Economic Growth Bulgaria Project #61618

Support the Growth of CEE's Startup Ecosystem

by Bulgaria Innovation Hub, Inc.

Support the Growth of CEE's Startup Ecosystem

Project Report | May 23, 2025
Accelerating US Market Entry for European Startups

By Pavlina Yanakieva | CEO/Executive Director

The Future Unicorns Accelerator, (formerly Bulgaria Innovation Hub) continues to foster high-impact entrepreneurship and strengthen the bridge between the US and the Central and Eastern European (CEE/SEE) startup ecosystems

Spring 2025 Project Update

As we reflect on the close of our Spring 2025 program, we’re proud to mark the successful completion of the tenth cohort of the Future Unicorns Accelerator—our most global and community-driven edition yet. This cohort reaffirmed our commitment to empowering high-impact CEE founders through expert mentorship, cross-border connections, and visibility in one of the world’s most competitive innovation ecosystems.

Program Highlights & Supporters

Running from April 8 to May 2, the tenth cohort brought together a dynamic group of founders from across the region who participated in hands-on workshops, 1:1 mentor sessions, and strategic pitch refinement.

Key partners made this program possible:

•Focus Innovation Hub, led by Ivan Smiljanich, generously provided space for all working sessions and founder gatherings.

•Wilson Sonsini, alongside our board members Galina Antova, Sim Simeonov, and Lidiya Dervisheva, hosted a two half-days legal, fundraising, and product market fit and M&A workshops in their stunning downtown San Francisco office.

•SHACK15 Ventures hosted our flagship Shark Tank investor pitch session, helping connect founders with global capital and spotlighting the vibrant CEE pipeline.

•The program concluded with an inspiring Demo Night & Graduation, co-hosted by BIH mentors Desi Kilova and Dragan Manoev, celebrating the founders’ progress and opening new doors for alumni collaboration.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all partners and mentors who made this program an unforgettable experience for our teams.

Participating Companies – Spring 2025 Cohort

Bronia AI is an intelligent acoustics signal processing solution. It leverages state-of-the-art proprietary technology to identify sounds of interest, locate their sources and act smartly.

Petsy is the leading CEE petsitting marketplace, connecting pet owners with trusted local petsitters for personalized care while they travel.

EPIX.AI is on a mission to reimagine healthcare by harnessing the power of epigenetics to provide individuals with personalized, dynamic health scores.

Team Schedule is a cloud extension to SAP SuccessFactors, supporting businesses to efficiently plan work- shift schedules. Built specifically for SAP SuccessFactors, Team Schedule provides a familiar look & feel, real time insights, data consistency and privacy.

Omnisearch offers smart video search for enterprises, providing users with a seamless way to transcribe, process and search audio and video content. Available as both a rich API that companies can integrate into their existing sites, as well as an interactive dashboard.

ufleet is an AI software platform that helps retailers optimize delivery routes, and reduce CO2 emissions, with exceptional delivery experience. They operate a distributed team of experts in retail, logistics and technology to deploy the Ufleet CX management platform.

Mirror 360 makes it safe and easy for employees to express their honest perspectives, continuously. Mirror 360 helps leaders make informed decisions and employees feel properly recognized.

AdScout is a platform that transforms satisfied customers and influencers into brand ambassadors, creating and sharing personalized product recommendations with engaging video content. Businesses connect with their target audience through trusted recommendations, driving sales and increasing revenue via unique, trackable links.

Moveo.AI’s proactive AI agents change how enterprises communicate with their customers by turning one-way notifications into dynamic, hyper-personalized conversations. By leveraging proprietary LLMs, the company creates agents that anticipate customers' needs and engage them with relevant information.

CulturePulse is at the forefront of leveraging AI to transform complex decision-making processes. Their flagship AI technology, ARES, is engineered to revolutionize how diverse sectors approach critical business and research challenges.

These companies represent the future of sectors like healthtech, fintech, AI, and enterprise SaaS—all founded in CEE and ready to scale globally.

