After Spain, Beyond Borders - the program organized by Endeavor Romania and of Banca Transylvania for Romanian companies aiming to grow in international markets – continued in Athens, October 12–14, 2026.
For three days, participating entrepreneurs gained an insider’s view of the market and business system in Greece through a program that included:
- Meetings with local entrepreneurs and business leaders from companies and groups such as Fourlis Group, ERGON Foods and Hellas Direct;
- 1:1 meetings between Romanian entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs from Greece;
- Dialogs with representatives of Platis – Anastassiadis & Associates, EY in Greece and you have European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
- Visits to ERGON House,Embassy of Romania in the Hellenic Republic and at Endeavor Greece.
Entrepreneurial perspectives
- Vassilis Fourlis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fourlis Group, he spoke to entrepreneurs about leadership and adapting the business in a period when technological changes and the volume of information force companies to make increasingly rapid decisions. His advice for those planning to enter the Greek market was to invest in research to understand the market in detail, based on objective data and information, before taking the step – from consumer behavior and local specifics to competition and real opportunities for your own business model.
Fourlis Group is the largest retail group in Southeastern Europe, with operations including Romania, and a partner of international brands such as IKEA, INTERSPORT, Foot Locker, and Holland & Barrett. Besides retail, the group is active in logistics (through Trade Logistics) and real estate investments (through Trade Estates).
- Aris Konstantopoulos, Brand Strategy Director at Ergon Foods, presented Romanian entrepreneurs with the concept of hospitality of the business, built around gastronomy, the restaurant, and the hotel, as a unified brand experience.
The company was founded in Greece by Endeavor entrepreneurs Thomas Douzis and George Douzis, and is present in six other countries, and since 2011 has been bringing people together, building a community of artisans and small Greek producers. ERGON Foods offers over 1,200 handcrafted products from more than 150 local producers.
- Endeavor Entrepreneurs Alexis Pantazis and Emilios Markou, co-founders and Executive Directors of the digital insurance company Hellas Direct, they offered a different perspective on internationalization, referring to the opportunities that Romania itself can bring to companies from Greece.
Hellas Direct entered the Romanian market four years ago, and our country has become one of the main growth markets, with opportunities for expansion in the insurance sector.
Networking evening meant direct meetings with other Greek entrepreneurs as well, with businesses in fields such as: food production and ingredients for HoReCa, natural cosmetics and care products, fashion retail, stationery and packaging, distribution of digital printing equipment, water treatment technologies and corporate travel services.
Legal and tax perspectives
Discussions with Platis – Anastassiadis & Associates specialists (through Eirinikos Platis, Managing Partner and Lia Vitzilaiou, Corporate & Commercial Law Director) and EY in Greece (through Maria Iliopoulou, Tax Partner and Konstantinos Krimpas, Tax Senior Manager) completed the business perspective with information about the legal and tax framework in Greece, providing practical benchmarks for preparing a potential entry into the local market.
Institutional perspectives
- Andrei Stănișoară, Minister-Counselor, Commercial and Economic Promotion Office, Embassy of Romania in the Hellenic Republic, he spoke about Romania's economic relations with Greece, also highlighting these aspects:
- The specific nature of Greek business culture: deeply relational, where business decisions are made with people, not companies.
- Main opportunities for Romanian companies in the Greek market: energy and equipment, IT&C, agri-food sector.
- The biggest economic risk for Greece: the relatively high dependence on tourism, a sector sensitive to geopolitical developments, the pace of absorption of European funds, and the trend of labor force emigration.
- Strengths of the economy: massive investments in energy, infrastructure, and digitalization contribute significantly to the diversification and resilience of the economy.
- Victoria Zinchuk, Regional Director for Romania, Bulgaria and Greece at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as and Board Member Endeavor Romania, expressed its willingness to support Romanian entrepreneurs interested in international expansion.
EBRD, one of the founders of Endeavor Romania and one of the largest institutional investors in Romania, supports the growth of small and medium-sized companies through both financing and expertise and consultancy.
Companies participating in Beyond Borders Greece operate in diverse fields, from the food industry, beauty and medical aesthetics, to fashion, industrial packaging, PET recycling, commercial furniture, exhibition systems, and technology. Some are already present in international markets, while others are exploring new development directions and potential partnerships in other countries, such as Greece.
Beyond Borders program continues in Istanbul, in February 2027, and the Diaspora Gathering will take place in New York in December 2026.
