The Bulgarian telemedicine platform Healee received funding of EUR 800 000 from two local VC funds in order to expand its market presence to USA, Germany, Great Britain, Australia and others.
Healee offers a remote connection between doctors and patients with video connection, exchange of photos and clinical results plus chat. The platform works for both mobile and desktop devices. The company says that since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis the platform has registered a 300% jump in online consulting sessions. The price of the consultations is determined by the medical practitioners, with the platform charging a 10% fee.
In times like these, telemedicine is essential for patients and doctors. This is the most appropriate and often the only option for people to talk to a doctor without exposing themselves and others to the risk of infection and without putting additional stress on overburdened hospitals, the company explains.
The interest in telemedicine as a service is expected to grow further after the end of the pandemic.
Healee was launched a little over one year ago and is a part of the large CampusX family.
The Global AI On Tour Bulgaria 2020
06.06.2020
The Global AI On Tour is a free event organized across the world in April, May and June by local communities that are passionate about artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure.
The event takes place with venues on every continent. The Global AI On Tour is centrally managed by the HQ in the Netherlands with support from Microsoft and blends a perfect balance of quality content, awesome talks, and hands-on learning with like-minded peers in the community.
The event in Sofa, Bulgaria will be held on 6 June, 2020.
Innovation Hackathon 2020
06.06.2020
For a 7th consecutive year, Innovation Starter is organizing Innovation Academy 2020 – Bulgaria Innovation Hackathon for students in collaboration with the leading Bulgarian universities.
Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digitalisation, Innovation and Economic Development, will join the opening session of the Innovation Hackathon.
The event will take place as a 24-hour hackathon – a competition with elements of programming and prototyping. The winning team of students with the most creative and applicable idea will receive a prize of 10 000 leva, provided by the European Investment Bank, and a visit to Brussels with the institutional support of the European Commission in Bulgaria.
The hackathon will be hosted by the Peroto Literary Club where on the 5th and 6th June 2020 the participants will be able to develop their ideas and will have 15 minutes to present them as presentations and demo versions of products and services under the mentorship of the jury, the partners and the members of the organizers.
Due to the measures, introduced in the country because of COVID-19, the event will be held online via remote work with mentors and online jurying. In this case, the results of the competition will be announced on the official website and Facebook page of the Hackathon.
BalREAct – #Action in crisis
06.06.2020
BalREAct – #Action in crisis will provide market players with an opportunity to analyze and share their views on key environmental drivers, models of response to the humanitarian, social, economic, financial and market challenges posed by the situation, as well as the important processes for optimizing the systemic risk, which already creates difficulties and uncertainty for the real estate industry.
Discussion sessions with a focus on the residential market, office space market and the future of workspaces will form the conference programme.
The Global AI On Tour Bulgaria 2020
The Global AI On Tour is a free event organized across the world in April, May and June by local communities that are passionate about artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure.
The event takes place with venues on every continent. The Global AI On Tour is centrally managed by the HQ in the Netherlands with support from Microsoft and blends a perfect balance of quality content, awesome talks, and hands-on learning with like-minded peers in the community.
The event in Sofa, Bulgaria will be held on 6 June, 2020.
Innovation Hackathon 2020
For a 7th consecutive year, Innovation Starter is organizing Innovation Academy 2020 – Bulgaria Innovation Hackathon for students in collaboration with the leading Bulgarian universities.
Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digitalisation, Innovation and Economic Development, will join the opening session of the Innovation Hackathon.
The event will take place as a 24-hour hackathon – a competition with elements of programming and prototyping. The winning team of students with the most creative and applicable idea will receive a prize of 10 000 leva, provided by the European Investment Bank, and a visit to Brussels with the institutional support of the European Commission in Bulgaria.
The hackathon will be hosted by the Peroto Literary Club where on the 5th and 6th June 2020 the participants will be able to develop their ideas and will have 15 minutes to present them as presentations and demo versions of products and services under the mentorship of the jury, the partners and the members of the organizers.
Due to the measures, introduced in the country because of COVID-19, the event will be held online via remote work with mentors and online jurying. In this case, the results of the competition will be announced on the official website and Facebook page of the Hackathon.
BalREAct – #Action in crisis
BalREAct – #Action in crisis will provide market players with an opportunity to analyze and share their views on key environmental drivers, models of response to the humanitarian, social, economic, financial and market challenges posed by the situation, as well as the important processes for optimizing the systemic risk, which already creates difficulties and uncertainty for the real estate industry.
Discussion sessions with a focus on the residential market, office space market and the future of workspaces will form the conference programme.
