The format aims to discover and support innovative companies by connecting them with investors, corporations and entrepreneurs from around the world. The competition has been held annually since 2016 and includes a series of regional (national) events where startups present their ideas to a jury of investors and experts.
The winners of these national events get the opportunity to participate in the global final in San Francisco (Silicon Valley). Today, Startup World Cup is held through over 100 regional competitions in more than 60 countries around the world, making it one of the largest startup competitions worldwide.
At the grand finale, which is traditionally held in San Francisco, California, the finalists compete for a $1 million investment prize, as well as access to an international network of investors, partners, and mentors.
Last update: April 16th, 2026 г.
Project Management office
University of Economics-Varna organizes Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament in its capacity as a regional partner of Startup World Cup and Pegasus Ventures for 2026.
Important dates:
May 29th, 2026, 17:00 p.m.: announcing the 10 finalist companies that will compete inStartup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament:
June 4th, 2026 г., 13:30 p.m.: holding Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament, an event in the program of Evolvex Summit 2026 - a leading forum for innovation and intelligent business transformations through artificial intelligence.
Venue: Varna 9000, Bulgaria, Cherno more hotel, Buglaria hall
Agenda:
Previous editions of the Regional Tournament of Startup World Cup in Bulgaria:
Startup World Cup has regional editions in Bulgaria in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025, each of which selects a Bulgarian startup to represent the country at the global final in Silicon Valley:
Year 2025, Sofia, event within the Crossroads' agenda - international event for innovations and startups in Sofia;
Year 2023, Sofia, event within the Digital4Sofia' agenda - business and technology conference, focusing on digital marketing, e-commerce, innovation and entrepreneurship, part of the national series of events Digital4.
Year 2022, Sofia, event within the Digital4Sofia' agenda - business and technology conference, focusing on digital marketing, e-commerce, innovation and entrepreneurship, part of the national series of events Digital4.
Year 2021, Plovdiv, event within the Digital4Plovdiv' agenda - business and technology conference, focusing on digital marketing, e-commerce, innovation and entrepreneurship, part of the national series of events Digital4:
Year 2019, Varna, event within the InnoWave Summit' agenda - international conference on innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, which is taking place in the city of Varna:
We look forward to seeing you again in Varna!
Last update: May 4th, 2026 г.
Dear Candidates,
Thank you for your interest in Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament. For any questions or ambiguities that you cannot find the answers to, we invite you to contact us at the contact details below.
Definitions:
"Applicant" - a registered legal entity (for-profit) on whose behalf an application has been submitted for evaluation and admission to participation in Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament;
"Finalist" - a legal entity (for profit) whose application has been admitted to participation in Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament;
"Regional Winner" - a legal entity whose application has been selected as the winner among the 10 applications admitted to presentation within Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament.
I. General Information:Working language: English.
Applicant profile: the startup must be a legal entity, not just an idea or an individual project. We encourage startups in any field and at any stage of their development to apply. There are no restrictions on the amount of capital raised at the time of submitting an application for participation, we encourage everyone to apply.
Ideal applicats are start-up and innovative companies (1-7 years since establishment), registered as commercial companies LLC, Ltd, Joint-stock companies, other incorporated for-profit entities, with the ability to attract investment, including or equivalent foreign legal forms.
II. Stages of participation:
1. Submission of an application for admission to participation in Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament.
The application includes:
- A pre-prepared presentation according to the template, please follow the link and download the file. Do not edit it online.
- Additional guidence for the presentation content you can get here.
- Providing additional information in the form of a questionnaire, about your company, the stage of its development, the problem you address, the solution you propose, etc.
- You can attach a link to a video presentation of the idea or product. There is a section for this purpose in the application form.
You submit your application at this link, having previously familiarized yourself with and agreed to the General Terms and Conditions of Participation. The General Terms and Conditions are published on this page for informational purposes. You will indicate your consent during the application process.
Application Instructions:
1. All applications must be submitted in English.
2. Once you have completed the application form, make sure to complete the process by clicking the "submit" button at the end.
3. Make sure to include the following slides:
|| Problem Statement || Proposed Solution || Product Details || Business Model || Market Opportunity || Competition || Growth Strategy || Current Traction || Financials || Team || Current Funding Status II
4. Please adhere to the following pitch deck template as a recommended format.
5. University of Economics - Varna will contact the finalists (startups selected to present within the Startup World Cup Bulgaria 2026, Regional tournament) for additional information and instructions, no later than 22.05.2026. The finalists will also be announced on the websites and social media profiles of the Regional Partner.
6. Applications must be completed within one session. We strongly recommend that you keep a backup copy of the information you have provided.
7. Some sections of the application form have a limit on the number of characters you can enter. We recommend that you prepare your answers in advance, then copy the texts into the appropriate fields.
8. By submitting the application, you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
IV. Evaluation criteria:
Comming soon!
Last updated: May 2nd, 2026
Project Management Office
Dear Visitors,
Thank you for your interest in Startup World Cup Varna 2026, Regional tournament. Your presence is important both for us and for the candidates who will present their companies.
Registration deadline: 03.06.2026, 23:59
We are waiting for you!
Last update: April 16th, 2026
Project Management Office
Extract:
Is there an application fee?
No.
How many startups will be selected at each regional event?
The regional competition for Bulgaria will admit 10 startups from all applicants.
When will the regional finalists for Bulgaria be announced?
The regional finalists will be announced on May 27th, 2026.
How much time will each startup have to pitch?
Each startup will have 4 minutes to pitch, followed by 2 minutes of Q&A from the jury.
Do you have sample pitch deck slides?
Please see the pitch deck template here.
Will submitting the additional video increase my chances of selection?
The additional video is intended to help the application evaluation committee better understand the company. If your company is difficult to explain in a few slides, a video may help, but it will not necessarily increase your chances of selection.
What does the regional winner startup get?
Startup World Cup will provide the winning startup from the regional event with free tickets to the Networking Party and the Grand Finale. Startup World Cup, Pegasus Ventures and the University of Economics-Varna do not cover airfare to the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley.
I am a regional winner, will my travel expenses be covered by Startup World Cup?
No, Startup World Cup, Pegasus Venture and the University of Economics-Varna will not cover or reimburse any travel expenses.
I am a regional finalist, will I present my project on both Day 1 and Day 2 of the Startup World Cup Grand Finale?
No, all finalists will present their project on Day 1. If you reach the final round on Day 1, you will continue to present on the main stage on Day 2.
How can a startup present a project at the Grand Finale?
Startup World Cup, together with regional partners from each country where the format is held, organizes approximately 100 regional events in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Each regional winner will compete in Silicon Valley in the final competition on November 18–20, 2026 at the Hilton Union Square, San Francisco. More details can be found on the Grand Finale page (link).
What does the world champion receive for winning the Grand Finale?
The winner of the Grand Finale will receive a prize of 1,000,000 USD in the form of an investment. It will be either in exchange for a part of the ownership (equity) related to the last round of financing, or in the form of a convertible loan (convertible note), depending on the size of the company and how much financing it has raised. The winner also receives global publicity through media coverage from all journalists covering the event.
If you need further clarification, you can contact us at the contact details provided.
We look forward to seeing you!
Last updated: May 27th, 2026
Project Management Department
