Top accelerators and startup programs in Bulgaria

Over the last five years, the combined enterprise value of the Bulgarian ecosystem has doubled. While Bulgaria is smaller in scale compared to regional leaders such as Poland or Estonia, the data shows a constant momentum in terms of both funding activity and ecosystem value.

Bulgaria’s startup ecosystem has reached a combined enterprise value of approximately €9B as of Q1 2025, according to the latest report by Dealroom. All of the country’s unicorns to date have been venture capital-backed, aligning Bulgaria with Hungary and Slovenia, where unicorn success has relied fully on external investment.

The next section of the article provides a detailed overview of the most active accelerators and startup programs in Bulgaria, which play a central role in supporting this growth trajectory.

#FutureUnicorns Growth Acceleration Program

The #FutureUnicorns Growth Acceleration Program, offered by the Bulgaria Innovation Hub, is designed to support high-potential startups from Bulgaria and the SEE region that aim to expand into the U.S. market. The program runs over four weeks, with two weeks held virtually and two weeks in person in San Francisco. Participants learn directly from Silicon Valley experts through a world-class go-to-market curriculum designed to speed up growth and equip founders with the knowledge and resources needed to scale successfully in the U.S.

Throughout the program, startups take part in more than 20 interactive workshops focused on global expansion. They also gain access to Bulgaria Innovation Hub’s extensive mentor, advisor, and investor network, along with $10,000 in free AWS technology credits for two years.

Start It Smart

Start It Smart is the initiator of the Start It Smart Pre‑Accelerator, designed to guide aspiring entrepreneurs from idea to execution. 

The Pre-Accelerator is an intensive, 10-week program tailored for first-time entrepreneurs. It covers more than 40 business trainings spanning topics like business development, fundraising, marketing, legal fundamentals, product design, and lean startup principles.

The Aeternity Starfleet

‍The Aeternity Starfleet is a blockchain-focused, decentralized accelerator run by AE Ventures to help early-stage startups build applications on the æternity platform. It’s open to seed-stage teams with visionary ideas and MVPs that leverage blockchain, led by technically capable founders.

Selected startups benefit from up to $100,000 in AE tokens, an intensive 60-hour educational program (delivered either on-site or remotely), followed by four weeks of tailored online mentoring. 

The ABLE Activator

‍The ABLE Activator is a 6-weekend immersive entrepreneurship program offered by the Association of Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE). It’s designed for university students (from the second year onward) and young professionals under 35, fluent in English, and deeply interested in developing their leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Across six consecutive Friday-to-Sunday modules, participants explore topics such as leadership and idea generation, customer discovery, business modeling, go-to-market strategies, and financial planning, culminating in a Demo Day where they pitch their projects to a jury of industry experts.

The Innovation Starter Accelerator

‍The Innovation Starter Accelerator is an educational acceleration program designed for pre-seed startups. It is powered by Innovation Starter, Bulgaria’s first innovation agency, which also leads initiatives like the Innovation Explorer Forum and Innovation Academy. The program works closely with corporate partners to provide early-stage founders with the right support and guidance to grow their businesses.

The accelerator focuses on high-priority sectors in the local economy that hold strong potential for disruptive and scalable innovation.

The South East European Innovators Program (SEEIP)

‍The South East European Innovators Program is a hybrid incubation and acceleration initiative run by Sofia Tech Park. It supports research-based startups and innovators from Southeastern Europe, helping turn early-stage ideas into internationally ready companies.

The program combines a digital incubation experience, including e-learning, mentorship, workshops, and networking, with access to real-world facilities, including subsidized office space, labs, makerspaces, coworking zones, and demo venues. Startups also receive hands-on guidance, demo sessions, and introductions to investors and accelerators.

Stay connected! 

This article is part of a series that presents the top startup incubators and accelerators across Europe. Stay tuned!