Bulgaria Innovation Hub, Inc.

This Giving Tuesday, we’re excited to share the release of the 2024 Impact Report from Bulgaria Innovation Hub (BIH) and Future Unicorns Accelerator! Check it out to explore our journey from BIH’s inception in 2019 to the expansion of the Future Unicorns Accelerator, and our role in propelling the growth of the CEE startup ecosystem. Key highlights from our impact: 🌱 61 startups have participated in our cohorts. 💼 Over 2,000 jobs were created by our alumni. 💰 These startups have raised over $200M in funding, with more than $50M raised in 2024 alone. 6 exits in total so far. But this success wouldn't have been possible without the incredible support of our partners and sponsors, including America for Bulgaria, Payhawk, Eleven Ventures, BrightCap Ventures, AMPECO, Bulgarian SME Promotion Agency, Morningside Hill Capital Management, MFG Invest, Sofia Angels Ventures, Endeavor Bulgaria, SiteGround, United Bulgarian Bank, Appolica | Venture studio, StorPool Storage and many others. Today, we’re counting on the support of such ecosystem builders to help us raise the final $7000 of our $15, 000 campaign goal! https://lnkd.in/dJxfv6gm Remember, GlobalGiving is matching all donations for the next 20 hours – making your contribution go even further. 💡 How can you help? Join 70+ supporters and donate now to help us continue building bridges between CEE and Silicon Valley, enabling startups from Central and Eastern Europe to thrive in the US market. Your generosity today will help us expand opportunities for the brightest startups and innovators across CEE. 👉 Donate Now: https://lnkd.in/dJxfv6gm

🚀✨ We're excited to share our latest business case study featuring Konstantin Bezuhanov, CEO of Evrotrust - an exceptional portfolio company ✨ He explains how the strategic access to a top-tier network and hands-on mentorship supported Evrotrust in achieving remarkable milestones: 💶Fundraising: Over $7 million in capital secured since participating in the program 📈Revenue: Growth by more than 400% 🌍Market Expansion: Polished brand messaging, multiple new markets opened, and over 2 million users and 250 enterprise clients reached🎯 🤝Konstantin’s journey also highlights the critical role of expert guidance. Interactions with mentors like Sequoia Capital's Bogomil Balkansky and serial entrepreneur and investor Simeon Simeonov - who has since joined the Evrotrust team as an Executive Advisor - provided deep insights and actionable strategies that contributed to these successes. Moreover, Konstantin’s commitment to giving back is a clear indicator of the program's long-term value. His decision to support Future Unicorns Accelerator both financially and by sharing his learnings with the broader ecosystem underscores the importance of collaboration and knowledge transfer in driving industry-wide growth 💡. Thank you, Konstantin, for your invaluable participation in this short video and for being an inspiration to the entrepreneurial community 🙏.

🚀 3 Days Left to apply! Ready to pitch to Silicon Valley VCs, polish your storytelling, and forge powerful industry connections? Future Unicorns Accelerator is your chance to secure direct investor introductions, get guidance from seasoned mentors, and experience visits to global tech giants like Google, Meta, and Apple. The Future Unicorns hands-on program is a launchpad for boosting revenue, valuation, and partnerships - plus you’ll have supportive mentors for the long run. 🔥 Apply Now (link in comments)

🚀 The final application deadline is fast approaching!🌟 Join the ranks of industry-leading portfolio companies like AMPECO, EnduroSat, Dronamics, Evrotrust, EmailTree.ai, Pluria, and 50+ other fast-growth tech pioneers. 🤝 Learn from world-class mentors, including Bogomil Balkansky, Galina Antova, Dafina Toncheva, Simeon Simeonov, Jerry Chen, Tytus Cytowski, George Roth, Lora Kratchounova, Mike Donohue, and a pool of 300+ top Silicon Valley investors and business executives. 📅 The program kicks off at the end of March: 💻 2 weeks online ✈️ 2 weeks of immersive experience and networking in Silicon Valley 🔥 Don’t miss your chance - apply now to take your startup to the next level! (Link in the comments)

🦄 Congratulations to our partners and future unicorns Team-GPT who just raised Bulgaria's largest seed funding round this year, led by True Ventures! Great work Iliya Valchanov, Ilko Kacharov, Yavor Belakov, Katya Vaptsarova, and Maria Valchanova! With a growing user base of 45,000+ and trusted by industry leaders like Salesforce, Maersk, Charles Schwab, EY, Yale, and Johns Hopkins University, Team-GPT is at the forefront of the AI transformation in the workplace.

Our executive director, Pavlina Yanakieva, will be attending the Forbes Bulgaria DNA of Success Forum & Awards 2024 this Thursday. She will participate in a discussion titled "Beyond the American Dream," which explores how she and Krasimir Piperkov (who achieved one of the biggest exits for the Bulgarian ecosystem in recent years with Enview (acquired by Matterport: MTTR) achieved success in the US and are now supporting other Bulgarian entrepreneurs in their journeys. This panel reflects our company's commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and sharing insights from our own experiences in the global business landscape.

🦄The next evolution in our journey is officially here! We are thrilled to share the launch of the Future Unicorns Accelerator. 🚀This new program is designed to expand our impact across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) (and beyond) and to multiply the network effect, providing enhanced support to visionary founders in the region. 🇧🇬 While we embark on this exciting new chapter with a new brand, we want to reassure you that Bulgaria Innovation Hub will continue its original and vital mission. We will continue to work hard to foster knowledge exchange and cross-cultural collaboration between the entrepreneurial communities in the US and Bulgaria, while also promoting Bulgaria as a cultural and business destination for US companies and partners.

🎉  We’re thrilled to announce that Konstantin Kunev, Assoc CIPD has joined Bulgaria Innovation Hub as our new General Manager! With over 15 years of experience in the Tech sector, including 10 years of leading Learning & Development and HR functions in product and services Software Development organizations, he brings both solid expertise & passion for building talented, high-performing teams. He is a dynamic leader who has consistently emphasized the importance of leadership development and fostering a strong community within the organizations he's served. His commitment to excellence aligns perfectly with the values we uphold at Bulgaria Innovation Hub. We are confident that through his activity we will continue to empower visionary founders across the CEE region to scale their startups globally and achieve unprecedented success. We are excited about the journey ahead. Welcome aboard, Konstantin! #teamgrowth #BIH #FutureUnicorns

Connecting with local experts and getting practical advice on how to best launch and establish presence in the US are key components to help you scale successfully: https://bit.ly/3zJ5EBl. With extensive background in marketing and an impressive portfolio of renowned customers, Lora Kratchounova is also actively involved in the startup community. Read the full interview & get to know our stellar mentors! #mentors #BIH #scaling #startupgrowth

At Bulgaria Innovation Hub, Inc. / #FutureUnicorns factory we are super excited about joining the must-go CEE conference in Eastern Europe, How To Web this year. Looking forward to meeting the best startups and investors in the region, and to build even stronger bridges between Silicon Valley and the SEE/CEE. Thank you, #BreakingGrounds for inviting us to unite efforts in elevating high potential entrepreneurs and position the region as a top innovation destination for US investors. Who’s there to meet us? #futureunicorns #ceestartups #entrepreneurship #vc #startupsuccess #bulgariainnivationhub #breakinggrounds