The event is being held at Sofia Tech Park on 28 and 29 October, and is bringing together startups from technology parks and innovation zones from Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Turkey, as well as hundreds of representatives of the technology community, entrepreneurs, startups, investors and academics from South East Europe. The first day of the South East European Innovators Challenge was attended by the CEO of Invest Sofia, Dr. Maria Hristova PhD.
A Memorandum of Cooperation and Collaboration was signed between Sofia Tech Park and representatives of science and technology parks in Southeastern Europe, who created the SEE Science & Technology Parks Alliance, whose goal is to support the development of innovation and technology in the region. The first regional start-up competition also awarded prizes. The international jury of experts, investors and media representatives named the Bulgarian company “Neuromorphica”, part of the Sofia Tech Park ecosystem – as the best startup from South East Europe. The second place was for Pure Solutions from the Ostim Teknopark ecosystem in Turkey. The third place in the competition was taken by another Bulgarian company developing its activities on the territory of Sofia Tech Park – Enthela.
Sofia Tech Park’s special prize went to Magurele Science Park in Romania , and the special prize of the Capital City Municipality was awarded to the start-up City&Me, part of the Technology Park ecosystem in Nis, Serbia. The last category for “Social Impact” in SEEIC, a media jury named the winner Enthela, with operations in Sofia Tech Park.