The agency hosted a stand at AI Business Dialogue, where business and government leaders explored AI adoption, competitiveness and the conditions for innovation
Invest Sofia took part in Webit 2026 – AI Business Dialogue, held on 23 June at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture. At the agency’s stand, the team met investors, companies and members of the international innovation community to discuss opportunities for technology businesses, R&D centres, research activities and startups in the Bulgarian capital.
The agency’s participation focused on connecting Sofia’s technological strengths with investment opportunities. Discussions with visitors explored how businesses can build teams, collaborate with research organisations and develop innovative projects in the city.
“Sofia and Bulgaria have deep roots in technology. We have a strong tradition in computer science and mathematics, internationally recognised engineers and researchers, and now institutions such as INSAIT that put Bulgaria at the heart of major technological discussions. Our role at Invest Sofia is to translate those strengths into new investment, strategic partnerships and international opportunities for the city,” said Dr Maria Hristova, the agency’s Chief Executive Officer.
Webit 2026 brought together business leaders, investors, technology experts and policymakers to examine how AI can deliver practical results. The programme combined keynote presentations, panel discussions, expert conversations and a workshop. Key themes included competitiveness in the AI economy, digital sovereignty, infrastructure security, regulation and applications across business, finance and healthcare.
The announced speaker line-up included Matt Houlihan of Cisco, Sven Peters of Atlassian, Sandipan Bhaumik of Databricks, Peter Baltadjiev of Oracle, Petya Rusinova of Visa and INSAIT researcher Nikolay Nikolov. The institutional programme featured Innovation and Digital Transformation Minister Ivan Vasilev and Energy Minister Iva Petrova. Krasimir Yakimov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry, also took part in the event.
Webit’s wider value lies in bringing technology into the same conversation as the investment, skills, infrastructure and trust needed to put it to work. For cities such as Sofia, this dialogue is particularly relevant to attracting high-value business activities and supporting the growth of technology companies.
For Invest Sofia, the event offered an opportunity to present the capital’s strengths to an international audience and develop relationships with prospective investors and partners. The agency’s focus remains on turning Sofia’s research and engineering capabilities into lasting business growth.
2026-06-23
Photo credit: Orlin Ognyanov
2026-06-23
Photo credit: Orlin Ognyanov