What’s Next

We’re already continuing to engage our broader community through upcoming events and strategic collaborations:

•Early June – Alumni & Community Event (Sofia, Bulgaria)

A gathering to reconnect with founders, partners, and ecosystem builders on the ground in Bulgaria, with programming centered around alumni success and new collaborative opportunities.

•Mid June – The Bridge Conference (Varna, Bulgaria)

Future Unicorns leadership and board members will participate in keynotes, panels, and cross-sector discussions during this leading innovation event powered by Power of BG.

Future Unicorns continues to expand its reach and impact with the support of visionary donors, partners, and ecosystem champions. If you’re interested in collaborating, mentoring, or funding our next stage of growth, please reach out or visit www.futureunicorns.io.

Together, we’re scaling a more inclusive, connected, and globally competitive startup landscape for the CEE region.

Links:

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Jan 23, 2025
Advancing Entrepreneurship in Eastern Europe

By Pavlina Yanakieva | CEO/Executive Director

2024 Project Update

As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for all that we’ve achieved and excitement for the opportunities ahead. Bulgaria Innovation Hub (BIH), through its rebranded initiative, The Future Unicorns Accelerator, continues to foster high-impact entrepreneurship and strengthen the bridge between the US and the Central and Eastern European (CEE/SEE) startup ecosystems.

This evolution reflects our commitment to inclusivity, broadening our reach to visionary founders across the CEE region and fostering deeper engagement with regional venture capital communities. By expanding our scope, we’ve built a platform that amplifies the voices and potential of founders across the region, connecting them with global networks and opportunities.

Recent Achievements and Milestones

Our strong roots in both ecosystems uniquely position us to nurture the next generation of unicorns from Central and Eastern Europe. Over the past year, we’ve showcased our expanded activities through several events and initiatives.

Key highlights include:

•Partnering with The Recursive’s Storytelling Studio and Breaking Grounds to connect with founders at events like How to Web (Bucharest), Bits & Pretzels (Munich), Web Summit (Lisbon), and Slush (Helsinki).

•Establishing partnerships with BSMEPA and Endeavor Greece to better understand entrepreneurs’ scaling challenges and share the benefits of our programs.

The Future Unicorns Accelerator is also driven by a robust mentor network of over 350 members, many from the CEE diaspora, offering diverse expertise to help founders scale globally.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Community partnerships remain a cornerstone of our mission to empower startups and foster regional growth. These alliances fuel innovation by bringing together diverse perspectives and resources.

We’re especially grateful for the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation, whose shared vision of a thriving Bulgarian ecosystem amplifies our impact. Partnerships with organizations like BSMEPA, Appolica, and United Bulgarian Bank have been instrumental in expanding and introducing Future Unicorns to the community.

Our collaboration with over 50 strategic partners, including Endeavor, INSAIT, BESCO, BVCA, and leading media outlets like The Recursive, Capital.bg, and Bloomberg TV, has driven regional innovation and growth.

Program Alumni Success

Ampeco, a leader in EV charging management software, raised $26M in Series B funding in 2024. Led by Revaia with support from BMW i Ventures and others, the funding accelerates its expansion into North America and other markets.

Tiger Technology secured €2M in convertible debt financing in 2024, preparing for a €10M Series A round as it scales its hybrid cloud data management solutions globally.

Evrotrust raised €3.3M in 2024, supporting its expansion across Europe and cementing its leadership in secure digital identity solutions.

Pluria expanded its flexible workspace solutions into Latin America, addressing the growing demand for hybrid work environments in this fast-growing market.

Shkolo.bg was acquired by Juniper Education, a British ed-tech leader, showcasing the global potential of Bulgarian innovation. Its platform is scaling internationally to modernize school management.

