The tenth cohort of Future Unicorns closed its journey this spring with a milestone program that brought together founders, mentors, and investors across two continents. Over several weeks, the participating teams moved from intensive online sessions to an in-person residency at the heart of the global startup scene: Silicon Valley.
This 10th cohort brought together ten remarkable startups that reflect the region’s diversity and technical strength: Moveo.AI, Bronia AI, Petsy, EPIX.AI, Team Schedule, AdScout, Omnisearch, CulturePulse, Mirror 360, and ufleet. Each team represents a unique approach to innovation, from AI-driven automation and customer experience to HR technology, analytics, and logistics optimization, proof of how broad and mature the entrepreneurial landscape in CEE has become.
A Milestone Moment for CEE Founders
The experience combined structure with discovery. Founders joined workshops that sharpened their understanding of international markets, refined their storytelling for investors, and helped them translate local traction into a scalable global model. Every session built on the previous one, moving from fundamentals to real-world application based on the experience of repeat founders, successful entrepreneurs and enterprise C levels.
Inside the Silicon Valley Experience
In California, the program came to life. The cohort visited the offices of global companies like META, Apple, Google, and Sequoia, observing how large-scale organizations think about innovation and long-term growth. Beyond inspiration, these visits offered practical lessons in operational excellence and product culture. Founders had the chance to see how global players organize teams, measure outcomes, and maintain agility at scale.
Mentorship has always been the backbone of Future Unicorns, and this cohort benefited from an exceptional lineup of experts with deep ties to Silicon Valley and the broader US ecosystem.
The founders met leaders who have built and scaled companies across markets, including Bogomil Balkansky, Villi Iltchev, and Lidiya Dervisheva. Conversations with them went beyond introductions; they focused on the realities of fundraising in the US, entering competitive markets, and managing investor expectations while staying true to a long-term vision.
One of the highlights of the program was the Shark Tank session at SHACK15, hosted with the support of Bogdan Cristei and Jørn Lyseggen. Here, founders had the opportunity to pitch directly to seasoned venture capitalists and receive unfiltered feedback on their ideas, market approach, and readiness for international growth.
Lessons Beyond the Sessions
The time in Silicon Valley also created space for less structured conversations that often prove just as valuable as formal sessions. Founders shared lessons learned, exchanged contacts, and reflected on the differences between European and American approaches to building companies. They spoke about the balance between ambition and focus, the discipline required to stay investor-ready, and how to build credibility in markets where competition never slows down.
Every cohort of Future Unicorns builds on the experience of those before it. For this tenth edition, the focus was on helping founders translate potential into performance in markets beyond the region. Many came with strong technical backgrounds and early traction at home but sought guidance on how to position themselves for US or global growth. The program gave them the frameworks and access to start that transition with confidence.
Behind the scenes, what keeps Future Unicorns consistent is its growing community of mentors and partners who contribute their time and experience. The organization continues to attract professionals with firsthand knowledge of global expansion, corporate strategy, and venture investment. Their involvement ensures that founders receive grounded feedback and connections that extend well beyond the program itself.
For the founders, this journey is often described as a turning point. Exposure to a mature ecosystem like Silicon Valley allows them to benchmark their progress, validate assumptions, and refine their business models. Some return to CEE with potential partnerships or early investor interest; all return with a clearer understanding of what global scale demands.
The Power of a Connected Community
Future Unicorns exists to make these kinds of experiences accessible for the region’s most promising startups. Central and Eastern Europe has deep engineering talent and a growing base of successful entrepreneurs, but many still face limited access to global networks and growth capital. By bridging that gap, the accelerator helps founders focus their ambition, expand their perspective, and build the resilience required to succeed internationally.
The success of the tenth cohort would not have been possible without the support of Future Unicorns’ long-time partners. Special thanks go to America for Bulgaria Foundation, the mentors who guided the teams through each step, to the investors who offered feedback during the Shark Tank session, and to the organizations that opened their doors to the founders. Programs like this rely on a shared belief that regional innovation can compete globally when given the right exposure and context.
Looking Ahead: The Next Chapter for Future Unicorns
As this cohort closed, the sense of progress was clear. Ten editions in, Future Unicorns has helped startups refine their business models, expand into new markets, and attract international investment. Many of the founders who once joined as participants now stay involved as mentors, strengthening the cycle of learning and collaboration that defines the program.
Looking ahead, Future Unicorns will continue to connect founders from CEE with global markets, mentors, and investors. Each new cohort adds to a growing network of entrepreneurs who share one goal: to build enduring, internationally competitive companies from this region.
The tenth cohort proved that the distance between Sofia and Silicon Valley is not measured in geography but in access, mindset, and readiness to learn, and we’re very excited to see the next 10 cohorts unfold.
