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.
