Rubik Hub, a startup hub based in Piatra Neamt, Romania, has won the title of World's Best Coworking Space at the Global Startup Awards, during the finals held on 7 May 2026 in Malta at the EU-Startups Summit. This is the first ever global title won by a Romanian hub at this prestigious international competition, marking unprecedented recognition for Romania's innovation ecosystem.
After being named Best Coworking Space in Eastern Europe in February 2026, Rubik Hub represented Romania on the global stage, competing against startup ecosystems from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Nordics and other regions. The global award was determined by international public vote, demonstrating the breadth of recognition the Romanian hub has achieved within the global startup community.
"This award proves that truly valuable things can be built from this part of the world. That people matter. That a united community can create global impact," said Vlad Gliga, CEO and co-founder of Rubik Hub. "Who would have imagined in 2017, when we launched Rubik Hub together with ADR Nord-Est, that one day we would be recognised as the best coworking space in the world?"
Located in Piatra Neamt, surrounded by spectacular natural landscapes near the Ceahlau Mountains, Rubik Hub has become one of the leading entrepreneurial hubs in Eastern Europe over the past nine years. The 1,800 square metre space was designed to inspire creativity, collaboration and innovation, hosting events and programmes for startups, investors and mentors from across Europe and beyond.
Since its launch in 2017, Rubik Hub has supported over 600 startups from across Europe, working alongside a community of more than 370 mentors. The front-runner startups have attracted total investments exceeding 75 million euros. In the last year alone, startups from the Rubik Hub accelerator raised 7 million euros and reached paying customers in over 90 countries worldwide.
The flagship programme Rubik Garage focused in 2025 exclusively on the medical and health innovation ecosystem, selecting 41 startups from 116 applications across 22 European countries. The programme is completely equity-free with no participation fees, offering access to grants exceeding 100,000 euros. Rubik Hub was also recognised by the Financial Times as one of Europe's best startup accelerators, ranking 55th out of 180 programmes and 13th for networking opportunities.
Rubik Hub's strategic partner ecosystem includes Fortech Investments, ROCA X and SeedBlink from Romania, Crew Capital from the USA and 20 VC from the United Kingdom. The hub also operates Ready to Raise, Rubik Scale for UK market expansion, and the Investment Readiness Program. The organisation plans to double its impact by 2028, targeting 1,000 startups supported and 150 million euros in alumni investments.