15 Romanian companies shine on stage at the BVB Arena Gala organized by the Bucharest Stock Exchange and its partners
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	<h3>The names of the 15 companies designated as finalists at the BVB Arena 2024 edition were disclosed last night (September 26) at the already renowned Gala in the framework of the BVB Arena project organised by the Bucharest Stock Exchange. BVB Arena was launched in April 2024 and is the stock exchange program initiated as early as 2017 under the name Made in Romania, a program dedicated to identifying and promoting successful local entrepreneurial companies.</h3>
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	<h3>3 of the 15 companies that made it to the finals were designated by public vote, whereas the other 12 companies were selected by the Program Jury consisting of specialists from various activity areas.</h3>
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	<h3><a href="http://www.bvbarena.ro/" target="_blank">www.bvbarena.ro</a>&nbsp;is the online platform of the BVB Arena Program, where Romanian entrepreneurs can meet investors, consultants and other entrepreneurs.</h3>
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<p>We are pleased to present you the winners of the BVB Arena 2024 Program, previously known as ‘Made in Romania’ and launched this April by the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) under a new identity and new name: ‘BVB Arena’. The new identity and the new name visually place this iconic program dedicated to Romanian entrepreneurs under the umbrella of BVB projects. Moreover, they reinforce BVB’s committed mission to position itself as the main financing channel for Romanian companies and to promote companies that contribute to the development of the local economy, encouraging them to be part of the BVB ‘Arena’.</p>

<p>It is about 15 Romanian companies active in various business sectors that are particularly significant to the economy: constructions, agriculture, education, transport, IT&amp;C, food industry and others.</p>

<p>First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude towards those who made it possible to organise last night’s Gala, which virtually crowned the sustained efforts made to launch this iconic project of the stock exchange, initiated 7 years ago. Our appreciation goes to the Program partners, those who have believed in us and have stood by us in this project from the very beginning, as well as to those who joined this year, to the press and, of course, to the stock exchange team working on this project in order to perfect it year by year.</p>

<p>Congratulations to the finalist companies! They are, in alphabetical order:</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>1</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://abundberry.com/" target="_blank">Abund Berry</a></p>
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			<td>
			<p>Agriculture</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>2</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://alezzibeachresort.ro/" target="_blank">Alezzi Beach Resort</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Constructions</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>3</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.autonom.ro/" target="_blank">Autonom</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Transport</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
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			<td>
			<p>4</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://bstech.ro/" target="_blank">BlueSpace Technology</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Automotive</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>5</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://bookzone.ro/" target="_blank">Bookzone</a>&nbsp;– public vote</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Education</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
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			<td>
			<p>6</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.boromir.ro/" target="_blank">Boromir</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Food industry</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
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			<td>
			<p>7</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="http://www.edus.ro/" target="_blank">Edus Platform</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>IT&amp;C</p>
			</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>8</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.eturia.ro/" target="_blank">Eturia</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Tourism</p>
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			<td>
			<p>9</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.evomag.ro/" target="_blank">evoMAG</a></p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p>Trade</p>
			</td>
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		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>10</p>
			</td>
			<td>
			<p><a href="http://www.delaferma.com/" target="_blank">Ferma cu Omenie</a></p>
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			<td>
			<p>FMCG</p>
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			<td>
			<p>11</p>
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			<p><a href="http://www.it-genetics.ro/" target="_blank">IT Genetics</a>&nbsp;– public vote</p>
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			<td>
			<p>IT&amp;C</p>
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			<td>
			<p>12</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="http://www.ivatherm.ro/" target="_blank">Ivatherm</a></p>
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			<td>
			<p>Health</p>
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			<td>
			<p>13</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.mindit.io/" target="_blank">Mindit Services</a></p>
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			<p>IT&amp;C</p>
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			<td>
			<p>14</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="https://www.perlaharghitei.ro/" target="_blank">Perla Harghitei</a></p>
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			<p>Food industry</p>
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			<td>
			<p>15</p>
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			<td>
			<p><a href="https://razvanidicel.ro/" target="_blank">Razvan Idicel</a>&nbsp;– public vote</p>
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			<td>
			<p>Food industry</p>
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		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<p><em>"As of today, 15 Romanian companies with incredible stories enter the BVB Arena, thus joining the powerful community of entrepreneurs and successful businesses, which we have built in the seven years since the Program came into being. On the one hand, we are glad that we found you and that you are entering the BVB Arena stage in order to become even more visible and, on the other, that we foster contact among you and with resources that can help you develop, by offering you access to funding, expertise and consultancy," </em>stated <strong>Radu Hanga, BVB Chairman</strong>.</p>

