The Startup Playbook — build something that lasts.
Nine chapters of investor thinking for early-stage founders in Romania and CEE — the Playbook we hand to founders before they pitch us, written by the people on the other side of the table.
No paywall. No pitch required.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We back founders building companies designed to last — not just to raise.
We're a different kind of seed fund. If you only want to be rich and famous, this isn't for you. But if you have a sharp idea, a strong team, and a real plan, we're here to help, challenge, and educate. The difference between a team that scales and one that stalls is rarely the idea — it's whether the founder knows what they're actually building, who it's for, and how to prove it.
This Playbook is what we hand to founders when we want to have a better conversation. We're putting it in your hands whether you ever pitch us or not, because better-prepared founders make the whole ecosystem stronger.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Nine chapters. Written for founders who prefer clarity over encouragement.
The Playbook doesn't tell you to believe in your vision. It gives you the frameworks, questions, and decision points that determine whether your vision has a business underneath it.
The problem before the product
Validation that actually counts
From pre-seed to seed — what actually changes
Building in Romania — the specific challenges
Go-to-market that earns its name
Revenue before growth
What investors are actually evaluating
Building the team behind the product
The ecosystem you're already part of
"The funding round is not the milestone. Customers using the product is the milestone.
From Chapter 3 — Pre-seed to Seed
WHO IS THIS FOR
You're probably the right reader if you recognise yourself in at least one of these.
Idea stage
You have a clear problem hypothesis but aren't sure it holds up outside your own head.
Early product
You've built something and have early users, but you're not yet sure what you're learning from them.
Pre-fundraise
You're preparing for your first round and want to understand how investors actually evaluate your work.
Building in CEE
You're navigating the
Romanian or CEE ecosystem and want a grounded view of what it takes.
WHO WROTE IT
BCR Seed Starter is a corporate venture fund inside BCR, part of the Erste Group ecosystem.
We back early-stage startups at the intersection of fintech, deep tech, and enterprise software — and when the fit is there, we integrate them directly into BCR's infrastructure. The Playbook comes from that experience: from having reviewed hundreds of decks, sat across from founders at every stage, and watched what separates the ones who make it from the ones who don't.
This is not investor advice designed to make you feel ready. It's investor thinking, written plainly, because we believe better-prepared founders make the entire ecosystem stronger.