Bulgaria's Varna to host Startup World Cup regional round
Varna University of Economics will host the regional round of Startup World Cup, one of the most prestigious international competitions for innovative companies, Miroslava Ivanova, head of the Project Management Department at the University and coordinator of the tournament, said on Wednesday.
The competition will take place on June 4, as part of the programme of Evolvex Summit 2026, a forum dedicated to innovation, artificial intelligence and intelligent business transformations.
The winner will represent Bulgaria at the global final in San Francisco, the United States, where they will compete for an investment of USD 1 million, CE Report quotes BTA.
Startup World Cup has more than 100 regional competitions in countries on six continents and brings together some of the world’s most promising startups, investors and technology leaders, Ivanova said. In her words, the holding of the tournament in Varna confirms the position of the city and University as a centre for entrepreneurship, innovation and international business development.
Startups and innovative companies founded no more than seven years ago are eligible to take part in the competition. The application deadline is 11:59 pm on May 22, and there is no participation fee. The ten finalists will be announced on May 26. Each of them will have four minutes for a presentation and two minutes for questions from the jury.
The judging panel will include investors and experts from the entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem, Ivanova added. The jury members will be Dimi Ilieva, who has over 20 years of experience in marketing and 15 years of experience in senior management positions; Georgi Iliev, whose expertise is in investment management, business planning and analysis of industrial enterprises; Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chair Ivan Tabakov; Distriba CEO and Co-Founder Lyubomir Kostov; Prof. Todor Krastevich, a specialist in marketing, artificial intelligence and data analysis; and Tzvetan Tzvetanski, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Center for Educational Initiatives.
The event will also be open to visitors, investors, students and business representatives, Ivanova added.
PHOTO: Startup World Cup