<p><em>"We set off with this project in 2017, with the aim of starting a dialogue, at that time, with the community of entrepreneurs in our country, in order to raise their awareness of the possibility of getting funds through the stock exchange, among others. Throughout the past 7 years, alongside the partners who stood by us and the other members of the capital market, we together succeeded in bringing all these companies enrolled in the Program, much closer to the capital market, and 20 of the finalist and semifinalist companies deployed 37 rounds of funding, succeeding in attracting a total of 236 million euros. The 15 finalist companies of this edition join the more than 1,500 other companies which are already part of the Program and have access to financial resources that can be made available by the increasing number of stock exchange investors, to the valued information offered by the workshops they can attend under the Program and, last but not least, to the opportunity of being part of an increasingly expanding ecosystem and to the notable performances of the capital market in Romania,"</em> stated <strong>Adrian Tanase, BVB CEO</strong>.</p>

<p><strong>What comes next after the Gala?</strong></p>

<p>In the forthcoming period, the workshops under the Mentoring Program will be organised, providing the finalist and semifinalist companies of this year’s edition, the companies nominated in the current edition or those which are already enrolled on the Program platform with the possibility of attending them. The workshops are an opportunity for participants to build new knowledge in various areas of activity, shared by representatives of the Program partners. In 2024, the project development is powered by CEC Bank, alongside the following partners: BRK Financial Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Banca Transilvania, BT Capital Partners, Goldring, Mazars, BNT Attorneys, Termene.ro, Propaganda, along with the supporters Financial Supervisory Authority (Autoritatea de Supraveghere Financiara), The Financial Studies Institute (Institutul de Studii Financiare) (ISF), The Association for Stock Exchange Investor Relations in Romania (Asociatia pentru Relatii cu Investitorii la Bursa din Romania) (ARIR), Romanian Business Leaders (RBL), Envisia, The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Camera de Comert si Industrie Germana).</p>

<p>At the beginning of next year, the stories of the finalist companies, as told by the very people who laid their foundations, will be found in the BVB Arena book. Later on, you will be able to listen to these stories in the Program podcast available on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsFuYpKslvw2r8kaSD4Aip-vGjYsJTXzu" target="_blank">Youtube</a>&nbsp;and on Spotify.</p>

<p><strong>About BVB Arena</strong></p>

<p>The project was launched in 2017 and the 6 editions brought together over 1,200 companies nominated in the program and 20 semifinalist and finalist companies that used the tools provided by the BVB. The total value of the 37 rounds of equity and bond financing at BVB, carried out by the 20 companies, exceeded EUR 236 million.</p>

<p>The BVB Arena Program has a multi-stage structure. This year, the first stage took place between 23 April and 31 May, when the entrepreneurs, the community formed around companies, the employees and partners, as well as the members of the Nominating Committee were able to register the company they believed in on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bvbarena.ro/" target="_blank">www.bvbarena.ro</a>&nbsp;platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the second stage, which took place in June, there was a selection of the 50 semifinalist companies by the Nomination Committee and, between 8 and 31 July, the public voted for the favourite company, following which the first 3 most voted companies entered the finals directly. The jury met in August and selected the other 12 finalist companies. The names of the 15 finalist companies were announced at the Gala, on 26 September.</p>

<p>Another stage of the program, which is to take place between October and November 2024, is dedicated to the Mentoring Program, in which the finalist and semifinalist companies, the companies nominated in the current edition or the companies registering in the program platform will be able to participate. During the final stage of this edition, the book with the success stories of this year's finalists will be written. It will be launched early 2025.</p>

<p><em>*This is a press release.</em></p>