Sofia is becoming one of the best places to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to aren't aware of the local tech resources that are available to help them.
With applications for the Sofia Founder Institute now open, we're excited to release the first ever Sofia Startup Resource Guide, which is currently in Draft v1 below! It was developed by the Sofia Founder Institute and local leaders: Bozhidar Georgiev (CEO, Yatrus Analytics & Founder, Work & Share), Janet Todorova (Head of Expansion, Founder Institute), Milen Ivanov (Founder and CEO, CEO Angels Club), and Tatyana Mitkova (Co-founder and CEO, ClaimCompass).
This is just a draft, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version.
Are you looking to build a startup in Sofia? Then apply to the Sofia Founder Institute today!
Text version included below, for ease of searching:
Sofia Startup Tools and Resources
There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.
1. Idea Stage
This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.
A. Inspire
- Sofia Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters)
- Inspirational Sofia Startup Events: Open, inclusive startup events that often focus on ideation. (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)
- Bulgaria Web Summit 2018
- CEE BLOCK
- DIGITAL|K 2018
- Entrepreneurs Night Out
- Innovation Explorer
- Innovative Enterprise Week Sofia 2018
- Innowave Summit
- IoT Sofia
- ISTA
- Java2Days 2018
- Questers Tech Meetups - Sofia
- Sofia Blockchain
- Sofia Crypto Meetup
- Startup SAFARI
- Startup Weekend Sofia
- Tech Talks Sofia
- WEBIT.FESTIVAL
- Women Techmakers Sofia
- Women Who Code Sofia
B. Educate
- Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing tech events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire).
- <React.Sofia />
- Agile Community @ Paysafe
- Ansible Bulgaria
- Azure User Group Bulgaria
- Bulgaria Drupal User Group
- Bulgaria PHP
- Code Voyagers Sofia
- Django Bulgaria
- Elasticsearch Bulgaria User Group
- Elixir Sofia
- Golang Bulgaria
- Hyperledger Sofia
- Leanplum Tech Talks - Sofia
- JS Talks
- Skills Up by Smart Space
- Sofia HashiCorp User Group
- Sofia Kubernetes Group
- Sofia Salesforce Developer Group
- Sofia WordPress Meetup
- SofiaJS
- Startup Founder 101 Sofia
- Startup Grind Sofia
- SQLSaturday Sofia
- tekom Bulgaria Meetup
- User Experience (UX) Bulgaria
- Zuhlke Sofia
- Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development events and startup bootcamps for entrepeneurs. (Includes comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)
- #SwiftSofia Meetup
- Angular Sofia
- AWS Bulgaria User Group
- Blockchain Developers Meetup
- Bulgaria Cloud Meetup
- Bulgarian Agile Community
- Bulgarian BI & .NET User Group
- Bulgarian SQL&BI User Group "Lets' SQL Together!"
- C++ User Group Sofia
- DevTalks
- Docker Bulgaria
- Founder Institute
- GDG Sofia
- Global Azure Bootcamp 2019
- How to Raise Startup Funding in Sofia: Insights from Top Local Investors
- Kubernetes & Cloud Native Computing Bulgaria
- Lean Startup Machine Sofia
- Meteor Bulgaria
- Node.js
- OpenStack Bulgaria
- ProductTank Sofia
- Ruby Banitsa
- SharePoint User Group Bulgaria
- Sofia AI and Machine Learning Meetup
- Sofia Cloud Computing Users Group
- Sofia Internet of Things Meetup
- Sofia Startup: Idea to IPO
- Sofia Startup Ideation Bootcamp
- Startup Pitch Bootcamp: Learn How to Pitch from Top Entrepreneurs
- Uber Engineering Events - Sofia
- VMware Bulgaria
C. Validate
- Team Formation: Events for Finding Co-founders in Sofia. (i.e. tech networking events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)
- ABLE Bulgaria
- CoFoundersLab
- Endeavor Bulgaria
- Entrepreneurs Night Out
- Food Startups Meetup Sofia
- Founder Night Out
- Founder2be
- FounderDating
- FounderX
- MOVE.BG
- Silicon Drinkabout
- Sofia Business Networking
- Sofia Entrepreneurs Meetup
- Sofia Game Dev Meetup
- Startup Live Sofia
- STARTUP NAVIGATOR
- Youth Business Club
- Build First Product: Hackathons & product events in Sofia.
- 1st Sports Hackathon
- adidas Hackathon 2018
- AngelHack Sofia Hackathon 2018
- Balkan Hackathon 2018
- Bulgaria Innovation Hackathon 2018
- Balkan Ruby
- Coffee and Code Sofia
- Dev.bg
- Hack4Health
- HackConf 2018
- init Lab
- Innovator CoWorking Space
- jPrime
- Lambda Dojo Sofia
- MusicTechBG
- NEXT BLOCK Conference Hackathon
- PAYSAFE HACKATHON 2018
- React-not-a-Conf
2. Launch Stage
In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.
