now a true data control plane: with orchestration, observability, metadata cataloging, and a semantic layer. We’ve become the connective tissue of the modern data stack.

And now, with the launch of dbt Fusion, we’ve entered a new era. Fusion is a ground-up rewrite of our core technology—bringing blazing performance and smarter SQL understanding. It’s helping developers move faster while helping companies save on compute costs. That’s a win-win.

Looking ahead, we’re doubling down on features that speed up development, surface deeper insights, and help businesses move from data to action faster than ever.

Romania will play a central role in that future. We’re investing in Cluj and Bucharest not just for engineering, but for product, design, and support. The tech ecosystem here is vibrant, growing, and full of promise—and we’re excited to be part of its next chapter. If you want to join us on this mission, please visit us at our booth or connect with me directly!

As dbt Labs continues to redefine the modern data stack, its investment in Romania signals more than just global expansion—it reflects a commitment to building high-impact teams rooted in technical excellence and collaborative culture. With a focus on mentorship, innovation, and long-term growth, the Romanian hub is set to become a cornerstone of dbt’s mission to empower data teams around the world. For those looking to shape the future of data transformation, the journey starts here.

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