The CEO of Invest Sofia Maria Hristova PhD took part in the forum, which is part of a series of motivational, educational, technological and innovative events organized by Sofia Tech Park and Ivan Radev Studio.
Tech Park Talks aims to create a platform for dialogue between professionals from different industries, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and experience. The focus of the third edition was the Space. Among the topics discussed were the latest types of satellites and their key role on earth for a range of activities and industries, as well as the place of Bulgarian science and business in the space sector.
More than 10 Bulgarian companies are participating in the We Make Future International Trade Fair and Innovation Festival. Among them are our partners from our initiative Sofia IS – WHISP network, Nploy, as well as The Recursive, who are part of the Bulgarian tech delegation. The organizer of Bulgaria’s institutional stand is the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency and Invest Sofia is represented by Kristin Dermendzhiev, chief expert in the Investment Analysis Department.
The event, which takes place in the city of Bologna, Italy until June 15, is oriented towards the creation and development of a cross-sector ecosystem of innovators capable of generating positive impact and providing effective and sustainable solutions to the world’s most important problems.
Our partners 356labs organized the fourth consecutive edition of the largest presentation conference for business professionals Present to Succeed, which was held hybridly in Sofia Event Center and online. The event was supported by Invest Sofia, and the head of the “Investment Analysis” department, Viktor Gusev, and Matei Minev, from the Agency’s team, took part in it. The conference featured some of the best technical presenters and presentation experts in the world from countries such as the USA, Australia, Germany, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, etc.
The organizers – 356labs are part of our partner network Sofia IS, which is the first city initiative of its kind to unite the local administration and companies from the city to provide integrated service for investor inquiries and free assistance in the process of establishing operations in the capital.
From June 13 to 15, Bologna will host the next edition of the We Make Future International Trade Fair and Innovation Festival. The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency is the organizer of the Bulgarian institutional stand at the event, which is oriented towards the creation and development of a cross-sectoral ecosystem of innovators capable of generating positive impact and providing effective and sustainable solutions to the world’s most important problems. Invest Sofia will also participate in the forum. The Agency will be represented by Kristin Dermendzhiev, chief expert in the “Investment Analysis” department. We Make Future 2024 will attract representatives of over 90 countries, more than 600 exhibitors, over 3,000 startups and more than 1,000 speakers. B2B meetings, exclusive business events, presentation of innovations in the field of robotics, AI, e-sports and games are also part of the program.
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, is a member of the Career Show Awards jury for another year in a row. In this year’s edition of the business awards for the best employer, there are categories in which companies can show the most innovative, creative and effective strategies for managing people in Bulgaria. Among the categories in which employers can present the developed strategies with which they respond to the new working reality are strategy for attracting personnel, strategy for tolerance and inclusion, creation of a new product, Co-working initiative, etc.
“We are happy that Dr. Hristova accepted our invitation to be part of the jury team at the Career Show Awards 2024. One important rule for us is to always partner with professionals at the highest level. This way, the evaluations of the jury can contribute to the development of the working environment in our country and the labor market. We are grateful to have the support and appreciation of such a professional!” shares Hovhannes Hovhannesyan, co-founder of Career Show.
The application process for the leading awards for the best employer in Bulgaria – Career Show Awards 2024 continues. The prestigious awards recognize companies from various sectors in over 80 categories focused on human resources and employer branding. You can submit an application on the awards page – careershow.bg/awards
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, took part in the 15th edition of the leading economic forum in our country with the participation of financial experts and business leaders at an international level. The event, which is called “The Noise of Money 2024”, is among the most recognizable and established event brands in Bulgaria, which in recent years has expanded its program in the direction of macroeconomics, financial policies, the banking and real estate sector, stock markets and asset management, ESG strategies, entrepreneurial landscape, corporate leadership.
The focus at this year’s edition of the event were: the perspectives on our path to the Eurozone and full Schengen membership, the intensive technological changes in financial services and ESG trends. At the same time, topics such as “Strategies and Innovations for Sustainable Growth” and “Solutions for Personal Finance Management” were also discussed.
During the event, Dr. Maria Hristova spoke with Magdalena Ilieva – manager at the leading fintech company in the field of P2P landing IUVO, who are also partners of the forum.
