Unleashing the Tales of the BVB Arena Finalists: The Rise of Abund Berry 🍇🍎
Transforming a Hectare of Blackberries into a €12 Million Venture: The Success Story of Abund Berry
Get ready to dive into a series of inspiring stories from the 15 finalists graced by the BVB Arena program. Curated by the Bucharest Stock Exchange, BVB Arena is their premier initiative, championing the flourishing Romanian entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program’s mission? To identify and amplify local businesses boasting incredible growth potential, ready to shake things up in the local and even broader regional economy. But the clock's a-tickin'—nominations for the BVB Arena 2025 program stay open until May 31!
The journey of Abund Berry commenced in the heart of Țicleni, Gorj County, catalyzed by a passionate 21-year-old economics student named Ionel Burtea. In 2017, he embarked on a forest berry business venture, guided by shrewd market research, which unearthed issues surrounding the availability of Romanian fruits in supermarkets, as well as a dearth of unique and unconventional wine flavor profiles.
When asked about his motivation to launch the business, Ionel shared, "The love for wine was the spark that ignited the business in 2017. With an initial budget of EUR 20,000, we kick-started blackberry cultivation on a designated 1 hectare of land inherited from our grandfather. The entire family jumped aboard the business train. Over time, we extended our berry cultivation area, incorporating blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Today, we manage a whopping 20-hectare crop, employ more than 40 team members, and boast partnerships with the country’s major supermarket chains, in addition to collaborating with over 80 domestic and international farmers annually. In 2024, we recorded a staggering turnover of EUR 12.3 million, and have ongoing investments and projects, funded through self-generated resources or European grants, worth over EUR 2 million!"
Branding Roots and Reach 🌱🌐
Abund Berry is a quintessentially Romanian brand, born and bred in Gorj, fashioned in Bucharest, and seasoned on a national and international palate. It symbolizes fresh fruits and vegetables from Romania, forged through partnerships that nurture and strengthen local communities around businesses. It also embodies fresh, top-notch products, distributed nationwide to address Romania's need for healthier food options.
To maintain fresh produce availability year-round, Abund Berry partners with local farmers in Romania and sources imports from around the globe. "Our global network sources from countries across Europe, such as Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Zimbabwe, China, India, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, and America, just to name a few. We even export blueberries when they're in-season from our Romanian production to Spain, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Poland. Our vision is to ramp up blueberry and strawberry exports, break into new markets, and expand our export coverage area," said Ionel Burtea, Founder and CEO of Abund Berry.
A Sprouting Future 🌱🌈
On the horizon for Abund Berry lies the completion of a strawberry greenhouse project and a storage unit. The bounty from the greenhouse will primarily nourish the tables of Romans, with the surplus destined for European markets.
"The future of agriculture lies within protected spaces, in greenhouses and macro-tunnels. Investments will gradually shift towards production in environments where the climate factor is less of a concern. Climate is now an adversary for producers," explains Ioan Burtea, Founder and CEO of Abund Berry.
📝The complete Abund Berry success story can be found in the BVB Arena 2024 booklet, where the tales of the 15 finalist companies selected in last year's program are collated. The BVB Arena 2025 program commenced in April. For more information on the program and the BVB Arena 2024 booklet, head right this way.**
Attention Aspiring Entrepreneurs! 📣🌟
*To apply for the BVB Arena 2025 program, a platform designed to boost the growth and visibility of Romanian businesses with skyrocketing potential, follow these steps:
- Eligibility: The program welcomes Romanian companies demonstrating significant growth potential. Companies that were semi-finalists in previous editions (2017 onward), excluding those from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions, can automatically qualify if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Registration: Nominations can be submitted by entrepreneurs, community members, employees, partners, or members of the Nomination Committee. The nomination deadline is May 31, 2025.
- Registration Platform: Register your company on the dedicated program platform at www.bvbarena.ro.
- Program Perks: The program seeks to support and showcase selected companies, providing opportunities for networking and growth. It includes interactive events scheduled for October-November 2025, replacing the earlier workshop formats. These events will provide a laid-back setting for engaging with fellow finalists and semi-finalists[1][2].
- Application Tips: Be prepared to spotlight your growth potential, innovative strategies, and impact on the local economy. The program aims to amplify companies with the potential to become significant players in the Romanian and regional economies[1]. ⛩️By following these steps, you can elevate your chances of being selected for the program. Good luck on your journey to success!
- Abund Berry, the quintessentially Romanian brand, plans to expand its production facilities with a strawberry greenhouse project and a storage unit, aiming to grow fresh produce for both local and European markets.
- Over the years, Abund Berry, founded by Ionel Burtea, transitioned from a small-business growing blackberries on 1 hectare of land to a significant player in the local economy, boasting partnerships with major supermarket chains, managing a 20-hectare crop, and employing more than 40 team members.
- To be eligible for the BVB Arena 2025 program, the premier initiative by the Bucharest Stock Exchange that champions Romanian entrepreneurship, businesses must demonstrate significant growth potential and can apply by registering on the dedicated program platform before May 31, 2025.
