AI as a key to Europe’s competitiveness, the intersection between artificial intelligence and space technologies, the integration of AI in manufacturing, commerce and the financial sector – these are just some of the topics that were discussed over 2 days in Paris at the Data & AI Leaders Summit.
The event, which is part of Tech Show Paris, was attended by the CEO of Invest Sofia Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. Data & AI Leaders Summit brings together for another year a community of data and AI professionals, representatives of institutions, technical experts and providers of innovative solutions. Keynote speakers included Angela Nasser, Director of the global organization WOMEN IN TECH, representatives of the European Parliament, the French Ministries of Armed Forces and Health, the social network LinkedIn and many others.
Invest Sofia joined one of the biggest events for technological innovation – Tech Show Paris. The forum, which is attended by our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova PhD., offers the unique opportunity to participate in five events – Cloud Expo Europe, DevOps Live, Cloud & Cybersecurity Expo, Data & AI Leaders Summit and Data Center World. The main topics to be presented include innovation in Space, the place of Artificial Intelligence in data management in the financial sector and the new regulations needed. The Tech Show Paris 2024 features nearly 260 exhibitors, almost 300 speakers, and more than 6,000 visitors are expected.
The Institute of Mechanics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) has launched a project to create a cargo drone, which is funded by the European Union through the Next Generation instrument under the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan. The project, focuses on the “Development of Innovative Environmentally Friendly Materials used for the manufacture of parts of unmanned aerial systems (drones) with applications in transport” was presented at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event was attended by Nikolay Petkov and Dr. Lyudmil Ivanov PhD., chief experts at the Investment Analysis Department at Invest Sofia.
The growing interest in the use of unmanned aerial systems is leading to the focus of investment and research resources in the development and improvement of these platforms. New ideas are being developed in the field of drone control, positioning in space, movement in a group, movement in confined spaces or over long distances, increased payload capacity and their other characteristics. The main directions of the project of the Institute of Mechanics at BAS are related to the development and implementation of new composite materials in cargo drones to increase the payload capacity of this type of flying systems. Special attention will be paid to the lifting, storage and transportation of cargo.
A new partner on the side of investors and startups in the capital. Fast Track and Invest Sofia signed a memorandum of cooperation, the document was signed by the manager of the consulting company Hristo Popov and our CEO Dr. Maria Hristova.
“Fast Track Ltd. is a global consulting company with over 500 clients in 30 countries. They advise and develop strategies for companies such as Google, Mango, Ray Ban, Four Seasons and have completed over 12 M&A transactions totaling $1 billion. Over the past five years, they have worked with over 500 companies and 20,000 executives in 25 countries. Their proprietary tools and methodology have been applied to companies in over 20 industries.
Our collaboration with Fast Track will help fulfill one of our goals – helping investors with information, administration and practical support. “FAST TRACK” Ltd. will contribute to the achievement of this goal, as they are a global consulting company specializing in comprehensive consulting of startups with the creation of company profiles and individual recommendations according to a pre-developed methodology, as well as in conducting training programs for entrepreneurs in different areas of the economy. Our partnership will contribute to an even more effective development of Sofia’s entrepreneurial potential and attract innovative companies and professionals.
Invest Sofia supported the development of the beauty industry in Sofia. The team led by the CEO of the Agency Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. took part in the first ever in Bulgaria ART LASH & BROW CONGRESS, which took place from November 1-3, 2024.
The championship, conference and business expo took place over 3 days at the Hyatt Hotel in Sofia, bringing together over 150 aesthetics professionals, internationally renowned specialists in eyelash and brow aesthetics, marketing experts, training organizations, medical professionals, local and foreign businesses in various related fields.
Dr. Maria Hristova PhD was one of the leading speakers at the conference and presented the latest trends in the marketing and sales industry. She presented tools for small business development, including through digital platforms. Tsvetelina Dimitrova from the technology company URBO Studio and digital expert and founder of Grow More – Peter Mikhalev also made their presentations.
Invest Sofia provides support to both startups and existing investors, including through the so-called “Green Card”. It gives access to a fast administrative track, through which the business gets an individual account manager. “This is an expert from our Agency to whom every entrepreneur can turn for an important case for him, regardless of what type of administrative service it is about” reminded Dr. Hristova. Thus, the Agency can support the processes of preparing documentation, checking specific regulations and laws, advising you legally, accounting, administratively, and in every way,” she explained.
