Celebrating SaaS Excellence: The Tekpon Awards 2024

The first edition of the Tekpon Awards, held on June 18th at the Grand Hotel Bucharest, marked a significant milestone for the SaaS industry. The "Oscars of SaaS" brought together 500 industry leaders from around the globe for two days of networking, recognition, and celebration.

Award categories included Bootstrappers, Salespeople, Marketers, CEOs, Founders, and Innovators of the Year. Winners were celebrated for their contributions, with highlights such as a charity auction and an opera performance adding a unique flair to the event. The Tekpon Awards honored individual achievements and innovative potential within the SaaS community.

As the event concluded with high spirits and anticipation for future editions, the Tekpon Awards set a new standard for celebrating excellence and innovation in the SaaS industry, promising even more exciting times ahead.

Here’s a look at the winners across various categories, each celebrated for their unique contributions that significantly impact their respective fields.

Bootstrappers of the Year

Stefan Smulders, Co-founder & CSO @ Expandi.io

Stefan Smulders is recognized for his pivotal role in the success of Expandi.io, a leading platform for LinkedIn automation and social selling.

Michael Kamleitner , Founder @ Walls.io & Swat.io

Michael Kamleitner has significantly impacted the social media management landscape with his ventures, Walls.io and Swat.io.

Saravana Kumar , CEO @ Kovai.co

Saravana Kumar leads Kovai.co, a multi-product SaaS company that provides enterprise software solutions designed to help businesses with productivity and efficiency.

🔥 Bridget Harris , CEO & Co-founder @ YouCanBookMe

Bridget Harris is the co-founder and CEO of YouCanBookMe, a SaaS platform that simplifies scheduling and appointment management.

Andrei Stefan , Founder & CEO @ Vitals

Andrei Stefan is the founder and CEO of Vitals, a company dedicated to enhancing the performance of online stores through a comprehensive suite of tools.

Adrian Balcan, Founder & Managing Director @ FeedCheck

Adrian Balcan founded FeedCheck, a reputation management platform that aggregates and analyzes customer reviews from various marketplaces. 

 Salesperson of the Year

Ignacio Villanueva is the Vice President of Origination at Boopos, a fintech company specializing in financing acquisitions for subscription-based online businesses.

Dr. Desiree-Jessica Pely is the Founder and CEO of Loyee.ai, an AI SaaS platform designed to enhance the efficiency of B2B sales teams by providing deep insights into potential leads.

Dragos Gal is the Global Head of Business Development at Twipla, previously known as Visitor Analytics. Before joining Twipla, Dragos Gal held significant roles in various companies, including Pluralsight and LOES Attorneys.

Marketers of the Year

Olga Andrienko, VP of Brands & Marketing @ Semrush

Olga Andrienko leads the marketing efforts at Semrush, focusing on brand and marketing strategies that have significantly boosted the company’s visibility and user engagement​.

Emilia Korczynska , Head of Marketing @ Userpilot

Emilia Korczynska heads marketing at Userpilot, driving user engagement and growth through effective marketing strategies tailored to SaaS products.

Bianca Dragan , Head of Brand Marketing @ Paddle

Bianca Dragan manages brand marketing at Paddle, implementing strategies that enhance brand recognition and market reach.

CEOs of the Year

Thomas Smale , CEO @ FE International

Thomas Smale’s leadership at FE International has been marked by significant growth and success, making the company a leader in the SaaS M&A space​.

Zandra Moore , CEO @ Panintelligence

Zandra Moore leads Panintelligence, a company known for its powerful BI and analytics tools. Her strategic vision has driven the company’s growth and innovation​.

Mads 🍎 Wedderkopp , CEO @ Dreaminfluence

Mads Wedderkopp’s leadership at Dreaminfluence has been pivotal in transforming the company into a major player in the influencer marketing industry​.

Founders of the Year

Sergiu Negut , Co-founder @ Fintechos

Sergiu Negut co-founded Fintechos, driving innovation in the fintech industry with solutions that enhance financial services through technology​.

Andrei Pitis , Founder @ Genezio

Andrei Pitis founded Genezio, a company that has made significant strides in the software development and technology sector​.

Daniel Melkersson, Co-Founder @ Pinmeto

Daniel Melkersson’s work at Pinmeto has revolutionized location marketing, helping businesses manage their online presence more effectively​.

Mateo Carmona-Arango, Managing Director @ AF

Mateo Carmona-Arango leads AF, contributing to the company’s growth and impact in its industry​.

Alin Dobra, Founder @ Bunnyshell

Alin Dobra founded Bunnyshell, focusing on simplifying cloud infrastructure management. His innovative solutions have significantly impacted the cloud management industry​.

Andrei Avădănei , CEO @ Sentinel

Andrei Avadanei leads Sentinel, a cybersecurity firm providing advanced security solutions to protect businesses from cyber threats​.

Accountant of the Year

Cenk Tukel, CEO @ Tukel

Cenk Tukel has been recognized for his exceptional financial management and leadership at Tukel, making significant contributions to the field of accounting​.

DevOps Supplier of the Year

Andrei Manea , Founder & CEO @ Cloudhero

Andrei Manea’s Cloudhero provides top-tier DevOps solutions, helping businesses optimize their development and operational processes​.

Woman of the Year

Emelie Linheden , VP of Marketing @ Younium

Emeli Lindehen has been honored for her leadership and achievements in marketing at Younium, significantly impacting the SaaS industry.

Tekpon Innovators

Gerald Zankl , CEO @ Kickscale

Gerald Zankl has been instrumental in advancing sales acceleration platforms with Kickscale, a company dedicated to optimizing sales processes and improving sales outcomes through innovative technologies.

