The Recursive Podcast

Our next guest is one of the power ladies of the Bulgarian VC sector. Elina Halatcheva is a managing partner at BrightCap Ventures . With a background in finance and investment banking, Elina has an MBA from Stanford University. She grew as a professional in the US and UK markets and her expertise ranges from investment banking to e-commerce and real estate. Eventually, Elina came back to Bulgaria...

Our next guest is a seasoned executive who has walked the road from corporate to entrepreneurship. After more than 20 years in different positions in the IT industry, Dimitar Dimitrov founded his own company. Digital Lights is a software company building innovative solutions for the mobility industry. Recently, it has been ranked the 3d fastest-growing IT company in Bulgaria. Dimitar Dimitrov is a...

Our next guest’s mission is to make artificial intelligence more secure and reliable. Petar Tsankov is at the unique intersection of science and entrepreneurship. Until recently, He’s was researcher and a lecturer at ETH Zurich, and currently co-founder of LatticeFlow , a company helping machine learning teams build and deploy trustworthy AI. Before that, Petar already had one successful exit. He...

Our next guest discovered entrepreneurship when he was a teenager. Since then Radu Negulescu has been running multiple successful businesses. While still in university, he founded Trencadis , a company developing IT solutions for governmental institutions and businesses. Trencadis was recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in Central Europe by Deloitte. During the pandemic, Radu appoin...

Our next guest has participated in the Romanian tech ecosystem since its inception. First as an angel investor, today, Dan Mihaescu is the founding partner of GapMinder VC . He has led GapMinder’s investments in companies like FintechOS, TypingDNA, Cartloop, Cyscale, and DruidAI. Before that,  Dan was a seasoned business executive with experience in small, medium to large enterprises, M&A...

Our next guest is one of the most influential people in tech in Europe. Mike Butcher is Editor-at-large at TechCrunch . But his journalistic work has appeared in many media outlets from The Guardian to the BBC, and Bloomberg. He was recognized by the Queen of England for his services in tech industry and journalism. Mike has also advised UK Prime Ministers and the Mayor of London on tech startup p...

Our next guest takes education very seriously. So much so, that she founded an ed-tech startup. Evelina Necula is the co-founder of Kinderpredia . A school management software that simplifies administrative stuff to help teachers, parents, and students communicate better. Today, Kinderpedia is used by schools and kindergartens in 14 countries. In over 2000 schools and kindergartens worldwide. Evel...

Our next guest is born an entrepreneur. At just 23 years old, he already had three companies, making profits. Andrei Ursachi is a serial entrepreneur, currently serving as the CEO of Stailer, an online booking platform for the beauty industry .  An opportunity Andrei saw and acted on in the midst of the pandemic. He utilizes his background in digital marketing and psychology to build fast-sca...

Our next guest has a passion for exploring the barriers to AI implementation. As a startup founder, and an advisor, but also as an investor. Dimitrios Skaltsas is the co-founder and Executive Director of Intelligencia . A company that helps pharma and biotech companies reduce risks in drug development and bring new drugs to market faster. Dimitrios has an MBA from INSEAD and he has been an executi...

Our next guest is a true community builder and a person with a passion and talent for connecting people. Pavlina Yanakieva is the co-founder and CEO of Bulgaria Innovation Hub . A non-profit that aims to build bridges between Sofia and the Silicon Valley and help local entrepreneurs scale their businesses in the US market. Before that Pavlina gained experience in sales, marketing, and network deve...

Our next guest is known as the Guru of the Greek startups. Apostolos Apostolakis is a partner at Venture Friends . The first 100% private venture capital fund in Greece with successful exits and soonicorns like Blueground and Spotawheel in their portfolio.  Today, Venture Friends has spread its impact not only throughout Europe but also to South America and the Middle East. Apostolos also has...

Next on The Recursive podcast, we welcome the Chief Financial Officer and Partner at LAUNCHub Ventures , Irina Dimitrova . She left behind a prospective career in London, where she graduated in Banking and International Finance from the University of London, to pursue her dream - of making an impact in her home country, Bulgaria. With her financial acumen and determination, she managed to put Sout...

