SYS - Sirma Young Spirit
Sirma Group is the largest private Bulgarian group of IT companies. It was founded in 1992 and now includes 18 subsidiaries and associated companies operating in different areas of IT. During 17 years of successful growth the group has accumulated a substantial capital of unique technologies, goodwill, technical and business expertise. We in Sirma have always searched for good ideas, and our success is largely due to the ability to find good ideas and realize them into successful business enterprises. The SYS program is a logical extension of the company’s internal R & D and investment processes.
The SYS program is designed to help young entrepreneurs in the field of Information Technology and is part of Sirma's strategy to invest in new business ideas and to seek, promote and develop innovations. It is closely related to Sirma's commitment to promote the development of the Bulgarian IT industry, and to make the world a better place by using technology.
The program is focused on placing seed investments, which is the earliest stage in the chain of venture funding for a business.
Our goal in SYS is to help you go through the first phase of development of your business, which may include attainment of one or more of the following results depending on the specifics of each project:
- develop an impressive prototype and business plan to attract further investment
- develop an initial version of your product
- try to reach the market
- structure your company in a way that will allow you to make a successful future development
We believe in the creativity of young people. In SYS we seek and assist teams who are highly motivated and determined to bring a project to successful outcome. If we approve your project, we will invest in you, and will help you to walk down the hard road of entrepreneurship.
In SYS we encourage and support initiatives for which the following conditions are met:
- You have an innovative idea in the field of Information Technology
- A team of 2 to 5 people stands behind the idea
- The team members are young entrepreneurs, who have already worked together on the idea and have something to show
- Team members are ready to work overtime and exclusively on the idea for the next 6 to 12 months, without side committed with full dedication
- If at least one of the team members has some business skills and is willing to deal with the business side of the project, that will be considered an advantage
How the SYS program works??
- Project selection will take place twice a year: end of March and September.
- Download the Аpplication Form from here: SYS-Application-Form.doc.
- Complete and return the Аpplication for to sys AT sirma dot com
- We will contact you and will require additional information if necessary.
- We will hold preliminary meetings with teams whose ideas are approved for participation in the selection process.
- Pre-negotiate terms of investment. We will invest up to 50 000 BGN in the first round against minority stake in your company.
- If the project is selected, we and the entrepreneurs will do the legal actions necessary to realize the investment.
- A mentor from Sirma will be named for each of the businesses in which we decide to invest. The mentor will assist business development, advise, monitor progress and carry out the relationship between the new business and technological and business resources in Sirma.
- Within the program, Sirma provides the infrastructure needed to develop the new business.
- The main objective of the investment is to allow the entrepreneurs to concentrate and devote their efforts completely to project implementation.
- Along with the project technological development, the mentor and Sirma’s business teams will work with the entrepreneurs on business plan development.
- We will help entrepreneurs to meet with other potential investors, and will assist them in negotiations for the second round of investment if necessary.
- Entrepreneurs will have access to the international network of Sirma’s partners and distributors. Sirma will facilitate them in meetingh potential, strategic to their business major international companies.
- We will welcome young entrepreneurs in the Sirma family. We will work hard together and together we will succeed!
Have a Young Spirit! Be SYS!
For additional information and project proposals, please contact us at sys AT sirma.com