Ecosystem Radar

JEREMIE Bulgaria extension opens €210m for high-tech companies

An extended EU-backed financing scheme is set to put about €210 million into Bulgaria's high-tech ecosystem. Under JEREMIE Bulgaria, the European Investment Fund will oversee the programme through 2035, with a stated focus on SMEs and strategic technology areas.

Sofia Capital ©Unsplash

FTS Insights official • For Bulgaria, this is a signal of continuity as much as scale. Rather than a one-off announcement, the story is about recycled capital being extended with a longer horizon, clearer sector priorities and a link to a wider European initiative. For Sofia and the regional ecosystem, that points to a more structured financing path for companies working in strategic technologies.

Key Takeaways
  • This is an extension of an existing programme, not a greenfield funding scheme.
  • €210 million is the headline figure, built from reinvestment capital plus recycled EU funds.
  • AI, microelectronics, quantum, space and green tech are explicitly in scope.
  • The programme now also reaches dual-use and infrastructure-related investments.
Why this matters
  • The programme extends a financing channel to 2035, giving founders and funds a longer planning horizon.
  • Its priority list aligns Bulgarian capital deployment with sectors Europe treats as strategic.
  • Because JEREMIE recycles returns into new investments, earlier activity can keep feeding the local market.
  • Bulgaria's entry into European Tech Champions adds a regional signal beyond the domestic market.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

April 15, 2026

EU financing injects €210m into Bulgarian high-tech sector

by The Brussels Times Newsroom

Read coverage on Brussels Times

“Together with our partners in Bulgaria, we are determined through the EIF to support Bulgarian entrepreneurs, innovators and creators of high-value jobs"

– EIB Vice-President Marek Mora

Article Summary

Bulgarian high-tech companies are set to access about €210 million in fresh financing through an extended JEREMIE Bulgaria programme. The roadmap was presented in Sofia with the Bulgarian Ministry of Innovation and Growth and the European Investment Fund, which will manage the programme through 2035.

The available capital combines €160 million already earmarked for reinvestment with another €50 million in recycled EU financing. The programme is aimed at SMEs and names microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space and green technologies among its priorities.

The source says JEREMIE Bulgaria has supported more than 10,000 SMEs since 2010, invested in more than 13 venture capital and private equity funds, and helped finance more than 350 innovative companies and startups, including Payhawk. It also says Bulgaria will become the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to join the EIF's European Tech Champions initiative.

The new strategy also covers dual-use technologies and investments in energy, transport and digital infrastructure, widening the programme's scope beyond company financing alone.

Key Highlights

  • About €210 million will be made available to Bulgarian high-tech companies under JEREMIE Bulgaria.
  • The European Investment Fund will manage the programme through 2035.
  • Focus areas include microelectronics, AI, quantum technologies, space and green technologies.
  • Since 2010, the programme has supported more than 10,000 SMEs and backed over 350 innovative companies and startups.
  • Bulgaria will be the first country in Central and Eastern Europe in the EIF's European Tech Champions initiative.

Takeaway

The announcement matters because it combines capital, continuity and sector focus. For Bulgaria's tech market, the main signal is a longer-lived EU-backed financing instrument with strategic scope.

Read the full coverage on Brussels Times(en)

About Brussels Times

The Brussels Times - News and analysis on politics, Brussels, EU Affairs, business, world, national news, and more.

https://brusselstimes.com

Brussels Times

They are mentioned in this publication

Related Publications Continue reading

Vagabond Bulgaria's English Magazine / French ambassador Marie Dumoulin uses a new interview with Vagabond to describe Bulgaria through a diplomatic and cultural lens. Her remarks focus on Sofia’s energy, the country’s heritage, and the intensity of artistic and historical ties between France and Bulgaria.

Tech.eu / Quillon, a Sofia-built AI startup focused on technical accounting and financial reporting, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding and rebranded from Acclara AI. The company is positioning its product around traceability for accountants working under audit and disclosure pressure.

SeeNews / Bulgarian cargo drone developer Dronamics has announced a formal step into Japan. The company is opening Dronamics Japan Holdings and said Asia Air Survey has become its first Japanese investor.