Business innovation summit

Official opening & welcome word from the Ministry of Education

Reimagining Tradition — How maib Became a Modern Leader of Change

How does a traditional bank transform into one of Moldova’s most forward-thinking brands? This keynote unveils maib’s journey of transformation — from its roots as Agroindbank to becoming a symbol of modern innovation and customer-centric growth.

You’ll discover what it takes to redesign not just offices and processes, but an entire organizational mindset.
Behind the rebranding lies a story of vision, courage, and design-driven thinking — proof that true transformation isn’t about technology alone, but about people, culture, and leadership.

maib’s evolution shows how even the most established institutions can become pioneers of change when they dare to think differently.

Co‑Founding with AI: Practical Frameworks for Early‑Stage Success

What happens when a venture is designed AI‑first-treating an AI agent as a co‑founder from day one?
In this session, we’ll explore how startups can leapfrog legacy constraints by embedding AI into their DNA from day one. Drawing on real-world experiments-including a collaboration between Microsoft and NYU Stern where AI was treated as the first hire. We’ll unpack how AI-native ventures scale faster, operate leaner, and redefine productivity.

Attendees will leave with a practical framework to build resilient, efficient businesses that thrive in the age of intelligent agents.

AI in Business: How Moldovan Companies Can Turn Technology into Profit

This talk is about something most leaders overlook when discussing AI: how companies actually make money from it. Creating impressive AI technology is one thing, but figuring out how to build a profitable business around it is what determines success or failure.

From POCs to Partnerships: How Startups and Corporates Can Co-Create Real Impact

How can startups and large organizations move beyond pilots and prototypes to create real, scalable impact?
In this keynote, Ömer Hantal, Chief Innovation Optimizer at Fark Labs, shares his insights from building bridges between Türkiye’s innovation ecosystem and global markets.

With experience overseeing 70+ startup investments across 4 countries, and leading collaborations that connect innovators, academia, and corporates, Ömer explores the frameworks that turn proof-of-concept into lasting partnerships — and innovation into measurable growth.

Driving Innovation and Value Across Ecosystems: Startups, Corporations, and Beyond

Collaboration between startups and corporations creates a powerful, symbiotic relationship where both sides move faster, innovate more precisely, and unlock new opportunities. Explore how corporations can become more agile, generate measurable value, and leverage startup partnerships to drive innovation.

Discover how startups benefit from these collaborations and how, together, these partnerships can transform regions, ecosystems, and the way innovation happens.

The AI-First Marketer: Supercharging Growth with Google's Unified AI Ecosystem

Exploring the strategy for supercharging marketing by building an AI-first foundation on a ""single view of the customer"". It will show how unifying your data within one ecosystem isn't just a technical upgrade; it's the core recipe for predictable growth.

This session will cover practical, AI-powered use cases that turn this data into profit: moving from historical reporting to predictive LTV (Lifetime Value), using AI to identify and engage high-value audience segments, and personalizing creative at scale with Generative AI.

Attendees will see how these powerful tools connect, showing how Value-Based Bidding acts on predictive LTV insights , and how these strategies are essential for connecting with customers in new, conversational environments like Google's AI Mode. This is a practical guide for leaders on moving beyond simple ""AdTech"" to build a resilient, AI-powered marketing ecosystem that delivers measurable, systemic growth

Scaling companies - From Startup to Unicorn: What does it take to turn bold ideas into billion-dollar businesses?

Drawing on his experience leading investments across Moldova and Ukraine — in companies like Purcari, Glass Container, maib, and tech leaders such as Ajax Systems and Intellias — Vasile Tofan, Senior Partner at Horizon Capital, reveals the key ingredients behind scaling success in emerging markets.

From startup resilience to corporate discipline, his keynote explores how visionary founders, strategic capital, and market readiness come together to build regional champions with global potential.

Discover how deeptech innovation is reshaping business in Eastern Europe. Five pioneering companies from Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia will demonstrate products and solutions with real market impact.
In dynamic 10-minute presentations that combine pitches and live demonstrations, you'll see how scientific innovation transforms into viable business models.

Companies presenting:

• Earlyone
• Micro Nano Tech
• Replifactory
• Lobster Free Diving Weight
• BiteriumAI

Witness regional innovation in action and explore new models for collaboration and growth.

David vs. Goliath: Who wins the innovation battle? The answer: Both can, with the right strategy.

This workshop shows how agile "Davids" and resourceful "Goliaths" can build a decisive advantage using the Sparks of Innovation model.

• Goliaths: Learn to inject the "Creative Fuel" of a startup to avoid stagnation.
• Davids: Learn to build a "System Core Lite" to scale your brilliant ideas without burning out.

This hands-on workshop goes beyond the hype of AI technology to show how it can truly transform the way your business operates, serves customers, and generates revenue. Together, we’ll analyze a real company’s business model step by step—looking at how it works today and how AI could reshape it.

You’ll discover practical ways to apply AI to your own organization, leaving with:

• A clearer view of where AI fits into your strategy

• Key questions to discuss with your team

• Tools to start building an AI roadmap for growth

By the end, you’ll have the confidence to make smarter decisions about AI and a practical framework for moving forward.