10 companies selected to join Endeavor’s growth program – Dare to Scale

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The Bulgarian office of Endeavor has selected entrepreneurs from 10 Bulgarian companies with great growth potential to participate int the pilot edition of its new growth program, Dare to Scale – the first program of this type in Bulgaria aimed at companies which have passed the phase of early growth and are starting to scale up. The pilot project is being implemented jointly with Postbank and with the support of one of the Bulgaria’s biggest software companies, ScaleFocus, and the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA).
 
The selection of entrepreneurs from the 10 companies has been carried out by Endeavor’s mentors and the experienced managers and experts from Postbank, ScaleFocus and BSMEPA. All of them met the preliminary conditions – to have own proven product or a service on the market, to have reached a turnover of at least BGN 200,000 in 2018 and, most importantly, their business must have potential for global growth, regardless of the sector it operates in or their location. In-depth interviews were held with the founders of the 24 applicant companies in the second round of the selection. The topics discussed included their growth strategies, business model and leadership potential. Endeavor and its partners selected entrepreneurs from 10 companies, a limit which was announced when the program was launched, to participate in the project. The IT sector is represented by the largest number of companies (five), followed by the retail sector (2), food production (2) and services (1).  
 
 
Dare to Scale is a four-month program and will take place from September to December 2019. During this period, the entrepreneurs from the 10 companies participating in the program will undergo specialized trainings and interactive sessions, led by successful entrepreneurs and leaders from Endeavor’s network. The training is focused on the core areas which are essential for each successful company such as organizational management, marketing, sales, financial planning and capital raising.

Momchil Vassilev, executive director of Endeavor Bulgaria:

“The Dare to Scale program has set an ambitious goal to support entrepreneurs in one of the most challenging phases of the development of their business – that of early growth. 
 
Relying on the resources Endeavor combines and the support of our partners in the program, we hope to fill the gap in the dynamically growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria and help these really interesting companies build solid foundations for their future success. The jury had a tough task to select just 10 of them but I hope to meet some of the rest again next year. We are particularly glad that women account for 40% of the selected entrepreneurs, which is what once again distinguishes our country and illustrates the potential we have as a community.”
 
 
Petia Dimitrova, CEO of Postbank:
“We are glad we are implementing this unique project together and will provide an opportunity to 10 Bulgarian companies from different sectors to scale up and expand their business. We hope the companies we are supporting today will help other companies to grow successfully tomorrow. It is a matter of business ideas of people with lots of enthusiasm and knowledge to realize them. We will be their mentor and trusted financial partner, we will offer them our know-how and expertise in order for them to achieve the success they deserve. I believe this socially responsible project will have positive effects on Bulgaria’s economy and competitiveness.”
 
 
Viktor Bilyanski, co-founder and CTO of ScaleFocus:
“We were pleasantly surprised at the enthusiasm and the level of all applicants in the program. The choice was tough because all of them have serious growth potential. We’re looking forward to the start of the main stage of the program, which is focused on the active training of the selected participants.”
 
 
Boyko Takov, executive director of BSMEPA:
“Participating in the selection of entrepreneurs for the program, I reinforced my indirect impressions formed in my work as an executive director of BSMEPA. There are companies in Bulgaria with world-class potential and ideas, and the only thing they need to scale up is someone who will help them by sharing their experience. The variety of fields the selected companies operate in shows that the Bulgarian business ecosystem has penetrated all economic sectors.”
 
 
List of the selected companies and short description of their business:
 
Dev.bg – Bulgaria’s biggest IT network which organizes 180 events a year. 
 
BG Service – An IT company with two main business strands – software development for other companies and supply of software services via a monthly subscription. 
 
Prospecto –The company behind Broshura.bg
 
Frudada –High-quality and healthy fruit and vegetable beverages and ice-cream.
 
Gaida – Software solution for real estate agencies.
 
 FUNKT– Architecture studio, whose services are focused on offices and restaurants. 
 
More Noir – A state-of-the-art swimwear brand operating in the mid-high market segment.
 
DNH Soft – A software development company focused on online trade and cloud services.
 
Escreo – A company making paint which turns every wall into a writing board.
 
Cheese the Queen – The company makes healthy plant-based foods as an alternative to dairy products. 

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