Founded in 1805 in Geneva, the Pictet Group is today one of Europe’s largest privately held banks and the leading independent asset management specialist in Europe, with CHF 528 billion in assets under management and custody. Pictet has 4,300 employees with a global presence of 27 offices. Pictet has been our partner for the last 8 years and we have together organised +30 events in 4 different tracks and 6 Tech Tour Growth Summits.

Almaz Capital is an international VC firm investing in early stage, capital efficient technology companies. Being a unique bridge-model fund with the main office in Silicon Valley, US, Almaz Capital connects entrepreneurs and engineering talent in USA and CEE countries and bring the prominent startups to the global market. Fund invests in high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence and blockchain applications, data engineering, cybersecurity, edge computing, networking architecture and infrastructure. The fund's investors include Cisco, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. Founded in 2008, Almaz Capital has 12 exits and over 30 portfolio companies.

Crido Taxand is exclusively Taxand Poland. We have been active on the advisory services market since 2005. We provide advisory services to multinational corporations, Polish companies and entrepreneurs with respect to taxation, state aid, law and business consulting. Depending on the needs of our clients, we can combine the competences of our experts, working in interdisciplinary teams, to better help our clients in the various areas of their activities. We support companies and entrepreneurs effectively in solving their problems, providing them with methods that help create added value for their business. As a part of Taxand we are able to support our clients in planning and carrying out their business activities both in Poland and abroad.

The ERDF aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions.

In Bulgaria, the JEREMIE Holding Fund (JHF) is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and co-financed by 15% by the State Budget within the framework of the Operational Programme (OP) “Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy 2007 – 2013”. Under this OP, the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism (MEET), has allocated contributions under the Priority Axis 3, including a national contribution, equal to EUR 349 million for the implementation of the JEREMIE Initiative aiming to improve the access to finance for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) through various financial engineering instruments.

The European Commission approved on 26 September 2007 a major development programme in Bulgaria for the period 2007-2013, entitled the Operational Programme for "Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy". This programme involves Community support for the whole national territory within the framework of the "Convergence" objective. The total budget of the programme is around EUR 1.16 billion and the Community assistance through the ERDF amounts to EUR 988 million (approximately 15 % of the total EU money to be invested in Bulgaria under the Cohesion policy 2007-2013)

BDO Bulgaria Ltd. is a company registered in Bulgaria for auditing purposes. Its registration is promulgated in State Gazette issue No. 73/ June 26, 1998, page 50. According to the Accountancy Act and the Independent Financial Audit Act the company has the right to carry out auditing and accounting in compliance with the Bulgarian legislation. The company renders international auditing and consulting services.

The Fund of Funds in Bulgaria (FMFIB) was established by the Council of Ministers as a special-purpose vehicle fully owned by the State to manage the financial instruments designed to support the implementation of programmes co-financed from the European Structural and Investment Funds, i.e. OP Human Resource Development 2014-2020, OP Innovations and Competitiveness 2014-2020, OP Regions in Growth 2014-2020 and OP Environment 2014-2020, the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and the Maritime and Fisheries Programme 2014-2020. To ensure professional management, coordination and consistency in the implementation of financial instruments, all resources budgeted for the financial instruments under the said programmes have been pooled into a joint Fund of Funds, with the FMFIB as its managing body. The Fund of Funds enables a more efficient and effective implementation of financial instruments through specialisation and economies of scale. Being an important part of the system for managing EU financing, FMFIB complies with the special requirements laid out in EU legislation in terms of economic and financial stability, adequate capacity to implement the financial instruments, including appropriate organisational structure and human resources, good corporate governance systems, efficient and effective internal control systems, reliable accounting systems providing timely, comprehensive and accurate reporting.

New Frontier Group is a global digital leader and a partner to more than 300 out of the Top 500 companies in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2006, we support our clients in their digital transformation by offering innovative, customer-facing products and consulting services to reshape business models, improve services and increase sales. The company’s wide portfolio ranges from consulting services and integrating comprehensive IT solutions and services to developing and delivering its own IP products and services. New Frontier Group operates worldwide with direct subsidiaries in 13 countries. The company has 2,000 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Vienna.

Established in 1992 through the merger of 22 Bulgarian regional commercial banks, United Bulgarian Bank is the first and most comprehensive consolidation project in the Bulgarian banking sector.

The Bulgarian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is a focal point of private investors, venture capital funds and the entrepreneurial community in Bulgaria. The association works alongside its members to improve the business environment and to drive innovation and growth in the country and the CEE region. BVCA is committed to popularising the role of private investment as a reliable and sustainable source of funding for growing and established companies. The association represents its members’ interests on a national and international level, actively communicates with institutional and private stakeholders as well as the general public. BVCA collects data on member activities in private equity and venture capital, and identifies industry players in the ecosystem. Giving voice to the community it represents, BVCA advocates on behalf of the industry to ensure sound public policy that encourages a favourable investment environment in Bulgaria.

Coalition for Polish Innovations is an intersectoral network supporting sound public policies and promoting best practices for research and development. Founding Members include: Foundation for Polish Science, Intel Corporation, National Centre for Research and Development, Lewiatan, Pomeranian Special Economic Zone, PwC, Startup Poland, Wardyński&Partners

PFR Ventures is an entity managing the fund of funds, providing financing via VC funds and groups of business angels for innovative SMEs at a different stage of development. Implementing the strategy of PFR, PFR Ventures operates in the fund of funds formula, offering financing for innovative SMEs via selected financial intermediaries, e.g. venture capital or business angels. Funds dedicated to innovative projects come from European funds, i.e. the “Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014 – 2020” and private funds from selected financial agents. Investments in the fund of funds formula based on the knowledge and experience of top managing entities will create an efficient financing model and provides a market-based approach consistent with best business practices.