Next, on The Recursive podcast, we welcome an innovation driver and supporter in the Bulgarian startup ecosystem. Meet Max Gurvits, a “Bulgarian by choice,” as he describes himself. Max is a Managing Partner at Sofia-based VC, Vitosha Venture Partners. Graduating from The University of Groningen with a Master’s degree in International and European Law, Max explores his interest in entrepreneurship...

Our next guest, Vicky Foteinou, has been side-by-side with the tech founders from the Greek innovation ecosystem for the past decade. She has consulted startups from scratch, navigating their growth and expansion across markets, sectors, and networks. Payhawk, Plum, WealthyHood, Finloup, and Welcome Pickups, to name a few. Vicky Foteinou is an experienced program manager with a background in publi...

Our next guest’s growth journey reflects the growth of the Greek innovation landscape. Dimitris Kalavros got fascinated with tech innovation while working as a journalist. This is how he found his own calling for entrepreneurship. Dimitris brought the TEDx conference to Athens and has curated it for more than a decade. He also created Found.ation, a technology and innovation enabling platform in S...

Next, on The Recursive Podcast, we welcome someone who is literally driving innovation in the future of mobility. Meet Thomas Metz , the Managing Director of Bosch Engineering Center Sofia . Before coming to Bulgaria, he held various positions in Bosch Group. He worked in the field of automotive engineering, key customer management, and strategic marketing and sales. Thomas Metz joined Bosch more...

Welcome back, The Recursive Community! Our summer season is starting off hot with one of the stars of the European fintech world -   Victor Trokoudes , the co-Founder and CEO of the AI money management app Plum. Plum is a European smart money app that aims to grow people’s wealth through automation. It's built to improve financial outcomes for everyone by helping customers save, invest, budge...

Our next guest is passionate about building companies and developing marketing strategies. But he’s also experienced in building communities. Svetoslav Dimov is the co-founder and CEO of DEV.BG , the biggest IT community in Bulgaria. DEV.BG is also a leading tech job board and one of the main organizers of tech events in the country. Helping IT professionals not only to find opportunities, but als...

Our next guest started her career in journalism. But switched career paths from media to property management and entrepreneurship. Galia Jordanova is the co-founder of a tech company that tries to reinvent the way people buy and manage properties. Gaida. AI deploys technology to simplify the process of buying and managing your property and save people money on mortgages. In her conversation with G...

Our next guest is an engineer by profession and a community builder by calling. Dimitris Dimosiaris is the co-founder of Founderhood . A platform for tech startup founders in their early stages to support and connect them with all the stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Prior to this, Dimitris co-founded ThinkBiz Hellas and Mindspace. Two of the largest NGOs in the field of entrepreneur...

Our next guest is a bold dreamer. When Martin Vechev graduated in Computer Science from Cambridge university he dreamt of creating a world-class research center in his homeland Bulgaria. Today, his dream is a reality. Martin Vechev is the architect of The Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) in Sofia. The deep tech institute was created in collaboration w...

Hello from Athens, The Recursive community! Our next guest combines several unique talents: legal background with business acumen and people’s skills. Athina Polina Dova is the co-founder of Owiwi . A digital tool that combines psychological research with game design to help companies recruit the best talent. Athina Polina is the Vice-President of the International Union of Professional Trainers....

Our next guest is a business development professional who got fascinated with the world of crypto. Jordan Stoev is the Head of Crypto & Trading, Skrill & NETELLER at Paysafe Group , one of the biggest IT employers in Bulgaria. In the last five years, he gained extensive experience in investing, valuations, analysis, advisory, and solutioning in crypto. With a background in business analysi...

Hello from Athens, The Recursive community! Our next guest describes herself as a Civil Engineer by degree and an innovation enthusiast by nature. Niki Karali is the co-founder of Mantis Business Innovation . A company that provides growth strategies, innovation programs, and startup scouting. Together with an innovation management software to digitize the whole process. Niki is also an active sta...

The Recursive podcast is filming from sunny Athens this week. Our first guest has a rich entrepreneurial journey despite her young age. Stefi Vasilopoulou started her first business when she was just 21 years old. Since then she has juggled many roles. Entrepreneur. Consultant. Angel investor. Mentor. Community builder. Most recently Stefi co-founded Hellenides , a career network that supports wom...