This year the selection involves 10 companies and one non-governmental organization

United Bulgarian Bank (UBB), part of KBC Group in Bulgaria, is a partner to the eighth edition of the Dare2Scale initiative - the programme of Endeavor for startups at an advanced stage of development. This year’s edition of the project involves 10 companies and one non-governmental organization, reflecting some clearly delineated trends in Bulgarian entrepreneurship today.

UBB’s participation as a partner in this project aims to encourage the community of startups and expanding companies in this country. It is of utmost importance for the Bank to engage in finding and developing companies with huge potential throughout Bulgaria and on the Western Balkans, and in supporting their growth at every stage.

The profile of the companies included in the programme fully matches UBB’s position as a leading financial institution in this country in the field of innovations, digitalization and the effective and prudent use of artificial intelligence, as more than half of those companies develop products and services where AI has a key role. Its application covers domains like semi-conductors, finance, human resources, sailing and trade, showing that AI has been increasingly becoming an apparent driver of innovations in traditional industries and business processes, too.

It is extremely important for UBB that among this year’s participants there are family businesses with established presence on the market, as well as companies from Sofia, Varna and Burgas cities - a yet another signal that the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Bulgaria is becoming more versatile and is developing ever more actively outside the capital city. The Bank traditionally supports family businesses through programmes, such as the NextGen Academy, which goal is to prepare next generations for the transition in the management of their family business. Along with that it is important to UBB that Bulgaria’s economy develops in a homogeneous manner and boosts the economic activity in all regions of this country.

The essential part of the Dare2Scale initiative will be launched in September and will end in the month of December with a Demo Day. The kick-off will be made with an opening event that will gather all participants from the four countries of this year’s selection. Then the entrepreneurs will go through a series of practical workshops, mentorship sessions and meetings with successful founders, investors and business leaders from Bulgaria and abroad. The partnership with UBB will bring about additional quality and specialized expertise in the evaluation of candidates, the assessment of projects by the programme committee, as well as in the mentorship programmes of Dare2Scale 2026.

Dare2Scale 2026 participants:

Black Sea Catch - creates premium seafood products from fishing and harvesting in the Black Sea, traceable from the local fishermen to the end product, in partnership with them and focus on sustainable fishing.
JOBee - develops an AI platform for staff recruitment, which automates recruitment processes and considerably reduces hiring time and expenses.
LabThread - develops a platform for management of laboratory processes, used by leading scientific and medical institutions, incl. Oxford University and Mayo Clinic.
Neuromorphica - develops specialized AI chips that significantly reduce energy consumption upon high-performance computing and find application in the defence and high-tech industries.
Newma - develops a Web3 investment platform, connecting traditional finance and digital assets through regulated investment solutions.
Nextribe - develops modular eco villages, transforming undeveloped terrains into sustainable tourist destinations.
nFuse AI - develops AI agents that automate communication between global manufacturers and independent commercial locations.
Orchestr - develops a platform for AI-driven international payments that combines many payment providers into one integration.
SeAI (Varna) - develops an AI platform for steering seaborne vessels that optimizes shipping operations through smart analysis of data and automation.
Vistamar (Burgas) - specializes in selling and rendering certified servicing of marine lifesaving and fire-fighting equipment.
ARC Academy (NGO) - prepares the next generation of professionals for the gaming industry, animation and digital arts through practical training, work on real projects and mentorship.

Partners to the Dare2Scale 2026 initiative are also the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), the America for Bulgaria Foundation and the Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria (FMFIB).