On 12.04.2024 in Sofia was held the startup conference We Make Future, in which Bulgarian teams competed for the opportunity to present their ideas at the WMF International Trade Fair in Bologna. The local initiative was organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), and at their invitation our CEO Pavel Lisev participated as a panelist and jury member in the conference. The judging panel also included the Executive Director of BSMEPA, Dr. Boyko Takov, as well as proven experts and entrepreneurs from Endeavor Bulgaria, BASCOM, BESCO, Planet Nine Ventures, Launchub Ventures, etc.
Twelve Bulgarian young companies were admitted to the competition. We are happy to share that among them were EPIX AI and Flower in a test tube - two startups that are currently going through our accelerator program to the "Best Youth Startup of Bulgaria 2024" competition. Ubitrack, Barin Sports, Payware, Shoot the Pimple, TouchMenu, Relaxify, nPloy and Kikimora.io
Kikimora.io, Payware and nPloy won the prize spots in the competition. Two additional awards were given by the jury - in the category "Sustainability" the startup venture Flower in a test tube was awarded. The company Barin Sports also received an award in the scale-up category.
The awarded teams get access to WTF Bologna 2024, the opportunity to present at the Bulgarian stand, as well as a number of meetings with investors during the exhibition, which this year will take place between 13-15 June. The presentation of Bulgarian projects in Italy is made possible thanks to the cooperation between BSMEPA and the Italian media group Search On, an innovation event platform promoting the global network of innovative startup entrepreneurship. The WMF International Trade Fair for Innovation, Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Italy will provide a valuable opportunity for Bulgarian teams to showcase local developments, meet key figures from the innovation ecosystem, find investors and develop their projects.
Our team congratulates all participants of We Make Future! We are delighted that among them we saw projects from previous editions of our national youth startup competition and those that have earned the trust of our venture capital fund managers and have already been backed with investment.
