Bulgarian Stock Exchange to support start-ups and SMEs

UniCredit Bulbank AD
Wed, 24/03/2021

Institution-led programme empowers up-and-coming companies to capitalize on market opportunities

     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

The Bulgarian Stock Exchange has recently launched a one-year programme titled BeamUp Lab, aimed at promotion of growth and development of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in the country. The initiative is conducted with the support of the Ministry of Finance and in partnership with the Bulgarian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Bulgarian Start-up Association.
BeamUp Lab distinguishes promising and innovative Bulgarian companies with sustainable business models in order to make them visible for potential investors, but also to provide them with the necessary know-how on the various financing opportunities being available.

The programme features 20 companies out of an initial 1,500 reviewed and is set up in four strategic meetings. During these meetings, the companies will exchange experiences and best business practices under the mentorship of highly qualified experts from the partnering organizations and institutions.

The first two meetings which already took place focused on opportunities for equity and debt financing, balancing the perspectives of both companies and investors. In addition to the investor-pitching methods and successful micro-financing practices, participants also discussed mezzanine investing as a hybrid of debt and equity financing that gives the lender the right to convert to an equity interest in the company in case of default, once the venture capital companies and other senior lenders have been paid.