The Deputy Mayor
The Association of the Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs announced the renewed site of its platform, Startup Navigator. Except for the brand new design, the site also has new functionalities to help entrepreneurs implement their business ideas and initiatives.
In the Navigator, you can check the type of entrepreneur you are using the Bizideas questionnaire and identify the sphere in which your potential to implement an idea is the highest. Another questionnaire shows the most suitable type of funding for your idea, and in the dynamic table, you can follow current funding opportunities by industry, stage of company development, amount of the investment required, application deadlines, and more.
StartupNavigator.eu was launched in 2017 having the ambition to be both an online platform and а place of contact for everyone related to Bulgaria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The platform provides visibility and connects all participants in the start-up environment – individuals with new ideas, start-up companies, developed businesses, experts and mentors, accelerators, NGOs, public administration, co-working spaces.
Follow the Facebook page of the platform for the latest news.
The article was prepared by the Economic Governance and European Semester team of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria
The European Commission has put forward its proposal for a major recovery plan. To ensure the recovery is sustainable, even, inclusive and fair for all Member States, the European Commission is proposing to create a new recovery instrument, Next Generation EU, embedded within a powerful, modern and revamped long-term EU budget. The Commission has also unveiled its adjusted Work Programme for 2020, which will prioritise the actions needed to propel Europe’s recovery and resilience.
To protect lives and livelihoods, repair the Single Market, as well as to build a lasting and prosperous recovery, the European Commission is proposing to harness the full potential of the EU budget. Next Generation EU of €750 billion as well as targeted reinforcements to the long-term EU budget for 2021-2027 will bring the total financial firepower of the EU budget to €1.85 trillion.
Next Generation EU will raise money by temporarily lifting the own resources ceiling to 2.00% of EU Gross National Income, allowing the Commission to use its strong credit rating to borrow €750 billion on the financial markets. This additional funding will be channeled through EU programmes and repaid over a long period of time throughout future EU budgets – not before 2028 and not after 2058. To help do this in a fair and shared way, the Commission proposes a number of new own resources. In addition, in order to make funds available as soon as possible to respond to the most pressing needs, the Commission proposes to amend the current multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 to make an additional €11.5 billion in funding available already in 2020.
The money raised for Next Generation EU will be invested across three pillars:
- Support to Member States with investments and reforms
- Kick-starting the EU economy by incentivising private investments
- Addressing the lessons of the crisis
All documents and additional information are available at: Europe’s moment: Repair and prepare for the next generation
The Sofia Municipality’s Digitalization, Innovation, and Economic Development department now operates under the name of Innovative Sofia. Founded on the initiative of Mayor Yordanka Fandakova at the beginning of this year, the team is led by Deputy Mayor Vladimir Danailov, the first in charge of a digitalization and innovation department in a Bulgarian municipality.
Innovative Sofia already has its own new website – www.innovativesofia.bg, with news, upcoming events, and information about the digitalization activities in the city, the expansion of the number of e-services for the citizens and businesses, the development of the tech and innovative environment in the city, and the projects in which Sofia participates – including those implemented in collaboration with Sofia’s ecosystem.
The ambition of the new Digitalization, Innovation, and Economic Development department is to be the driving force behind Sofia’s digital transformation; to initiate and coordinate digital transformation policies in urban governance and to reduce administrative burdens; to develop more and better e-services for the citizens and businesses in Sofia, to create open data platforms and to implement various smart city solutions.
The Innovative Sofia’s website is available in both Bulgarian and English. In June, the department will start publishing its monthly newsletter. Subscribe to receive latest news about upcoming events and success stories from the digital, smart, and dynamic Sofia. The bulletin will also include information about rankings and indices that Sofia falls into, funding opportunities, and much more for the benefit of the businesses, citizens, and Sofia’s digital transformation. .
Innovative Sofia will be supporting the opening of the local administration to the citizens and the businesses, the development of the innovation potential of the city and the technology companies in Sofia, the creation of a recognizable brand of Sofia and the business ecosystem in the city.
‘On my behalf and on behalf of the team of Innovative Sofia, I would like to thank all the partners, from both the business and the public sector, who have supported us over the past months as we were paving the way for the launch of the new department. We believe that Innovative Sofia is a necessary generator of Sofia’s digital transformation. We are ready for dynamic work in the coming months, and we will be happy to implement the projects together with the businesses and the citizens of Sofia, in a strong community’, Deputy Mayor Vladimir Danailov said.
