The „Next Gen Entrepreneurs Day“ forum outlined the path from innovative idea to sustainable business
The fifth edition of the national competition “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria 2026,” organized by the Fund of Funds and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" brought together future business leaders at the youth entrepreneurship forum- “Next Gen Entrepreneurs Day" to outline policies and opportunities for financing and developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria.
Organizational partners of the forum included SIS Credit, the Bulgarian Venture Capital Association (BVCA); the podcast “The Next Gen Speaks”; and the Microfinance Center – Poland. The event was supported by InvestEU and the European Investment Bank.
The Big Data for Smart Society Institute (GATE) hosted the forum and brought together leading representatives of the government and financial sectors, the European Commission, as well as representatives of the competition’s numerous partners, mentors, and participants.
Among the official guests at the forum were Irena Mladenova, Minister of Innovation and Growth; Andriana Sukova, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion; Natalia Efremova, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, and Prof. Sonya Mileva, Vice-Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”
The forum had an unconventional start, with an opening discourse that set a youthful tone right from the very beginning. In it, CEOs Alexander Nenkov (FnF) and Martina Grigorova (SIS Credit), together with the young founders of the podcast “The Next Gen Speaks”- Kaloyan Tsvetanov and Tsvetan Karakanov, laid out the main idea of the day: “Not only to talk about young entrepreneurs, but to truly listen to them.”
The theme was explored through four specialized panels:
From Idea to Real Business: The First Steps: This panel brought together perspectives from accelerators, investors, the public sector, and the education sector to outline a realistic path for startup development. The discussion highlighted that Bulgaria was among the first countries to use public resources to foster an entrepreneurial culture. Participants also noted that the local ecosystem has learned to achieve more with fewer resources, making Bulgarian startups especially adaptable.
How can I find funding for my idea? Experts discussed various sources of capital, including microcredit, venture capital, support from VC funds, and business angels. A comparison was made of funding sources and their suitability for different types of businesses. The discussion focused on the availability of capital and the lack of promising startups ready for investment. Fund-of-funds instruments were also presented, with an emphasis on those under the Education Programme 2021–2027 and the Human Resources Development Programme (HRDP) 2021-2027.
The Skills of a Successful Entrepreneur Today and Tomorrow: The panel emphasized human capital as the strongest competitive advantage. In the age of artificial intelligence, creativity and critical thinking are becoming the most valuable assets.
Challenges Facing Youth Startups: The discussion gave the floor to successful young entrepreneurs, who shared lessons they’ve learned along the way- from school projects to funded companies. They emphasized that the foundation of success lies in the startup’s ability to solve a real problem and meet market demand, but the most crucial factor remains the team.
For the Fund of Funds, supporting young people is a long-term commitment rooted in the ambition to build a sustainable environment where ideas can grow into viable ventures. “Next Gen Entrepreneurs Day” reaffirmed this mission, creating a bridge between entrepreneurial ambition and the knowledge, experience, and support of mentors, investors, and institutional partners. The event also marked a significant milestone in the national competition, bringing the application phase to a close and launching the main competition phase across the three categories: Future Unicorns, Business Stars, and SDG Dragons.