A. Start
- Establish: Sofia law firms & banks for startups
- 1Legal
- Allianz Bank
- BNP Paribas
- Boyanov & Co.
- Bulgarian-American Credit Bank
- CasePro
- Central Cooperative Bank
- CIBANK
- Citibank
- Delchev & Partners
- DSK Bank
- Georgieva & Dzhutev
- ING
- Innovires Law Firm
- Investbank JSC
- IV & Co. Law Firm
- Kinstellar
- Milanova & Partners Law Firm
- New Balkans Law Office
- Piraeus Bank
- ProCredit Bank
- Raiffeisenbank Bulgaria
- Schoenherr Attorneys at Law
- Todorov LLP
- UniCredit Bulbank
- United Bulgarian Bank
- Sofia Workspaces: Co-working and flexible workspaces for startups in Sofia.
- 1Hub Coworking Space
- betahaus
- Cherryz.Work
- Coshare HIVE
- COSMOS Coworking Camp
- Generator
- hOUR SPACE
- Innovator CoWorking Space
- Malkite 5
- Mastilo Coworking
- MOVE.BG Coworking
- NETWORKING Premium Co-Working Space
- NGO House
- OvertAim Coworking Space
- Puzl CowOrKing
- Sensei House
- Smart Space
- SOHO
- Work & Share Coworking Space
B. Develop
- Formalize: Sofia accounting, development and HR tools for early-stage startups.
- Sofia Incubators: Groups that prepare companies for seed investment and provide advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources)
C. Launch
- Sofia Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)
- Pitch & Demo Events: Tech events that showcase Sofia startups for investment.
3. Growth Stage
Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.
A. Recognition
- Sofia Investor Networking: Events and groups that connect professional investors with founders.
- Major Media: Mainstream local business press that often showcase local startups.
B. Funding
- Sofia Angel Investors: Seed-stage investors and micro-vcs.
- Sofia Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond
C. Growth
- Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
- AIMS International
- Bulgarian Properties
- CEO Search
- Euroins Insurance Group
- H-Vision
- Horizons Bulgaria
- HRS Bulgaria
- ImpacT HR
- Instant Offices
- Instrade Insurance Broker
- International Human Resources
- Marins International Ltd
- MIRELA
- PFG Bulgaria
- PSF
- Raiffeisen Insurance Broker
- Regus
- SDI Broker
- Sofia Offices
- Wyser Search
- ZBK BALKAN
- Expansion: Sofia Growth accelerators and consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
4. Sofia Startup Success Stories
Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.
- Bee Smart Technologies
- BlockEx
- BG Menu
- Cash Credit
- ClaimCompass
- ClouDNS
- Cloudpipes
- Content Insights
- Connect.io
- Dronamics
- Dynamo SW
- Enhancv
- Escreo
- Farmhopping
- Farmia
- FindMeCure
- Gtmhub
- HyperScience
- Imagga
- Imperia Online
- Kanbanize
- Leanplum
- LegalTrek
- LogSentinel
- Metrilo
- Noblehire
- Payhawk
- Playground Energy
- Quark VR
- Remix Global
- Reloyalty
- Rhyme Softworks
- Rifiniti
- Software Group
- Telerik
- Transmetrics
- Vayant
Supporters
To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.
1. Sofia Tech Evangelists
Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.
- Boyan S. Benev
- Denitsa Simeonova
- Dobromir Ivanov
- Evelina Prodanova
- Iskren Krusteff
- Ivan G. Ivanov
- Ivo Hristov
- Janet Todorova
- Kalin Tsekov
- Karina Karagaeva
- Levent Korkmaz
- Milen Ivanov
- Milena Stoycheva
- Milena Yankova
- Natanail Stefanov
- Nedelcho Nedelchev
- Nikola Yanev
- Paris Childress
- Patritsiya Kostadinova
- Petko Ruskov
- Polina Georgieva
- Rumen Iliev
- Stephane Gantchev
- Stoil Stoilov
- Vessy (Vesselina) Tasheva
- Viktor Minchev
- Yassen Stanchev
- Zhivko Todorov
2. Sofia Government Startup Resources
Public organizations that facilitate local economic development
- American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria
- British Bulgarian Business Association
- Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Bulgarian Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Invest Bulgaria Agency
- Ministry of Economy Republic of Bulgaria
- Sofia Investment Agency
- Sofia Tech Park
3. Talent
Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.
- Local Sofia Tech Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)
- Sofia Tech Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices)
Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Sofia Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a draft, and more input is needed!)