Future Plans

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our next Future Unicorns Accelerator, running from March 31 to April 25, 2025. This program is designed to empower high-impact entrepreneurs with expert mentorship, a global network, and growth opportunities. We’re currently accepting applications and encourage visionary founders to apply via this link: Future Unicorns Accelerator Application.

To scale this vision, we invite donors, sponsors, mentors, and partners to join us: https://www.futureunicorns.io/. Your contributions—whether financial, strategic, or collaborative—are vital to strengthening our network and ensuring every startup can achieve its full potential. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected startup ecosystem in Eastern Europe.

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Sep 25, 2024
Bulgaria Innovation Hub - Update Report

By Pavlina Yanakieva | CEO/Executive Director

BIH June 6 event-1

Bulgaria Innovation Hub (BIH) continues to support and empower early-stage startups and entrepreneurs from Bulgaria and the CEE region, helping them expand and succeed in the US market. Our mission is to bridge the gap between the US and CEE startup ecosystems, providing guidance, mentorship, and valuable resources.

Recent Achievements and Milestones

- Rebranding and Expansion: BIH is transitioning to the #FutureUnicorns Accelerator, expanding our reach beyond Bulgaria to cover the entire CEE/SEE region. This rebranding is aimed at enhancing our impact and supporting even more high-potential startups.

- New Leadership in Sofia: To solidify our presence in the region and strengthen alumni and partner engagement, we have hired a new General Manager in Sofia, Bulgaria. This strategic move will deepen our relationships with key stakeholders and enhance our leadership in the local ecosystem.

- Founder Support: Since the begining of the year, we supported 9 new startups, providing them with mentorship, training, and strategic guidance in areas such as pitching, business development, and market entry strategies. We have now assisted over 150 founders in preparing for the US market.

- Building a Strong Mentor Network: We have expanded our global mentor network to include 350+ world-class serial entrepreneurs and top-tier investors from renowned firms like Sequoia, Graylock, USVP, SignalFire, Bain Capital, and others. This ensures that our participants receive unparalleled guidance and support.

- Alumni Engagement: BIH alumni continue to actively give back, serving as mentors and role models. We are proud to share that an increasing part of the alumni are supporting BIH’s sustainability and future growth through corporate and individual donations.

Collaboration and Partnerships

- In June we hosted a Summer Coomunity Talks event in Sofia, Bulgaria where we discussed the latest VC trends for early stage companies and the critical factors needed to fundraise successfully.

- We collaborated with several key partners, including America for Bulgaria Foundation, Endeavor, Teach for Bulgaria, BESCO, BVCA, Power of BG-The Bridge and others to foster a collaborative ecosystem that nurtures innovation and entrepreneurship.

Board Member Spotlight - Galina Antova Featured On The Cover Of Forbes Bulgaria

- Galina Antova is a prominent cybersecurity entrepreneur and executive who has advised and led growth strategies and large scale digital transformations for Fortune 500 customers. As well desereved recognition, she was featured on the cover of the July edition of Forbes Bulgaria.

- BIH Board members remain deeply involved in the startup ecosystem, providing mentorship and support to various organizations, reinforcing our commitment to building a thriving entrepreneurial community.

Future Plans

- Upcoming Events: BIH will be participating in various regional industry conferences to launch the new brand and expand our network and reach into the CEE region. As such we will attend the How to Web Conference in Bucharest as part of the Bulgarian Breaking Ground Delegation, then WebSummit in Lisbon and Slush in Helsinki, where we aim to connect with high-impact CEE founders, investors, and partners.

- Alumni Networking: We plan to organize end of year events in both Sofia and San Francisco to foster stronger connections between our alumni, diaspora, donors and partners, promoting closer networking and cross cultural collaboration.

We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from GlobalGiving and our partners, which enables us to continue our mission of empowering startups and driving innovation across the CEE region.

If you’d like to learn more about our work or get involved, please reach out or follow our journey on social media. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected startup ecosystem in Eastern Eaurope.

BIH June 6 event-2

BIH June 6 event-3

Links:

Summer talks video

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