BuddyGuard – a platform that connects trusted animal caretakers with pet owners, ranked first in the “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria” competition. The platform makes a quick connection between the parties, on a clear schedule and with timely and secure payments for the service. The platform also received the Audience Award.
The final stage of the competition, organized by the Fund of Funds and the Faculty of Economics of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, took place in the hall of the university in the presence of all 40 partners of the competition from the entrepreneurial ecosystem in our country. The event, which is under the patronage of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth and in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Education, was attended by Nikolay Petkov – chief expert in the “Investment Analysis” department at Invest Sofia.
Prof. Taeki Min – professor of business administration at the South Korean Chungnam National University, was also a guest at the ceremony. A day earlier, Prof. Min visited Invest Sofia to get information about the startup culture and ecosystem in Sofia and the country, as well as about investment and business opportunities in our country. Taeki Min is in our country as a visiting scientist at Sofia University.
40 youth startups from all over Bulgaria were admitted to the semifinals of the “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria 2024” competition. In the semi-finals on May 15, an expert jury selected the ten best ideas that competed for the investors’ attention. A list of all awardees and details of the final ceremony can be read here.
The largest event dedicated to the corporate supply of renewable energy in South-Eastern Europe was held in Sofia for the fourth year in a row. Invest Sofia was represented by its CEO Maria Hristova PhD. During the forum were discussed the latest trends in power purchase contracts, power trading, market development in the region, ESG strategies and corporate sustainability policies, decarbonization strategies, challenges to distribution system services and energy storage, opportunities for financing of RES projects, etc. This year’s edition of RE-Source Southeast brought together more than 50 speakers and over 400 participants.
Representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Rabat – Saleh – Kenitra region visited Invest Sofia to learn about the economic situation in the capital and the services the Agency provides to businesses. The guests were welcomed by the CEO – Maria Hristova PhD, and the head of the “Investment Analysis” department, Viktor Gusev, who presented the activities of Invest Sofia. The delegation included representatives of companies in the food industry, trade, automotive industry, information and communication technologies, etc.
The guests were interested in the level of training and qualification of the staff in Sofia, labor costs and remuneration, as well as the various initiatives of Invest Sofia in support of business.
The delegation from the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Rabat – Sale – Kenitra region is in the country to participate in a Bulgarian-Moroccan business forum, which was organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The economic cooperation between our two countries dates back to 1957, when the first trade agreement was signed. The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra Region was established in 1914.
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD, took part in the event, organized by the “Transparency without Borders” Association. The main focus of the forum was the implementation of the aspects of business integrity based on international standards and best practices in the context of the global framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European regulatory framework for sustainability reporting.
Special attention was paid to the recommendations and guidelines of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as to Bulgaria’s progress in the implementation of the adopted national strategic framework and in the process of joining the organization. The panel discussions and interactive sessions of the forum gave the opportunity for sharing of experiences and best practices on the implementation of anti-corruption policies and tools to increase transparency and accountability of businesses, on the importance of ESG standards and the new European sustainability reporting norms, and will address the challenges and the opportunities for their implementation.
The event was attended by national and international experts, representatives of the executive authority, business representatives, the non-governmental sector representatives and the academic community.
The chief experts from the Agency, Radostina Belcheva and Kristin Demerdzhiev, joined the event, which brought together over 100 partners and like-minded people of the global network for the success of young people in Bulgaria. During the meeting, the main topics that were discussed were: “What adults can learn from young people”, “How professionals in Bulgaria can help them by developing key skills” and “How business can be part of Bulgaria’s brighter future”.
“Tuk-Tam” presented their new direction, in which they want to work with every single company in Bulgaria and their teams, so that young people can have access to better examples, first-hand advice, internship or work opportunities all year round and overall – better chances to develop their full potential.
Our partners at the Institute for Market Economics organized the first annual forum on the state of economic freedom and the rule of law. The CEO of Invest Sofia, Maria Hristova PhD took part in the event called “Growth in turbulent times”. A partner in the organization is the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Among the main topics that were discussed were “What are the major economic challenges and will we get out of the trap of being the last in the EU?”, “What have the countries of Central and Eastern Europe achieved in two decades within the EU and why Bulgaria is still in the queue?” and “Is there an end to the political crisis in our country and what is the way forward?”.