Leader BG International is a new partner of Invest Sofia that joins our partner network. The CEO of Invest Sofia Dr. Maria Hristova PhD and Bilyana Georgieva, manager of Leader BG International signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The company is a leading independent business media aimed at the economically active audience of Bulgaria.
With a focus on business, entrepreneurship, education and culture, they offer high quality content and reliable information. The services they offer are building a communication strategy; branding and corporate identity development; website creation and technical support; organizing corporate conferences, etc. By partnering with Leader BG International, Invest Sofia will be able to more effectively develop Sofia’s entrepreneurial potential and attract innovative companies and professionals to our city.
“Working from home or going back to the office” was the topic of a discussion organized by the initiative of Invest Sofia Sofia IS. The event, which we did together with our partners from Work&Share Coworking Space, brought together representatives of various companies and start-ups.
The event started with a presentation of our new business guide “Sofia – Business Destination”, which was prepared by the experts of Invest Sofia and our partners from the Institute for Market Economics. Viktor Gusev, Head of Investment Analysis Department, introduced the participants in the meeting with the most important highlights of the current edition. “One of the tools that we develop to support the business in the capital is this publication, which we use every year to present a summary of the fundamental information needed to open or develop a company in Sofia. At a later stage, in case of a specific investor inquiry, we prepare specific data and analysis that are needed by the respective company,” said Viktor Gusev.
The main guest speakers were Kristelina Staykova – CEO of Networking Premium and Hristo Peev – founder and CEO of Space Tree, a venture studio and investment intermediary. The panelists touched on the topics of how premium office spaces increase job satisfaction, the importance of live office networking, the increased productivity and environmental benefits of working from home, and the opportunity for better work-life balance.
After 20 years of success, our trusted partner Easy Consult becomes Elevate. The company, part of Sofia IS, has announced its rebranding to reflect its drive to meet the changing demands of the future of work, international labour mobility and migration, new developments in hybrid working environments and AI-based innovation. The company’s new service portfolio includes Project Services, Managed Services, Workforce Services and Recruitment Services.
Ivaylo Slavov is the new Chairman of the Board and CEO of Elevate. He is a successful Bulgarian entrepreneur, an established expert and leader in the field of information technology, financial services, human resources and business process management with over 30 years of international experience. Under his leadership, Easy Consult has transformed into Elevate and will offer comprehensive workforce management solutions using advanced technologies and innovative, flexible business models to support the successful development of the company’s clients and partners.
Founded in 2004 with a clear mission to connect organizations with talented, ambitious and creative people, the company has achieved significant results over the past 20 years. With a team of over 1,000 employees in 12 offices across 7 countries in Europe and North America, Easy Consult has successfully recruited over 50,000 candidates and delivered hundreds of key projects. The company has clients in sectors as diverse as finance, banking and insurance, information technology, automotive, manufacturing, logistics and transport, retail, tourism and more.
Good luck, Elevate!
First event of the year of our initiative Sofia IS, which brings together the local administration and companies from the city to support the business.
The topic of the event was “Opportunities for mature professionals on the labour market in Sofia Municipality in 2025” and was organised together with our partners from Young Talents .
The event started with the presentation of the current business guide for the capital prepared by the experts from Invest Sofia and our partners from the Institute for Market Economics. In this edition is gathered all the necessary information that answers the questions why and how to invest in Sofia, said the head of the Investment Analysis Department Viktor Gusev at the presentation. Our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. introduced the audience to the activities of the agency and all the services offered by our team to support businesses in Sofia.
A special guest speaker at the event was Smilen Valov, Executive Director of the National Employment Agency, who presented the opportunities for career development and retraining for professionals over 50 years of age. He announced that for the first time since the statistics on the registered unemployment in the country started, the number of unemployed is below 150 thousand. The National Employment Agency is offering a large package of free training for the qualification and retraining of personnel. The application is online and the courses are across the vocational spectrum. More information about the opportunities offered by the National Employment Agency can be found here.
The CEO of Young Talents Georgi Parvanov stressed that due to the increase in the retirement age, social and other changes in our lives, mature people are now over 30% of the workforce, and they are the new big wave of entrepreneurs. The meeting was hosted at the event space of our partners Premium Networking co-working space.We thank them for their support in organizing events to help the business development in our city.
