Over 330 teams from across Bulgaria and abroad completed the competition's training program. Now, 30 of them will pitch to a jury of investors and entrepreneurs in the last week of May.
The "Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria 2026" competition is entering its final and most exciting phase - the category finals and the official awards ceremony. After an intensive three-month program that brought together 333 teams from across Bulgaria and abroad, a jury will select the best from the top 30 teams across three categories.
Now in its fifth consecutive year, the competition is organized by the Fund of Funds and Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," in partnership with the Founders Institute, the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University, and the European Commission in Bulgaria, and held under the patronage of the Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation.
The final pitch sessions will take place in Sofia during the last week of May. The Business Stars finals - for small business projects - will be held at UBB Millennium on May 26, with United Bulgarian Bank as category partner. The Future Unicorns finals - for tech startups with global scaling potential, and the SDG Dragons finals - for solutions addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, will follow on May 28 and 29 at The Venue, with Sofia Tech Park and Cleantech Bulgaria as category partners.
Young entrepreneurs aged 18–29 will present their ideas to a panel of expert judges from the competition's partner organizations, including UBB, Vitosha Ventures 2, Ballena Ventures, Innovation Capital, New Vision 3, Silverline Capital, SIS Credit, The Edge, BCause, the European Commission, Sofia Municipality, Cleantech Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University, and others.
The official awards ceremony, where the top three startups in each category will be recognized, will take place on June 10, 2026. The event will bring together finalists, competition partners, media, the academic and scientific community, and representatives from government ministries and other institutions.
Since launching in February, participants have worked through a comprehensive training programme covering online courses, in-person workshops, entrepreneurial games, and networking events. More than 20 mentors - successful entrepreneurs, industry association experts, and investment fund professionals - guided the teams at every stage. Over 70 partner organizations supported the journey through more than 50 webinars and live events, covering everything from idea generation and validation to team building, product development, marketing, and investor readiness.
This year's media partners are Net Info, NOVA, and the broader Nova Broadcasting Group. As headline media partners, Net Info and NOVA are also preparing a special surprise for this year's participants.
All 30 finalists will get the chance to present their projects to the media group's audience and a Public Spotlight Award will be announced, with the winner chosen by public vote. Details on how to support your favorite startup will be revealed in the days leading up to the finals.
