Daniel Stoica, CEO of RMT Labs
1. Please identify yourself so our readers know who you are and your life story.
My story begins in Romania, a country that transformed overnight in 1989. Growing up in the ’90s, I saw a nation where everyone was suddenly trying to build something from nothing because they had to; the old state-owned stability was gone, and you had to feed your family.
I wasn’t someone who followed a straight line. When I was 18, Romania was going to join the EU, and I saw an opportunity with the border police. I didn’t actually set out to be a border police officer because it was my dream; I did it because my family was pushing me toward the security of a stable, government job. At the time, I was already studying at Polytechnic University of Bucharest, trying to balance both worlds.
But then, a higher-ranking officer saw a potential in me that went beyond guarding a border. He recognized I was capable of much more and became the catalyst for my shift. He was the one who pushed me to stay in school, finish my Master’s, and go to the Cambridge Institute to perfect my English.
I started my first IT business in Romania in 2010. It did well, but by 2015, I realized I couldn’t scale it without compromising my values because of the corruption I encountered. So, I stopped. I became an employee for foreign companies, working in recruitment and sales, and realized that “Always Be Closing” isn’t just about sales, it’s about making the most of every connection you make.
Eventually, I moved to Luxembourg because I saw a massive gap in the market. I was working for a US company as a recruiter, and I was frustrated with LinkedIn. I was messaging 1,000 people a week, bothering people who didn’t want a job, all while LinkedIn was making billions off a platform that was never actually designed for recruitment; it’s a social media company.
So, I took a blank sheet of paper and sketched out how recruitment should actually look. That sketch became our recruitment platform, Skillbourg.
Today, we are building a “LinkedIn Killer” right here in Europe. We’re using AI to make the process efficient so recruiters and candidates can spend one minute on the platform, get what they need, and get out, rather than wasting hours scrolling.
2. Please identify your company’s RMT labs and tell the story of its vision and company journey to date.
We started in Luxembourg back in 2022 because we wanted to change the game. Our mission is pretty simple: LinkedIn is for social media; Skillbourg is for recruitment. We realized that people were being forced to use a social platform, which basically lives on noise and keeps you scrolling, for a job that actually needs focus and speed.
Up until now, we’ve grown completely on our own terms. We didn’t want to hand over our vision to early investors, so we used our consulting and ICT work to pay for our own product development. That independence has really paid off; we’ve secured €4.5M investment and another €1M in support from partners such as Google, Amazon, Nebius, and Microsoft to back what we’re building.
We launched Skillbourg just two months ago, and things are already taking off. We’ve signed our first two pilot companies, and we’re already up to 400 users and counting.
Right now, you can find us showcased at the LHoFT’s AI Experience Centre, which puts us right in the middle of the action here in Luxembourg. But we aren’t stopping there, our next big move is expanding into Romania to link these two tech worlds together.
Skillbourg is still a work in progress, but we’re aiming high. The final goal is a platform that handles the entire lifecycle through AI automation. We want to cover everything from that first moment a manager thinks, “I need a developer,” all the way to the day that employee happily heads off into retirement. We’re building technology that stays with the person for their whole career.
3. What brought you to come to Luxembourg, and what has been your experience of living and working in Luxembourg
We originally moved to Luxembourg for our children. The education system here is world-class; in fact, Luxembourg is ranked #1 in the world for education spending per student, investing over $31,000 per child every year.
But once we settled in, we realized this place is also incredible for building a company. The startup community is so supportive, and the government has created this full ecosystem that actually wants to help founders succeed. What started as a move for our family ended up being the perfect environment to bring our vision to life.
4. What challenges have you faced both professionally and personally in integrating and having success in Luxembourg
Professionally, my biggest challenge was walking away from safety. I had a stable job as a recruiter in a big company, but I realized I’d never make my dream a reality if I didn’t give it everything. You just can’t win if you aren’t willing to go all-in, so I quit that security and took the risk of failing to focus 100% on RMT Labs.
