Bulgaria maintains a leading position in the field of equity and venture capital in the South-Eastern Europe region. This is indicated by the new annual report on private investments in Bulgaria and the South-Eastern Europe region of the Bulgarian Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA). Bulgaria has a well-developed startup ecosystem and established fund managers, supported by a favorable business environment. This dynamics is reflected in key indicators that distinguish the country: Bulgaria is the leader in the region in terms of number of deals and value created per capita; 150,000 specialists work in the technology and knowledge sector, which is supported by the activity of equity and venture funds; The country is No. 1 in South-Eastern Europe in terms of number of funds invested in companies developing artificial intelligence. Over the past year, the main areas of investment have remained transport, software and financial services, which form about 80% of the total volume. However, experts warn that the country may lose momentum. The report highlights that local funds rely too heavily on public sources of financing, while the participation of large institutional investors – such as pension and insurance companies – remains weak. International funds are increasing their presence in Bulgaria, and local startups continue to stand out as some of the most promising in Southeast Europe. According to BVCA, with more active participation of local capital and a more flexible regulatory framework, the country can position itself among the leading European centers for venture investments. There are already 13 unicorn companies (with a valuation of over $1 billion) in Southeast Europe, 2 of which are Bulgarian, the study shows.

Significant growth in TELC decisions in Bulgaria for reduced working capacity in recent years. Data from the Information System for Control of Medical Expertise show that there is a trend for more and more people who have received TELC decisions for reduced working capacity - some of them give the right to a disability pension, as well as the right to a personal assistant. There is also a growth in personal disability pensions, which are granted by the National Social Insurance Institute, based on TELC decisions. Over the years, the total number of all people who receive disability pensions has increased. According to WHO and UN calculations, between 10 and 16% worldwide live with a disability of varying degrees. According to NSI data, the population of Bulgaria is about 6.5 million. or the number of people with disabilities in our country is between 600-900,000 people. In parallel with the growth in TELC decisions, the number of people receiving disability pensions is also increasing. NSSI data show a sustained upward trend, which increases the pressure on the social system.

Plot of 111 decares with a newly built 4.9 MWp photovoltaic plant (56 decares) and an adjacent free plot (55 decares) with development potential at a key location in the city of Blagoevgrad

Angel Ivanov has been appointed Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency (BIA). Until now, he held the position of Deputy Executive Director. Ivanov has many years of management experience in state administration, including in the areas of investment, digitalization and European integration. He headed the Trade and Economic Affairs Office in Moscow and was an advisor on economic, social and European policies in the Council of Ministers. In the private sector, he worked in foreign trade, business management and asset sales. By order of the Minister of Innovation and Growth, the current Executive Director of BIA, Mila Nenova, has been dismissed from her post.

The world giant in the production of optical products, the German Carl Zeiss Jena, signed an agreement with "Zavod za Optika" in Panagyurishte, with which it enters into a 31.5% stake in the Bulgarian company. Through the partnership, Carl Zeiss Jena will be able to transfer part of its Asian production of medical devices to Europe, and "Optics Plant", part of "Opticolektron Group", will gain access to know-how and the opportunity to expand its markets. The deal comes after two years of negotiations. It was approved by the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) at the end of July this year and finalized on September 30. At that time, a general meeting of "Optics Plant" was held, in which all shareholders participated - Ivan Garchev (31.6%), Nikodim Kazandjiev and Velko Petkanski (30.5% each) and Vladimir Nedyalkov (7.4%). It was decided to increase the company's capital from 8.3 million to 12.1 million leva by issuing new shares with a nominal value of 1 leva and an issue value of 1.77 leva each, which will be fully subscribed by Carl Zeiss Jena. Thus, in practice, with an investment of about 6.75 million leva, the new partner receives 31.5% in the company. The shares of the previous partners are correspondingly reduced - Garchev now holds 21.6%, Kazandzhiev and Petkanski - 20.9% each, and Nedyalkov - 5%. The company's production is mainly for the markets in Europe, the USA and the Middle East. There are also changes in the board of directors. By decision of the general meeting, its composition has been reduced from four to three people, with Ivan Garchev and Ivaylo Nedyalkov being joined by Stefan Hoke as a representative of Zeiss. For 2024, "Optics Plant" reports 18.5 million leva in revenue and 45 thousand leva in profit, and employs about 260 people. The company is part of "Opticolektron Group", which includes several related production facilities and had 71.5 million leva in total revenue last year.

The company Sport Republic confirmed its interest in buying the controlling stake in Levski and is ready to start negotiations. This was announced by the management of the football club, enclosing the official letter sent by the international company and signed by its president and majority shareholder Dragan Solak. It proposes the formation of official negotiation teams from both sides. An authorized representative of the club and a lawyer for the company will participate in the process from the side of Levski. For Solak, this is the second attempt to acquire the controlling stake in Levski. In February 2023, the deal failed at the last minute due to the club's outstanding debts in the amount of over 20 million leva to the former owner Vasil Bozhkov. Solak already owns several clubs through Sport Republic - the English Southampton, the French Valenciennes, the Malian Mali Koura and the Turkish Göztepe, where Stanimir Stoilov is currently the coach. Until the summer of this year Sholak was at the head of the telecommunications company United Group, which owns Nova Broadcasting Group and Vivacom in Bulgaria. However, he was released as a leading factor and was left with only a minority stake of 36%.

