Bulgaria is an up-and-coming business destination

On centre-stage: Some inspiring women entrepreneurs from Bulgaria

One of the less mainstream countries that boast of beautiful and marvellous landmarks, culture and history, Bulgaria is a cultural melting pot with a vast array of spectacular landscapes.

In addition to being a lesser-known leisure destination, Bulgaria offers many surprises in the business sector. From a booming startup ecosystem to a highly skilled, yet affordable workforce. Much of Bulgaria’s growing economic trajectory can be attributed to the country’s investment in education, leading to a skilled workforce. So, Bulgaria is an up-and-coming business destination today.

Presenting some inspiring women entrepreneurs from Bulgaria.

> Elina Halatcheva, Co-founder & Managing Partner, BrightCap Ventures

Elina Halatcheva is Co-founder & Managing Partner at BrightCap Ventures, a Bulgarian VC fund focused on seeds and Series A tech investments. She is backed by a background in investment banking, private equity and new business ventures in New York, London and Sofia. And, prior to establishing BrightCap she was part of the early management team of a B2B procurement platform, where she drove expansion into more than 50 industry sectors.

Tania Boyadzhieva, Founder & Manager of Gardenia 2006 Awarded the Most Successful Businesswoman in 2019, Tania Boyadzhieva, is Manager and Founder of Gardenia 2006. To specify, Gardenia 2006 designs, constructs and maintains indoor and outdoor park and yard spaces, and has established itself as a leader in landscape design.

> Radka Stamenova, Founder & President of Meridian 22 Ltd & Interbusiness Ltd

As Founder and President of Meridian 22 Ltd. (1990) and Interbusiness Ltd (1992), over the years Radka Stamenova gained extensive experience in areas like – managing various projects, in organizing seminars, conferences and exhibitions, as well as in the sphere of consulting business. Affiliations of company Meridian 22 are the licensed Private Elementary School with English Language Learning and Private English IB High School. Part of the company is also the College for Vocational Education in Hospitality and Tourism “Interbusiness” using the Swiss experience in its program.

> Toshka Yaneva, Founder, AGRITREYD LTD

Toshka Yaneva is Founder of the company AGRITREYD LTD, and also a member of
the Board of Bulgarian Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE). The company
is engaged in trade with grain, fodder and other plant and animal products; trade in
nuts, spices and dried fruit; exports of agricultural products – spices, seeds and
vegetables.

> Katelina Boykova, Co-founder, Icanpreneur

Katelina Boykova co-founded Icanpreneur in 2021, with Andrey Mladenov, Vesko Kolev, Christian Kirov. Icanpreneur is the pioneering Accelerator-as-a-Software in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), which supports tech entrepreneurs throughout their journey – right from ideation to securing investment and also achieving product- market fit. Their goal is largely – to enhance the success rates of technology startup founders.

> Elina Halatcheva, Managing Partner, BrightCap Ventures

Elina Halatcheva’s vast experience can be contributed to her working for several years in the investment banking sector. In the past, she held positions as a Board Member in Enview (an AI automation platform for 3D geospatial analytics), as well as in WOOM (an app dedicated to women), that helps them track their reproductive health. Additionally, Elina was a Board Observer at Software Group and LucidLink. Since 2018 she has been holding a Managing Partner position at BrightCap Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focusing on tech start-ups with the potential to grow globally.

> Irina Dimitrova, Partner & CEO, LAUNCHub Ventures

Irina Dimitrova has rich expertise in the investment banking and financial sectors. During her two-decade+ career, she gained experience working in London as well as in Bulgaria. In the past, she assumed the role of Investment Grade Credit Research at Commerzbank – where she was responsible for client advisory on corporate bonds from the consumer and tobacco sectors. Additionally, she worked as a CFO at NEG.BG JSCo – a company that owns the Bulgarian social platform BG- Mamma. Currently, Irina is working at LAUNCHub Ventures where she is not only a Partner but also the CFO. This early-stage VC fund is focusing on supporting technology startups in the Seed and Series A funding stages.

> Ekaterina Velkova, Partner, Morningside Hill Capital Management

After graduating from the Colombia University School, with an M.A degree from the International and Public Affairs faculty and a B.A diploma from the American University in Bulgaria, Ekaterina Velkova is a successful entrepreneur, backed by her work experience in three continents. Currently, Ekaterina is a Partner at the Morningside Hill Capital Management. This Sofia-based venture capital fund is focused on investing in liquid securities and private companies at the post-seed stage.

Source: https://www.vestbee.com/blog/articles/top-25-women-from-vc-and-startup-
ecosystem-in-bulgaria