The organizer of the event, Ani Gusiyska – founder and owner of the Bulgarian brand for trade, services and training in the field of beauty “Anigma Beauty”, thanked Invest Sofia for the support that our team provided to her small business. The Agency was also an organizational partner of the ART LASH & BROW CONGRESS 2024. The next step is to make this congress a tradition so that it can help all businesses in this sector to grow sustainably.
Invest Sofia at one of the largest technology conferences in Europe – Slush in Helsinki. The event, which brings together innovators, investors and corporate leaders, was attended by Nikolay Petkov, Chief Expert from the Investment Analysis Department.
The two-day event in the Finnish capital was attended by more than 5,500 startups and over 3,000 investors, and more than 13,000 visitors from over 100 countries. Invest Sofia was part of the institutional stand of Bulgaria, which was organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) in implementation of Activity 5 “Organization, conduct and participation in specialized events with an institutional stand of (BSMEPA) , in order to promote Bulgaria and/or sectors of the economy at home and abroad” under the program project “Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises 2021 – 2027”.
Invest Sofia joined the conference “Green Cities are GREAT”. The event is organized by the British-Bulgarian Business Association (BBBA) in partnership with the British Embassy and is under the patronage of the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev and Sofia Municipality.
It was attended by the CEO of Invest Sofia Dr. Maria Hristova PhD. For the fourth time, BBBA presents the British and Bulgarian experience in green transformation through successful projects and business practices and provides a platform for discussions on the interaction between business, government and local authorities on the path to green transition.
This year’s conference focuses on interactions with government, councils and local authorities, sharing know-how from UK cities and the role of business in this transition. Conference topics included ‘Greening our cities’, ‘Energy security scenarios with a focus on green cities in Bulgaria’, ‘The hydrogen transition in urban transport’, ‘The world’s largest clean air zone: lessons from London’.
ReBenefit – a new partner of Invest Sofia. The company, which offers a service enabling companies to provide their employees with a virtual benefits budget that they can allocate themselves, became a partner of the Agency under a memorandum we signed.
To date, the company has over 100 clients with approximately 20,000 employees. In 2023, the company launched its operations outside Bulgaria, namely Turkey, Serbia and the Republic of North Macedonia. To this end, the ReBenefit Ltd. team has built, maintained and expanded a monthly portfolio of over 130 partners offering their products and services on the platform.
Invest Sofia joined the World Geographic Information Systems Day conference. Dr. Lyudmil Ivanov PhD. from the Investment Analysis Department took part in the largest GIS forum in the country. The event provided an opportunity for business, government, NGOs and academia to meet to exchange experiences and share their ideas on the development of GIS technologies in the country. The latest from the world of GIS technologies and their application for the needs of cadastre, environment, security, local government, transport, spatial planning, education and others were presented.
A new event of our initiative Sofia IS in support of business. The topic we have chosen this time is related to the new Transparency and Equal Pay Directive. It was adopted by the European Council on April 24, 2023 and is dedicated to combating pay discrimination and closing the gender pay gap in the European Union. The event, which was attended by more than 50 people, was organized together with our partners from CTeam and hosted by our partner Entract 127, who provided their premium business space for the event. “Invest Sofia is a municipal structure but operates as a private company. It is always a pleasure to partner with such organizations,” said Georgi Parvanov the CEO of CTeam at the opening of the event, who is also part of the Young Talents Bulgaria initiative, which is aimed at providing career opportunities for people over 50.
The CEO of Invest Sofia, Dr. Maria Hristova, PhD., told the participants at the event that entrepreneurs aged 55+ and companies that employ established professionals with many years of experience in the same age category can rely on the support of the Agency and our “Green Card” initiative for fast administrative services.
During the forum, the lawyers Desislava Dimitrova and Yordan Cholakov briefed the participants on employers’ obligations for pay transparency and annual reporting, corrective measures and protection of employees against discrimination and all the obligations of companies that are spelled out in the European directive on transparency and equal pay. The document must be implemented in Member States’ legislation by June 7, 2026.