The finalists of the 2026 “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria” competition, organized by the Fund of Funds, were recognized for their well-developed entrepreneurial ideas
At an official event held on June 10, 2026, in Sofia, the awards were presented for the fifth edition of the “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria” competition, organized by the Fund of Funds (FoF) and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” under the patronage of the Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation. The event brought together finalists, competition partners, the media, the academic and scientific community, and representatives of various institutions. The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, through the activities of the PhD Training Center of BAS, is among the academic partners in the “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria 2026” competition for the second year in a row.
After a four-month training, mentoring, and competition program, 30 out of a total of over 330 youth ideas for startup businesses reached the finals. The teams competed for the evaluations of an expert jury in three different categories: Business Stars for small business projects, Future Unicorns for startups with potential for global scaling, and SDG Dragons for solutions focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The awards ceremony opened with welcoming remarks by Ivan Vasilev, Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation; Prof. Eng. Senya Terzieva-Zhelyazkova, PhD, Deputy Minister of Education and Science; Yordanka Chobanova, Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria, and Alexander Nenkov, Executive Director of FoF.
Prior to the awards ceremony, a panel discussion was held moderated by Ivaylo Ivanov, Director of the Founder Institute Central & Eastern Europe, featuring the 2025 winners. Taking the stage were BioBliss (winner of SDG Dragons with a project developed in collaboration with BAS), Solar Reviver (winner of Future Unicorns), DigitalArtCulture (2nd place in Business Stars), and ReKosh (2nd place in SDG Dragons). They shared how the competition served as a springboard for their development and what they learned from the setbacks along the way. Their common message to this year’s participants was that failure was not the end but an inevitable and necessary step on the path to a sustainable business.
In addition to the main awards, a number of partner organizations presented special prizes to the finalists. BAS awarded all finalists vouchers for a free consultation on patenting and technology transfer with experts from the Joint Innovation Center – BAS. This year’s edition of the competition showcased a remarkable diversity of ideas and inspired with the scale of youth entrepreneurship in Bulgaria. The fifth edition of the “Best Youth Startup in Bulgaria” competition has set its ambition on expanding beyond national borders to become a regional platform for youth entrepreneurship across Southeast Europe.