Join the third edition of Women TechEU! You can apply for the European Union-funded project supporting women leading deep tech start-ups until March 17, 2025. Beneficiaries of the project will have the opportunity to receive a €75k grant as well as a personalised programme of business development, mentoring, targeted training and more. For more information, visit the project website https://womentecheurope.eu/, and join the information day, which is scheduled for January 29, 11am CET. Participation is after registration, which is available here.
Chungnam National University, Korea is now a partner of Invest Sofia. The Agency signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with one of the leading universities in Korea. The document was signed by the CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. and Prof. Rhee, Byungchae – Dean of the College of Economics and Management at the university.
Chungnam National University was established in 1952 and offers various international programs through special exchanges with nearly 500 universities worldwide, among them St. John’s University. It is also a member of the University of St. Kliment Ohridski. Our partnership would contribute to the development of the startup ecosystem in Sofia by introducing international experience and scientific approach, establishing cooperation between the two countries in organizing accelerator programs, exhibitions, conferences, etc.
Invest Sofia took part in the fifth edition of the Sofia Economic Forum. Our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. joined the event organized by the Delphi Economic Forum.
The focus of the forum was on the strategic challenges and opportunities for Bulgaria and South Eastern Europe. Among the main topics were “Increasing Bulgaria’s Economic Competitiveness”, “The Role of Foreign Investment”, “Energy Potential of South East Europe” and “Circular Economy”.
The Sofia Economic Forum is a high-level meeting of the most influential Bulgarian and international political, corporate and intellectual leaders to address the pressing challenges facing Bulgaria, Europe and the world.
The Bureau of the European Parliament in Bulgaria invites all interested young people between the ages of 16 and 30 to apply by January 30th, 2025 for the International Charlemagne Prize, dedicated to the development and integration of the EU and issues related to European identity. A national jury in each EU country selects one project and then the top three are chosen from the shortlisted projects. The first prize is valued at €7,500, the second is worth €5,000 and the third €2,500.
Projects can focus on organising various youth events, youth exchanges or internet projects with a European dimension. They must meet the following conditions – promote cooperation and understanding in Europe and internationally, foster a shared sense of European identity and integration, offer practical examples of how Europeans can live together as a united community. Representatives of the 27 selected national projects will be invited to an award ceremony to be held on 27 May 2025 in Aachen, Germany.
Full information about the competition can be found
here.
Invest Sofia joined the first meeting of the year of the Business Club “50 reasons more”. Our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD took part in the event, organized by our partners from Young Talents, where they presented information on the upcoming initiatives and events of the platform to support job search and placement, career development, training and mentoring of mature professionals with over 20 years of work experience.
Through a series of events our partners from the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” celebrate the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Faculty. The beginning was set in January with a special meeting organized by the FEB Foundation, which supports the development of the faculty.
At the event, the achievements and the vision for its development were presented. The Faculty of Economics at Sofia University was reestablished in 1990 after a 40-year forced hiatus. Invest Sofia has been a partner of the faculty since 2021.
“The main factor for the outflow of foreign investments in Bulgaria is the unstable political situation” – said the CEO of Invest Sofia Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. in the program “Good Morning Europe” on Euronews. She talked about specific investor inquiries the Agency has been working on over the last year and about our various initiatives to support business.
See the full interview in the following link:
Euronews – Експерт: Несигурната политическа ситуация гони чуждестранните инвеститори
Dr. Maria Hristova, Executive Director of Invest Sofia, in an interview with BNR:
“In the last 15 years Sofia has established itself as an undisputed economic leader. In addition to 40% of the economy, 19% of the country’s population is concentrated in the capital. In 15 years, the average wage in the city has risen three times, and at the end of 2023 it has passed the psychological limit of BGN 3,000.” In an interview with Spas Kraynin on “Before All”, Dr. Hristova presented our new edition “Sofia – Business Destination” and some of the initiatives of Invest Sofia to support the development of the capital’s economy. Listen to the whole conversation in the link to the news.
https://bnr.bg/post/102090500/ikonomikata-na-sofia-70-pati-po-golama-ot-tazi-na-oblast-vidin