Join the first ever SEE startup challenge

SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN INNOVATORS CHALLENGE 2024

28 October 2024 @ Sofia Tech Park
The South East Innovators Challenge aims to unite the power of South East Europe in one place – startups, change makers and governmental officials. It wants to create a platform for common projects and investments in the Balkans and make the region the next Silicon Valley.

The South East Innovators Challenge (SEEIC) is the pilot initiative of the SEE Science & Tech Parks Alliance. Its aim is to foster innovation and technology transfer across South East Europe through entrepreneurship and startup collaboration.

SEEIC gathers the best startup companies from the tech park and innovation areas from Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Romania and Greece. It unites them in a startup forum at the end of October in Sofia, where they will learn, explore and challenge their limits and abilities to create new joint ventures and pitching their idea in front of investors for funding.

Speakers and investors

Vasil Terziev
Vasil Terziev

Mayor of Sofia

31
Prof. Dr. George Angelov

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Growth

32
Lybomir Yanchev

Founder & CEO, MClimate

33
Mihai Cepoi

Founder & CEO, Jobful

orlinr
Orlin Radev

Founder & CEO, AMPECO

Georgi Nenov
Georgi Nenov

Founder, “The Superhuman” podcast

29
Peter Statev

Chairman Of The Supervisory Board,  Sofia Tech Park

23
Galya Dimitrova

Managing Director, IRIS Solutions

30
Vasil Karaivanov

Chairman of the Management Board, Sofia Tech Park JSC

26
Ivan Goichev

Deputy Mayor “Digitalization, innovation and economic development”, Sofia Municipality

25
Milena Stoycheva

CEO, Junior Achievement Bulgaria
former Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Growth

27
Todor Mladenov

CEO, Sofia Tech Park

22
Petar Petrov

Chief AI Officer, Eleven Ventures

24
Alexander Nutsov

Policy & Strategy Director, BESCO

Angel
Angel Georgiev

Founder, Sindeo Academy

Derya
Derya Çağlar

General Manager, Ostim Technopark, Türkiye

Dotchka
Dotchka Vassileva

Head of Project Information and Financing Unit, Fund of Funds in Bulgaria

Tasos Vasil
Tasos Vasileiadis

Founder and CEO, Joist Innovation Park, Greece

Krisi
Kristina Galabova

Co-founder, Razkazi Mi / Mentaware

Viktoria Hristova
Victoria Hristova

Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Fund of Funds in Bulgaria

Mila Stoyanova
Mila Stoyanova

Founding member, DEA Accelerate

Vladimir Todorovic
Vladimir Todorovic

Science Technology Park – Novi Sad, Serbia

Pavel Lisev (1)
Pavel Lisev

Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors, Fund of Funds in Bulgaria

Eneya
Eneya Georgieva

Editor, Forbes

Gariela Mahlelieva
Gabriela Mahlelieva

Journalist, Economic.bg

Milan
Milan Randelović, PhD

Managing director, Nis Technology Park

Pavlina Qnakieva
Pavlina Yanakieva

CEO / Director, Future Unicorns 

milen ivanov
Milen Ivanov

Managing Partner, Sofia Angels Ventures

Kristiqna Kuneva
Kristiana Kuneva

Business Development Manager

The Recursive

5
Boris Kolev

Founder and CEO, JT International Group

Agenda

28.10.2024 (Monday)

08:30 – 09:00
Welcome coffee

09:00 – 11:30

Main hall: Pitching session in front of investors and jury members

11:30 – 12:30

Main hall: Jury member session

12:00 – 13:00
Registration

13:00 – 13:30
official opening

13:30 – 14:20

Leadership Panel: Leadership visions for the development of the Southeast region 

 

Moderator: Georgi Nenov – Founder, “The Superhuman” podcast

Panelists: 
Prof. Dr. George Angelov  – Deputy Minister, Ministry of Innovation and Growth

Vasil Terziev – Mayor of Sofia
Todor Mladenov – CEO, Sofia Tech Park

Derya Çağlar – General Manager, Ostim Technopark, Türkiye 

Tasos Vasileiadis – Founder and CEO, Joist Innovation Park, Greece

Milan Randelović, PhD – Managing director, Nis Technology Park, Srebia

Expo area:
Startup expo
Science expo

14:20 – 15:00

 Award ceremony

Expo area: 
Startup expo
Science expo

15:00 – 15:30

Coffee break

Expo area: 
Startup expo
Science expo

15:30 – 16:00

Panel 1: Unlocking secrets to success: SEE Unicorns

Moderator: Milena Stoycheva – CEO, JA Bulgaria 


Panelists:
Orlin Radev – CEO, Ampeco

Lyubomir Yanchev – Founder & CEO, MClimate
Mihai Cepoi, Founder & CEO, Jobful

 

Expo area:
Startup expo
Science expo

16:00 – 16:30

Panel 2: Leading with Vision: Female Entrepreneurs in Focus

Moderator: Boris Kolev – Founder&CEO, JT International Group, DigiMark Ventures

 

Panelists:  

Galya Dimitrova – Managing director, IRIS solutions
Mila Stoyanova – Founding member, DEA accelerator
Kristina Galabova – Co-founder, Razkazi Mi / Mentaware

Expo area:
Startup expo
Science expo

16:30 – 17:00

Panel 3: Central and Southeast Europe: Weighing the Investment Potential

 

 

Moderator: Kristiana Kuneva – Business Development Manager, The Recursive


Panelists:
Pavel Lisev – 
Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors, Fund of Funds in Bulgaria

Pavlina Yanakieva  – CEO / Director, Future Unicorns 

Alexander Nutsov – Policy & Strategy Director, BESCO

 

 

 

Expo area: 
Startup expo
Science expo

17:00 – 18:00

Panel 4: Transforming Tomorrow: AI’s Role in Innovation and Inspiration

Petar Petrov – Chief AI Officer, Eleven Ventures

Expo area: 
Startup expo
Science expo

20:00 – 24:00
afterparty

Participants

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Partners

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The John Atanasoff Innovation Forum @ Sofia Tech Park / bul. "Tsaridgardsko Shouse" 111 G, Sofia

The John Atanassoff Innovation Forum is a multifunctional venue for events, conferences, seminars, congresses and other events aimed at enhancing dialogue between the scientific and business communities. Its function is to facilitate the formation of the ecosystem in the field of technology transfer and innovation, as well as to provide a suitable environment for the exchange of ideas.