The Growth Program for most promising companies.
Empowering Bulgaria’s leading startups to reach new heights with Dare to Scale Program. #DareToScale
Main Partner
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Capital partner
Media Partners
Connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and mentors and expand your network.
43 alumni
Some of Bulgaria’s highest impact late-stage startups
70+ mentors
Since the Program’s first edition in 2019
125+ warm intro’s
To partners, investors & media outlets
500+ hours donated
By network members in the last 4 editions
Latest 2022 Cohort
A software company that develops mobile applications and offers a full range of services to create mobile products and custom solutions for early-stage companies.
https://www.appolica.com
A platform for combining digital customer service in the automotive, insurance, and leasing industries. It provides a digital „Car as a Service” ecosystem through Mobile Managed Marketplace.
https://avtoikonom.bg/
A non-governmental organization that connects startups, private and institutional investors, government, and other stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
https://besco.bg/
A company that develops and supports sophisticated solutions based on the Salesforce platform, implementing e-commerce projects in collaboration with global brands.
https://www.c4nexus.com/
A company that provides reliable monitoring and automation solutions that help energy and industrial companies better manage their assets and processes.
https://add-bg.com/en/home/
A manufacturer of protein bars possessing laboratory and fully automated production facilities. The company is export-oriented and its products are sold in more than 39 countries worldwide.
https://www.healthybars.eu/
A platform for easy purchase and sale of second-hand mobile phones, that are checked by an authorized service and with an added warranty of 2 years.
https://swipe.bg/
A property management company for short-term leases, with innovative monitoring software, allowing owners to profit more easily from their properties in Bulgaria and Romania.
https://www.flatmanager.bg/
An independent media platform for news coverage in Southeast Europe. They focus on sector innovation, entrepreneurship, and trends in regional ecosystems, providing international visibility.
https://therecursive.com/
A microbrewery engaged in the production of high-quality original beer and its distribution in Bulgaria and Europe. The brewery’s production is sold in most European countries.
https://sofiaelectricbrewing.com/
A technology that supports the monitoring of several types of parameters in bees, making it easier for beekeepers to protect their colonies. Pollenity offers a platform that connects Bulgarian honey producers with end-users.
https://pollenity.com/
What is Dare to Scale
Dare to Scale is a 4-month accelerator for entrepreneurs across various industries who are eager to scale their already profitable businesses with the help of group workshops and 1:1 mentoring from Endeavor’s network members and PwC’s top consultants. The highly-customized program is aimed at nurturing Bulgarian late-stage startups in their quest to become globally competitive, growth-oriented, and resilient businesses.
Every year, the program partners, together with the Endeavor network, interview the shortlisted candidates and select a cohort of 6-12 aspiring companies to join Dare to Scale. Since launching in 2019, the program has nurtured 43 late-stage startups that have received over 400 hours in mentorship, 150+ introductions to partners and investors and have attended multiple networking events.
Dare to Scale is run by Endeavor Bulgaria – an affiliate of Endeavor, a global non-profit organization that supports high-impact entrepreneurs in over 40 markets. In its latest edition in 2022, the program was proudly financed by Postbank, Software Group, EBRD and BSMEPA.
Eligibility criteria for candidate companies
HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED IN BULGARIA
MAX 150 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
2022 ANNUAL SALES OF MIN €100 K
Group Workshops
The program features group workshops dedicated on key business topics. The meetings are led by high-profile executives from various fields and industries – IT, VCs, financial institutions, retailers. The sessions provide the founders with useful resources and takeaways to help them further grow their ventures.
Intro’s & Mentorships
Dare to Scale provides the participants with introductions to top level executives, successful founders, and local VCs. Each company is assigned an individual mentor – a senior PwC Bulgaria consultant. On top of that, the founders meet regularly with Endeavor Bulgaria’s mentors. The consultants and mentors work with the entrepreneurs throughout the program and advise them on topics related to their specific business challenges.
Networking events
The entrepreneurs are invited to attend all networking events as part of Dare to Scale. During the final Demo Day event, they are given the opportunity to pitch their businesses in front of a significant audience of prominent jury members, VCs, Endeavor mentors and some of the most successful Bulgarian entrepreneurs.
Timeline
Applications
Open call
April 10, 2023
Interviews
May 2023
Notification to selected participants and alternates
June 2023
Program Run
September – December 2023
What our Alumni are saying 
“Dare to Scale helped us zoom-out of the day-to-day challenges, think strategically, define our ultimate objectives and start taking long-term bets towards them. The program also had a huge network effect for our company within the Bulgarian scale-up community! And most importantly, even during the COVID times, thanks to Dare to Scale, I managed to make some awesome new friends!”
Ruslan Leteyski
Founder, Checkout X
“Dare to Scale program is an excellent opportunity for early stage founders to learn from experienced entrepreneurs who have walked the path before. Besides various workshops that cover many of the aspects of running a company, you also get appointed a personal mentor, who will be supporting you during 1:1 sessions! Above all, it’s really up to you to take most of the program, the access to many successful entrepreneurs and peers.”
Oggy Popov
Founder, Prospecto
“Dare to Scale was very useful in a number of ways: 1) We made a number of improvements to our business, based on practical advice from mentors and speakers. 2) I upgraded my knowledge in each of the business areas we covered. This would serve me in the years to come. 3) Dare to Scale gives you access to a vast network of top experts and achievers in all business areas. Everyone was open to invest some of their time, talking to us.”
Svetoslav Dimov
CEO, DEV.bg
“On top of everything learned, the program provides you a friendly 360 degrees view of yourself and your company and this gives a strong kick for your next endeavors and growth.”
Blagovesta Pugyova
Co-Founder, Childish
“The great strength of Dare to Scale is that it has mentors who are business practitioners. These are entrepreneurs from the local community who have build successful companies and are business operators, not lecturers.”
Boyan Ivanov
CEO & Co-founder, StorPool Storage
“Dare to Scale proved to be an excellent opportunity also for non-software scale-ups, which is a rare gem to find in the sea of accelerators and programs. I believe the mentors and presenters at the workshops at Endeavor are the best you can find in our market and we highly value everything we learned. I believe Dare to Scale will change our business tremendously.”
Olya Antonova & Boris Georgiev
Founders, Trastena Wines
“Dare to Scale exceeded our expectations both in terms of value obtained through the workshops and mentor sessions and with respect to the way it was organized. The program pushed us to make some key steps, which are now enabling us to scale our business.”
Boris Pavlov
CEO, FlatManager
“Being part of Dare to Scale was a great experience for our team. All the meetings and workshops are so inspiring and, at the same time, challenging. We want to encourage every founder to participate in next year’s cohort as the value you will take, the people you meet and the opportunities you will have are priceless.”
Ralitsa Ivanova
Co-founder, Appolica
“Thanks to the Program, I have become way more confident and ambitious as a CEO. Dare to Scale not only allowed us to dream big but also provided us with practical business guidance.”
Mihail Dimitrov
CEO, Swipe.bg