"Sofia Tech Park" JSC is a state-owned company.The main goal of the company is to boost the development of research, innovation and technological capabilities of Bulgaria through the implementation of various projects. For this purpose, “Sofia Tech Park” will partner with private and public institutions in order to create and manage a unique environment for innovation, build and implement educational programs and provide support to the commercialization of new technologies, products and services.

The presidency of the Council of the European Union works on a rotation basis. Each member state holds the presidency for a period of six months. The exception is the foreign affairs configuration chaired by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. To ensure continuity in the work of the Council, the presidency is held by a group of three member-states, known as a trio, for a period of 18 months. The trio prepares and implements a common agenda. Bulgaria is part of the trio Estonia-Bulgaria-Austria and took over the presidency from Estonia in January 2018.

Effectiveness, transparency and benefits for business and society. These are the three main principles we follow in our work. Our main priority is to create the necessary conditions for stable economic growth in the Republic of Bulgaria and to carry out the country's economic in a lawful and advisable way. We set goals that lead to a more competitive economy with a high value added and a better quality of life for the Bulgarian people. The foundations of the country's economic development are sustainable production, increased productivity and competitiveness, that is based on advanced technologies, innovation and modern industrial policies. We develop both traditional sectors and sectors with potential for future global growth in order to create sustainable industrial clusters. We create a less bureaucratic, investment-friendly environment, with simple and transparent procedures for business and effective management in the benefit of entrepreneurs. An Effective foreign economic cooperation is another essential part of the Ministry's policies aiming to support sustainable economic growth

The Association of the Bulgarian Leaders and Entrepreneurs (ABLE) is an active community of entrepreneurial young people, who contribute to the development of the environment around them, wherever they are. We met during our participation in the Bulgarian Young Leaders Program (BYLP) and in 2011 we decided to found a nonprofit to serve as a platform for our ideas and for positive change in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Entrepreneurship & Startup Community was founded in September 2017 with the aim to make Bulgaria “The European Startup Incubator”. Its primary goal is for Bulgaria to become a friendlier environment for both startups and SMEs, as well as larger organizations. Bulgaria has a great potential but modernisation is needed to unleash it. BESCO has focused on working with public institutions to make better laws, policies, and programs fostering entrepreneurship. The organization is also devoted to attracting greater interest from foreign investors, entrepreneurs and professionals towards the country and the Balkan region as a whole. BESCO works closely with the most relevant stakeholders from the Bulgarian startup ecosystem. Its members include entrepreneurs, startup organizations, co-working spaces, and investors. In its goal to connect startups with settled businesses and create a better network between them, BESCO collaborates with some of the larger trade and industry organizations, among other non-profits.

dev.by is a source of information on IT-idustry in Belarus and globally. Besides latest news, exclusive interviews, analytics, corporate blogs and expert columns it provides insights on Belarusian IT-companies, salaries, vacancies and events.

EDIT was created to address the needs of the information technology micro, small and startup businesses forming the fastest growing and most innovative economic sector of Bulgaria. EDIT is a network open to everyone who wants to work for sustainable economic development.

The MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) Startup Competition is a technology accelerator organized by local chapters of MITEF. If you have an exciting new product or service, participating in MITEF Poland’s Startup Competition will give you access to the practical knowledge, mentorship, and resources to take your venture to the next level. Competition winners are the best of the best and will receive global recognition and support through MIT Enterprise Forum Global and MIT Technology Review.

MOVE.BG is a platform for value creators and a think-and-do tank for innovative solutions. We are looking for workable ideas for social transformation, forging pathways into sustainable development and enabling a culture of constructive dialogue and participatory leadership.

SVOD (Silicon Valley Open Doors) is a leading boutique technology investment conference that brings in an eclectic mix of 1500+ most creative, forward-thinking, and insightful people in the entrepreneurial and investment world to the Silicon Valley. This year, SVOD is presenting a set of topics and innovative companies that allows us to move towards the sustainable future with a great purpose and focus on and around the Human. Impact starts with a Human and ends with a Human. In 2019, SVOD Conference opens its doors to 2K+ attendees, including over 800 startup founders from all over the world, over 300+ top venture capitalists, angel investors and investor judges, and over 900 professionals working in the technology area. A major part of the conference is a startup PITCH for the pre-selected and coached 40 seed and early stage (up to Series B) companies. If you are interested, please use -50% discount code TECHTOUR@SVOD19 upon your registration.

Startup Hub Poland is a not-for-profit foundation based in Warsaw with the mission of making Poland as the hub for Hi-Tech startups from the entire CEE region. In the past six years, we have been successful in creating a robust startup ecosystem with 300+ local and CEE partners, a network of 80+ Polish VCs and Angel Investors and a support system of shared office spaces, tax and law consultants and 150+ international mentors and market experts

UVCA shapes the future direction of the venture capital and private equity industry in Ukraine by promoting its investment opportunities, advocating the interests of private equity investors to policymakers, and improving the local investment and business climate.