Metropolitan Sofia has released the first photos and 12 videos of the new subway stations of Line 3. The newly built stops will gradually be put into operation by the end of the summer. Currently, Siemens is proceeding with the testing of the trains and the security systems in the section between Krasno Selo, Bulgaria Blvd., The Medical Academy, The National Palace of Culture, Odeon Cinemateque Cinema and Orlov Most.
You can watch the videos of the new metro stations here.
Photos of the new line have also been published on the Facebook page of the Sofia Metro:
—
A project for the transformation of Saborna Street, located between Sveta Nedelya Square and the City Garden will open a new pedestrian space in Sofia. The proposal will be submitted for consideration to the Sofia Municipal Council. The plan is part of the policy of Sofia Municipality to increase the number of pedestrian routes in Sofia. Car-free pedestrian areas are also among the critical measures and recommendations in the “Sofia – a city for the people” report by the Danish professor arch. Jan Gehl, who advised Sofia on improving its urban environment.
The designation of Saborna Street as a pedestrian-only street will allow Sofia’s citizens and guests to comfortably and safely view all the historical landmarks located along the street or in the neighborhood. You can find the presentation of the project for the transformation of Saborna Street between Sveta Nedelya Square and the City Garden here.
—
Sofia will have its first food park – Quartal – which is opening this month. More than ten stands will offer quality food, demonstrations, and various culinary experiences in an area of over 3000 sq.m. The cultural program in the park – concerts, movies, stand-up comedy, and other events will have open access.
The food park is located on 69 Cherni Vrah Blvd., near Vitosha Metro Station, and is planned to be open all year round. The maintenance and stay in the “Quartal” space will comply with all safety requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
—
A new volleyball hall with about 2,000 seats is expected to be completed in October. The facility is located next to Sofia Ring Road in the Mladost area.
The sports hall is a private investment over an area of 5000 sq. m, and is located near a new sports complex under
PARA – the Professional Association of Robotics and Automation published the COVID-19 Safety Checklist with rules and recommendations of technological, administrative, social, and medical nature to ensure the functioning of the socio-economic processes in the country even during the continued presence of the coronavirus. The document aims to establish new rules to restore the social and economic rhythm and, in case of a further increase in morbidity, to enable the normal life and work conditions with a higher level of safety and protection.
The COVID-19 Safety Checklist was developed at the initiative of PARA, with the participation of experts in medicine, robotics and automation, the software industry, NGOs, and the public sector. Among them are Open Pandemic, Air for Health Association, Vasil Takev from ABB Bulgaria, Zekeng. Our team also joined the discussions to support the efforts of the businesses in Sofia to resume normality during the expected continued presence of the virus and to establish a controlled and well-functioning socio-economic environment.
The document includes rules and recommendations of technological, administrative, social, and medical nature, aimed at eight public and business groups – from kindergartens to workplaces with a specific number of employees. However, the proposed measures are only the first step, and the discussion continues.
You can read the COVID-19 Safety Checklist (in Bulgarian) here.
The English version of the Checklist will also be published on PARA’s website shortly,
If you have any ideas or suggestions on how to further expand and develop the list, please don’t hesitate to contact the PARA team: info@para.expert
The World Bank intends to expand its office in Sofia and add new services such as corporate security, accounting, human resources and public procurement to its operations in the city. The announcement was made at a meeting of the Bulgarian Council of Ministers.
Due to its plans for more activities in the country, the bank will lease 650 square metres of office space in addition to the 4,000 square metres rented in January in the Advance Business Center II building currently under construction by the Polish company GTC near the Business Park in the Mladost neighborhood.
The agreement on the World Bank’s entry into Bulgaria was signed just a year ago after a long process of evaluating the environment in several competing locations on criteria such as stability, quality of the IT infrastructure, advanced technology sector, competences of the labor force. Thus, Sofia became the group’s second shared services center after the one in Chennai, India, which opened in 2001. At the opening of the office, the bank announced its intention to hire 300 specialists in the city within five years.
The Advance Business Center II building should be completed by the end of this year. It will offer 17,500 square metres of Class A office space on 10 floors, a three-level underground parking garage, food courts and a LED video wall.
A procedure has been launched to support micro- and small enterprises in overcoming the economic challenges of COVID-19. The companies can submit project proposals until 15.06.2020. The financial aid amounts to BGN 3,000 and 10,000 for overheads, salaries, and insurances, raw materials, and consumables. The application is made entirely electronically, but a Qualified electronic signature is required.
More information can be found on the website of the “Innovation and Competitiveness” Operational Program and in the following video.
Questions related to the main parameters and the eligibility of the procedure can be asked via e-mail: priemna@mi.government.bg.