Once I was fully committed, the struggle was getting people to take such a high achiever mindset seriously, it’s a big goal, and not everyone gets it. But that mindset also acted like a magnet; it brought me closer to the right people, the ones who aren’t afraid to risk big to achieve big.
Personally, it was about starting from zero. Even though we moved for the kids and that world-class school system, it was still hard to be away from everything “home” used to mean. But luckily, we felt at home here pretty fast. Luxembourg has this unique feel, it’s like living in a small village where everyone knows everyone, but you’re actually in a big, international city. You feel welcomed here, and that made all the difference.
5. What are the greatest professional obstacles you have encountered, how have you handled them, and are you satisfied with the outcomes
Being an entrepreneur is definitely not a walk in the park. You really have to be strong at heart to handle the constant pressure that comes with the job.
Since I’ve now seen things from “the other side” of the hiring game as a founder, it’s opened my eyes even wider to the real problems in recruitment. One of the toughest parts has been keeping our values and mission intact while bringing in new people, each with their own different ideas. It’s a constant balancing act.
This whole journey has been a massive period of personal learning and growth for me. But after everything, I can finally say I’m happy with what RMT Labs has become and where we are headed.
6. What have you learned during your life experience in Luxembourg
I’ve been here six years now, so in ‘Luxembourg years,’ I’m still just a toddler, I don’t have a full lifetime of experience here yet. But even in this short time, living here has given me so much knowledge from so many different perspectives.
The beauty of Luxembourg is the diversity. You are constantly surrounded by people from all over the world, and there is so much knowledge you can extract just by talking to them. I’ve learned that the best way to grow is through the people you meet. The startup community is always organizing networking events, and we’ve made it a point to join multiple associations to stay connected.
It’s that mix of a global mindset in a small, tight-knit community that has taught me the most. You don’t just learn how to do business in Luxembourg; you learn how the whole world does business, all within a few square kilometers.
7. Are there anything you would do differently now if you had a second chance to start over
I would have stopped trying to solve every problem at once. Being an entrepreneur makes you want to fix everything yourself, and that’s a direct path to total exhaustion. If I could go back, I definitely would have delegated more of the day-to-day tasks much earlier and focused on my actual job as CEO.
It’s still hard, though. When you’re used to getting your hands dirty and making things happen, it’s a struggle to let go and trust someone else to handle the details.
8. Do you now consider Luxembourg a long-term “home” for yourself and your company
Yes, I absolutely do. After six years, Luxembourg has become much more than just a business location; it’s where my family has found real stability and where my company has its roots.
For my family, this is already home. And for RMT Labs, it’s the perfect base. This country doesn’t just give you a desk or an office; it gives you an entire ecosystem. Even as we grow and look toward expanding into places like Romania, Luxembourg is the foundation.
9. How has your membership in AMCHAM been helpful to you, and what else could we or can we do to support you
Joining AMCHAM was one of the best decisions we’ve made. We have a great relationship with Paul and the entire team; he’s a fantastic person, and they’ve been incredibly supportive from day one.
Every event we’ve participated in has been a total pool of knowledge and opportunities. It’s exactly the kind of environment where you can extract that people-based knowledge I mentioned earlier. Also, because we are planning to expand to Romania, we’ve already started discussing a collaboration with AMCHAM Romania. It’s exciting to see those two worlds connect through such a strong network.
10. What are the leadership values that guide your decision making, and how have they changed as you have gained experience
I definitely wasn’t born a CEO; I’ve had to learn it as I go. But I’ve found that the same values work whether you’re at the office or at home: be honest, be kind, but keep your boundaries strong.
In business, honesty builds trust with your team and your investors, and kindness keeps the culture human, but you have to have those strong boundaries, or the pressure of being an entrepreneur will pull you in a thousand different directions.
Finding that balance takes a significant effort, and even now, it’s something I’m still working on every single day.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an official policy or position of AmCham.lu. Any content provided by our interviewees are of their opinion, and are presented in their own words.