Jacqueline-Amadea Pely, Founder & CPO @ Loyee.ai

Jacqueline-Amadea Pely’s work at Loyee.ai has introduced cutting-edge AI solutions for customer service, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of customer interactions​.

Jonas Larsson, CEO @ Graftus

Jonas Larsson leads Graftus, a company known for its innovative approach to data management and integration, providing businesses with advanced tools for managing their data assets​.

Iulia Trandafir & Paula Avasiloaie, Co-Founders @ Genezio

Iulia Trandafir and Paula Avasiloaie have made significant contributions to software development with Genezio, offering platforms that simplify and enhance the development process​.

Mihai DARZAN & Marian Voicu , Co-Founders @ Procesio

Mihai Darzan and Marian Voicu co-founded Procesio, a company focused on automating complex business processes, making them more efficient and scalable​.

Alex Circei, CEO @ Waydev

Alex Circei’s leadership at Waydev has driven the company to the forefront of development analytics, providing tools that help engineering teams optimize their performance​.

Dragos Bulugean, Founder @ Archbee

Dragos Bulugean founded Archbee, a documentation platform that has revolutionized how teams create and manage their technical documentation​.

Cosmin Pirvu, Startup Program Manager @ Veridion

Cosmin Pirvu’s work at Veridion involves supporting startups by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to succeed in a competitive market​.

Mira Anastasia Popa, Tail Product Manager @ Digitail

Mira Anastasia Popa has been a key figure at Digitail, a company focused on providing innovative solutions for the veterinary industry​.

Georgia Bucea, CEO @ Brinos

Georgia Bucea’s leadership at Brinos has led to the developmen of a research startup focused on supporting parents of neurodivergent children, particularly those with autism.

Andrei Boruzescu, Co-Founder @ Ex-Machina

Andrei Boruzescu co-founded Ex-Machina, a company known for its innovative AI and machine learning solutions that enhance business intelligence​.

Bogdan Alangiu, Head of Channels & Alliances @ Flowx.ai

Bogdan Alangiu has played a crucial role in expanding Flowx.ai’s reach through strategic partnerships and alliances, enhancing the company’s market presence​.

Alex Petre, CEE @ Druid AI

Alex Petre’s work at Druid AI involves developing conversational AI solutions that transform customer interactions and improve service delivery​.

Daniel Rogoz, CEO @ Kinderpedia

Daniel Rogoz leads Kinderpedia, an educational platform that has made significant strides in improving communication and management within schools​.

Gabriel Paunescu, CEO @ Naologic.com

Gabriel Paunescu’s leadership at Naologic.com has been pivotal in developing cloud-based business solutions that enhance operational efficiency and productivity​.

Tekpon Stars

Tudor Cosaceanu, Regional VP @ UiPath

Tudor Cosaceanu’s role at UiPath has been crucial in driving the company’s regional growth and expanding its footprint in the automation industry​.

Adrian Gheorghe, Startup Program Manager @ Microsoft

Adrian Gheorghe has supported startups through Microsoft’s programs, helping them leverage technology to scale and succeed​.

Hrvoje Magić , VP Revops @ Younium

Hrvoje Magic’s work at Younium has optimized revenue operations, driving efficiency and growth for the company​.

Bianca Dragan, Head of Brand Marketing @ Paddle

Bianca Dragan has excelled in brand marketing at Paddle, significantly enhancing the company’s market presence and brand equity​.

👨🏻‍💻 Dipak Vadera , Director of Marketing @ Dealfront

Dipak Vadera’s innovative marketing strategies at Dealfront have driven substantial growth and customer acquisition​.

Jairo Teinturier, Account Executive @ Deel

Jairo Teinturier has played a key role in expanding Deel’s market reach and strengthening customer relationships​.

Octavian Brezoi , Head of Sales @ 2Checkout (now Verifone)

Octavian Brezoi’s leadership in sales at Verifone has significantly boosted the company’s revenue and market share​.

Dor Barak, Affiliate Program Manager @ Userway

Dor Barak has effectively managed Userway’s affiliate program, driving growth and expanding the company’s user base​.

Sorin Lungu , Founding Member & QA Lead @ Chili Piper

Sorin Lungu’s contributions at Chili Piper have enhanced the company’s product quality and customer satisfaction.

Olga Andrienko, VP of Brand Marketing @ Semrush

Olga Andrienko’s work in brand marketing at Semrush has been instrumental in the company’s global recognition and success​.

Impact of the Year

Alexander Theuma , Founder @ SaaStock

Alex Theuma’s SaaStock has become a premier event for SaaS professionals, fostering networking and industry growth through insightful conferences and workshops.

Cristobal Alonso , El Patron @ Startup Wise Guys

Cristobal Alonso has significantly impacted the startup ecosystem through Startup Wise Guys, providing valuable mentorship and resources to early-stage companies.

Monica Zara, Partner & Head of Conference @ How to Web

Monica Zara’s leadership at How to Web has made the conference a key event for innovation and technology in Eastern Europe, driving collaboration and growth.

Elena Vrabie, Head of Sales @ The Recursive

Elena Vrabie has excelled in sales at The Recursive, contributing to the platform’s growth and its role in highlighting tech innovation in the CEE region.

Vlad Andriescu, Editor in Chief @ Start-up.ro

Vlad Andriescu’s work at Start-up.ro has been pivotal in covering and promoting the startup ecosystem in Romania, supporting entrepreneurs and innovation.

But all of this would not have been possible without our Tekpon team and main sponsors, who trusted us and gave us the force to dream even bigger. That's why the next edition is going to be bigger, louder, and better! See you at Tekpon Awards 2025!

Next year, tickets are only for our community members TEKPON 1000, you can become a member using this link: https://ti.to/tekpon/tekpon-1000