In case of technical questions and difficulties, you can also use the feedback form here.
***
The European Data Incubator (EDI) is looking for 35 promising startups and SMEs in big data to take part in the next round of incubation. Funding is up to 100,000 euros and consulting support. The application deadline is June 17, 2020.
For more information, please visit EDI’s website.
***
By June 26, Bulgarian fintech companies can apply to the fourth edition of Elevator Lab – Raiffeisen Bank International’s global partnership programme for business development of startups and fintech companies worldwide.
The programme is looking for innovative solutions for corporate clients in the areas of “Database Analysis” and “Loyalty Programs”. More details are available on the application platform here.
The finalists’ selection will take place in August and September after remote video pitches with the chosen candidates. The Finals have been scheduled for the end of September in Bucharest.
The new 2020 edition of Startup Blink’s Global Ecosystem Ranking will include an updated profile of Sofia’s startup ecosystem and a case study about Sofia in the deep dive section of the report.
One of the world’s most comprehensive report ranking over 100 countries and 1,000 cities will be officially presented during two launch online seminars on Tuesday, 26 May – at 11.00 a.m. London time (13.00 a.m. Sofia time) and at 18:00 London time (20:00 Sofia time).
Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development was invited to present Sofia during the first online seminar (at 13:00 Sofia time).
You can sign up for the event here!
At the invitation of StartupBlink, Innovative Sofia (the Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development department of Sofia Municipality) supported the process of compiling and updating the information and data about Sofia for the 2020 edition of the Global Ecosystem Ranking Report, read by tens of thousands of decision-makers and featured in over 1,000 articles to date.
The document will include a case study on our ecosystem in the deep dive section and a short overview of some of its main stakeholders – successful startups, coworking spaces, accelerators, etc.
Based on a preliminary algorithm, StartupBlink identified a few ecosystems where the lack of data is hurting their rankings, including Sofia. We believe that sharing information and spreading the word about Sofia’s ecosystem achievements is important for attracting partners and talents and for preventing brain drain.
StartupBlink is among the world’s largest platforms for startups and research centres. It manages dozens of communities around the world, including developers, public sector organisations, co-working spaces, accelerators and tens of thousands of entrepreneurs. The platform features modules for mapping and analysis as well as promotion. Once a year, it publishes a comprehensive global startup ecosystem analysis report, comparing information from more than 1,000 cities in 100 countries.
StartupBlink is working with dozens of stakeholders from the public sector on various modules including ecosystem promotion, mapping, and consulting. More information about StartupBlink and its reports is available on the press page with articles, including references from Prime Ministers, Ministers and Mayors around the world.
For a 7th consecutive year, Innovation Starter is organizing Innovation Academy 2020 – Bulgaria Innovation Hackathon for students in collaboration with the leading Bulgarian universities,
The event will take place as a 24-hour hackathon – a competition with elements of programming and prototyping. The winning team of students with the most creative and applicable idea will receive a prize of 10 000 leva, provided by the European Investment Bank, and a visit to Brussels with the institutional support of the European Commission in Bulgaria.
The students will have the opportunity to develop and present their ideas on 6 main topics and disciplines:
- Einstein: Natural sciences – Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, etc.
- Plato: Humanities – Psychology, Philosophy, Philology, Pedagogy, etc.
- Aristotle: Social sciences – Anthropology, Sociology, General Government, History, Journalism, etc.
- Musk: Technology and Engineering Sciences – Programming, Telecommunications, Electronics, Mechatronics, and more.
- Jobs: Business Administration and Economics – Entrepreneurship, Advertising and Marketing, Management, Finance, Economics, etc.
- Disney: Arts – Architecture, Design, Fine Arts, Music, etc.
The hackathon will be hosted by the Peroto Literary Club where on the 5th and 6th June 2020 the participants will be able to develop their ideas and will have 15 minutes to present them as presentations and demo versions of products and services under the mentorship of the jury, the partners and the members of the organizers.
If by June 5-6 there is no change in the measures, introduced in the country because of COVID-19, the event will be held online via remote work with mentors and online jurying. In this case, the results of the competition will be announced on the official website and Facebook page of the Hackathon.
Team registrations are open by the end of May. Teams should include up to 5 participants.
General terms for participation
In addition to the grand prize for the winning team, two more ideas will be awarded special cash prizes and awards from the partners of Innovation Academy 2020.
Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digitalisation, Innovation and Economic Development, will join the jury of the Innovation Hackathon, including members from the academia, business, the NGO sector, and various associations.
Among the criteria of the jury will be that the teams:
- – address a significant and priority problem in an adequate and comprehensible way
- – have