June 20; events, deals, and more seaside ☀️🏖
From thirteen new investments, to eleven startup pitches, and another few days at the beach... this was my week
Happy Sunday,
Ellie and I are back to the seaside for the weekend, this time in beautiful Sozopol. Waking up in the aroma of fig trees, and glancing towards the endless sea from its rocky shores is one of the best experiences one can have in Bulgaria in summer.
Demo day at the beach 🏝
My Vitosha teammates Stoyan and Kamen also came over to Sozopol, as did most other folks from Bulgaria’s venture investing scene, for there was an excellent occasion yesterday: a demo day of the XL Radar acceleration program, by our partner fund Innovation Capital. I took place in the jury, and we helped the fund select a few startups that graduated the program, for follow-on investments by Innovation Capital.
The location was absolutely fantastic: the terrace of the old beachside restaurant at Kavatsi Beach, which a few Sofia techies have turned into Beach Hub Kavatsi, a co-working space on the beach, open all summer.
With eleven companies presenting, and about 100 people present, it felt like we’re finally back to normal, with the entrepreneurship community meeting regularly at events, pitching days, and networking parties. May it stay like that this summer, and what’s importantly, beyond.
News at Vitosha ⭐️
This week we hit a big milestone with Vitosha, as we finally announced thirteen new investments that we have completed since January, amounting to over EUR 2.7m in capital. The companies range from artificial intelligence systems for optimizing manufacturing, energy distribution, and compliance automation, to meat-based protein bars, a platform for professional gamers, pet products retail, and much more.
We also used the occasion to finally announce Vitosha internationally, and we’re very grateful for the awesome press coverage we got from leading English-language media:
For those who read Bulgarian, my partner Marin and I sat down for a big interview with the Kapital newspaper in Sofia, where we explained some of the things that impressed us in these thirteen companies, and what our fund logic is as we continue making investments this summer:
All this news is of course all the more reason to come together and celebrate. Starting this month, we’re finally starting with regular Vitosha get-togethers, where everyone is welcome to meet our team (those who are in Sofia at that moment, at least), the founders of our portfolio companies, and our friends and partners in the venture world.
Come on over for a glass and a chat on June 29, to our base at Missia23, and please click on the invite below to let us know to expect you:
Thanks for checking in today and talk to you next Sunday! 😇
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