Gold mining company DMP Chelopech has discovered new gold deposits in a previously poorly explored area below the mine. Exploration drilling in the northern part of the concession area has shown a high degree of mineralization with significant potential. This is expected to help extend the life of the mine, announced Canadian owner DPM Metals. The company will invest between $2 million and $3 million in additional exploration. The company drilled four holes in an area located about 300 meters below the mine's existing underground infrastructure. The results include 68.3 meters grading 7.42 g/t gold equivalent, consisting of 6.92 g/t gold, 0.30% copper and 10.5 g/t silver. Exploration began in the first quarter of 2025. So far, 3,120 m of four wells have been completed, with two more in progress. According to the company, the latest discovery shows that the area has high potential for new discoveries, which supports the goal of extending the life of the Chelopech mine for more than 10 years. DPM Metals' latest technical report is from 2022 and indicates that the reserves at Chelopech will last until the end of 2030. This, as well as their possible increase with the new discovery, suggests that the company will likely seek to extend its concession agreement, which expires in July 2029. Due to the significance of the discoveries, the company will allocate approximately $ 2 to $ 3 million to carry out 10 thousand m of additional drilling, DPM Metals reported. They are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2026. DPM Metals (previously Dundee Precious Metals) is a public company whose shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. In Bulgaria, it also owns DPM Krumovgrad, which operates the Ada Tepe mine. It is significantly smaller than the one in Chelopech, and mining there is expected to end next year. For 2024, the total revenues of the two Bulgarian companies are 1.2 billion leva.

The owner of the Turkish leader in the production of transformer components ENPAY - Murat Yurekten. announced that he is making an investment of 65 to about 70 million euros in Shumen, which is in the production of transformer board. The raw material is in great demand and complex to produce, resembling the production of cardboard, but the final product is a very hard pressed board. This production will not generate waste and does not use any chemical components, Yurekten pointed out. He explained that only 7-8 countries in the world have capacities for such production and it is particularly sought after by large technology companies such as Hitachi, Siemens, GE Vernova, etc. The deficit in the production of transformer board is very large due to the accelerated progress of technological production. This raw material is key for the production of transformers, which are part of the power transmission systems for powering technologies related to artificial intelligence. ENPAY decided to position its production in Shumen in order to reduce the supply chain and ensure European production. With its current investment, ENPAY's total investments in Bulgaria amount to around EUR 100 million. The plant will be built in around 10 months in the Industrial Park in Shumen and will initially employ 100-150 people, which may subsequently increase. The new plant will make Bulgaria the ninth country in the world with such a highly sought-after production and that the conditions in Shumen guarantee an uninterrupted production process and a short supply chain. After 2026, ENPAY will supply the market with it, thanks to the new capacity in Shumen and the company will also invest in a special installation for recycling wastewater to reintroduce it into production and make it environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Fintech company Capital.com is expanding its operations in Bulgaria with the opening of a new office in the capital, amid a 51% increase in the number of employees in the country over the past year. Founded in 2016, the Cyprus-based company plans to invest up to €5 million in its operational infrastructure to create a center of excellence in customer service. Capital.com operates dedicated hubs for its core functions - a center of excellence in customer service in Bulgaria and a technology and engineering hub in Poland. The company’s technology hub in Poland already has over 430 employees, while the team in Sofia has grown by 51% over the past year to reach 100 people. The expansion of the Bulgarian hub is led by Elpida Gavril, Global Head of Operations, who is responsible for all operational functions, including customer service within the group. The company, which has over 1,100 employees across 11 locations including London, Dubai, Limassol and Melbourne, had a strong third quarter with total trading volume of $744 billion. Despite a seasonal slowdown, trading across several asset classes continued to grow.

HackSoft, the software development company based in Sofia, is becoming part of Waracle, a digital product consultancy in the UK. Founded in 2017 by Radoslav Georgiev and Ivaylo Bachvarov, HackSoft provides software solutions across a range of industries. HackSoft will continue to work with its current clients, with the only change for them being the upcoming rebranding of the company. The deal provides both parties with a strategic foothold in a key European technology hub, broadening their talent pool and enhancing their ability to deliver innovative solutions to their growing international client base.

The Indian food chain Garden Café, one of the first in the country to be built on a franchise model, plans to build a food production factory in Bulgaria. This was reported by a company representative, quoted by the Indian agency PTI. The new plant will produce probiotic potato chips and products from mahanna (chanterelle). Founder Sandeep Noulakha indicates that the products will be sold under the brand name Jiggies, which is already known in India. According to him, the company already exports probiotic chips to Bulgaria, but long deliveries from Asia significantly shorten the actual shelf life of the products. Probiotic chips have a six-month shelf life, but almost three months are lost during transportation and distribution.

The capital of Irrigation Systems EAD will be increased by nearly 27 million leva for the restoration of the pumping station on the Pyasachnik dam, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced. A contract for the construction of a pumping station on the Pyasachnik dam has not yet been signed, which puts the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons at risk in a large part of Southern Bulgaria and a huge percentage of the irrigated areas in the country.

Singapore inflation accelerated for the second consecutive month, reaching 1.2% year-on-year in October, the highest level since August 2024 and above analysts’ forecasts. Core inflation also rose to 1.2%, driven by higher prices for services, food and retail. The biggest contributors to the overall increase were transport costs, which jumped 3.4%, as well as healthcare costs, which increased 4%. On a monthly basis, the overall index remained unchanged. The inflation data comes against the backdrop of stronger-than-expected economic growth - Singapore raised its forecast for 2025 to 4% after strong results in the third quarter. However, authorities have warned that growth could weaken in 2026 due to US trade tariffs. The Monetary Authority of Singapore expects inflation in 2025 to be between 0.5% and 1%, but experts predict an increase of over 1% in 2026 due to higher transport fees, a carbon tax and a new levy on sustainable jet fuel.