From Microsoft to Billions: How a Romanian Engineer Built UiPath — a Global Leader in Automation

Ui Path is one of the few tech startups from Eastern Europe to achieve global success. Behind this story is a Romanian native who rose from Microsoft engineer to founder of a publicly traded company valued at over $30 billion.

Early Years: Childhood, Independence, and Dreams

The future entrepreneur was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, during the country's post-socialist transition. At the age of nine, he dreamed of becoming a writer while playing in his grandmother’s garden. But life took a different turn: when he was 19, his parents divorced and he had to support himself. Juggling work, studies, and constant financial pressure shaped the foundation for his future success.

Career Beginnings: Microsoft and Returning to Romania

His first major break came in 2001, when he joined Microsoft in Seattle as an engineer. Four years later, he quit and returned home to pursue his dream of starting a tech business. This led to the founding of DeskOver, a company focused on software outsourcing. The early years were difficult — he experimented with various projects, including consumer and OEM products, but none brought lasting success.

The Turning Point: The Birth of Ui-Path

In 2012, together with his team, he decided to transform some of their internal technologies into a commercial product. This decision marked the beginning of Ui Path — a platform for robotic process automation (RPA). That pivot sparked the rapid growth that would eventually turn the company into a global leader in its field.

Strategy: Going Global from Day One

Unlike the common advice to first build traction in the U.S. before going international, UiPath’s founder chose a global approach from the start. He believes this decision accelerated the company’s growth significantly. “What takes 10 years in the U.S. can be achieved in four if you go global from the beginning,” he says.

However, this strategy required resilience and flexibility. Challenges ranged from cultural differences to the difficulty of hiring leadership talent in different regions. Still, the global go-to-market strategy proved essential to UiPath’s success.

Leadership Lessons: Flexibility and Confidence

The Ui-Path founder believes that a successful CEO isn’t a specialist in one thing, but someone who can make decisions with limited information — and pivot when needed. “I don’t believe in absolute truths. Decisions are made to generate data. When you have more data, you make new decisions,” he explains.

He also draws on lessons from his love of tennis. Business, like sports, often involves facing stronger or more hyped opponents — and staying confident under pressure is key. This mindset helped UiPath stay focused when competitors like Blue Prism went public. Ultimately, UiPath outperformed many of them.

IPO and Today: From a Tiny Office to a Global Force

In 2021, Ui Path went public on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $1.3 billion. Today, the company employs over 3,000 people globally and provides automation solutions for corporations and government agencies worldwide.

The story of UiPath’s founder is a testament to how perseverance, adaptability, and the courage to break the rules can lead to building a global tech empire — even if that journey begins not in Silicon Valley, but in a grandmother’s garden in Bucharest.