Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Unexpected Places

This book sheds light on one of the biggest development issues of our time: how the rise of entrepreneurship and the associated mindset is likely to unfold in unexpected places and change socio-economic and political fortunes. Focusing on the Balkan Peninsula, the authors explore the early success of young entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region and highlight the dangers of direct comparison with more mature entrepreneurial centres. Offering fresh insights, this brand new book presents an analytical overview of the entrepreneurial domain that enabled Bulgaria to become the start-up capital of the Balkans. With empirical data gathered from over 80 interviews and case studies, the authors address the needs of decision-makers and managers in many countries which are on the path towards nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Features remarkable case studies and insights from all available programs and investment funds in the region Identifies the achievements of the Bulgarian regional eco-system that goes beyond the monetary indicators of success Addresses the need of existing eco-system participants to better understand their role and prepare them for future steps

Autorentext
Veneta Andonova is Associate Professor of Business Strategy in the School of Management at Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. Previously, she has worked at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain, ITAM, Mexico, and the American University in Bulgaria. In 2018 she published her first book, Multilatinas: Strategies for Internationalisation.

Milena S. Nikolova teaches Marketing in the Executive MBA and the undergraduate business program at the American University in Bulgaria. Previously, she studied marketing at the George Washington University (GW) School of Business, USA.

Dilyan Dimitrov is a co-founder of Eleven Accelerator Venture Fund, where he has scouted and invested in over 100 start-ups in Central and Eastern Europe since 2012. Prior to this, as the Vice President of Bedminster Capital Management Dilyan worked in areas such as healthcare, media and financial services.

Klappentext
'Entrepreneurship can make a difference in a society when its success stories are celebrated and its lessons learned are shared. By celebrating successes and extracting lessons, this text has the potential to engage more young people, experienced entrepreneurs and curious investors, and thus make a difference in the future of the region.' Bill Aulet, Senior Lecturer & MD, Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship, USA, and Author of Disciplined Entrepreneurship (2013)

This book sheds light on one of the biggest development issues of our time: how the rise of entrepreneurship and the associated mindset is likely to unfold in unexpected places and change socio-economic and political fortunes. Focusing on the Balkan Peninsula, the authors explore the early success of young entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region and highlight the dangers of direct comparison with more mature entrepreneurial centres. Offering fresh insights, this brand new book presents an analytical overview of the entrepreneurial domain that enabled Bulgaria to become the start-up capital of the Balkans. With empirical data gathered from over 80 interviews and case studies, the authors address the needs of decision-makers and managers in many countries which are on the path towards nurturing entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Inhalt
Part I. Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Numbers and Quotes.- 1. What is an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem?.- 2. Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in the Balkan Peninsula.- 3. The Creation and Development of the Ecosystem: The Role of ICT.- 4. Balkan Start-ups and the Entrepreneurs behind them.- 5. Founder and Stakeholder Interests: Combining Economic and Societal Factors in the Balkan Peninsula.- Part II. Case Studies: Entrepreneurial Ecosystems from Within: People, Stories and Lessons from the Balkans.- 6. Coherent Labs.- 7. Dronamics.- 8. Enhancv.- 9. FITE TV.- 10. Sensika Technology.- 11. Rentl.10.- 12. Telerik.- Part III. Conclusions.- 13. Concluding Thoughts and Lessons Learned from the Birth of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Unexpected Places.