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DNA information that is coded in our genes holds the key to our health – when it is read and analysed by professionals it can tell us whether we are carriers of rare and severe hereditary diseases, what are the risks of developing cancer, what should be our optimal nutrition in order to keep healthy weight, which medicines and in what doses will work best for us and even how to train more effectively. In short – the personalised treatment based on individual DNA analysis is the treatment of the future.

When Maria Chileva founded the real estate company Prestige Building in 2004, she set an ambitious goal for herself: to create a company where the quality of the service and the care for the client are priority. Today she can say that she has succeeded. Prestige Building skillfully adapts to the changes in the market, builds and sells quality apartments and holiday properties, and has an impeccable reputation as a real estate broker. To meet even better the clients' desires, the company also partners with other developers. Maria Chileva tells more.

In an ideal world Christina, a passionate tourism and hospitality professional, and Viktor, a Managing Director in the financial asset management space, would be living and working by the sea all-year round. With two little boys to raise and full-time jobs to attend, they decided to create a summer destination instead. Moana Co-Café is their seasonal co-working café located in the southernmost town on the Bulgarian Black Sea – Ahtopol. For the past three years they dedicated their summers to developing Moana'ta (as locals refer to it) into a shared space.

For adults and children who seek quality dioptric eyeglasses and sunglasses it holds special meaning – this August one of Sofia's most loved and renowned optics, Friends Optics, celebrated its 7th anniversary on the market.

The advice of an informed, experienced consultant is crucial for the investors who want to make the most of the commercial real estate market of 2024. Avison Young is a global commercial real estate company, which believes that commercial real estate is not just about profits – it helps both businesses and communities to thrive. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Avison Young is present in 20 countries (and counting) with over 100 offices across the world. So, what are the current trends on the Bulgarian and international market?

Office market highlights for the first half of 2024

When Francesco Frattini visited Bulgaria for the first time, in 1990, the country was in turmoil – the Communist regime had collapsed and the free market was being established. With time and more visits, Mr Frattini began to see a pattern – the country presented many opportunities for businesses, but potential Italian investors were in the dark of how the local law, administration and economy worked. In 2005, after helping an Italian client to invest in real estate in Bulgaria, Mr Frattini decided it was the right time to found his own consultancy, Alias Group.

In the modern world, thousands of companies can reach new markets thanks to the advantages and popularity of e-commerce. However, the timely and reliable logistics and transportation of goods across towns and countries are crucial for their success – and their clients' satisfaction. DHL Express Bulgaria is a company that holds the key towards successful business expansion to new markets and clients and now its services have become better tuned to the needs of an important group of partners – small and mid-size companies.

The adequate digital presence is a must for every business today, regardless of its size, field of activity, ambitions. This simple truth seems self-evident, but it was not always like that. Alen Popović knows this very well. When he founded his company for digital marketing 15 years ago, neither the market, nor the clients understood how important it was to partner with true professionals in this field.

The company has three locations – in Sofia, Smolyan and Gabrovo and over 1,000 employees.

Billboards of all sizes, souvenirs, branded scaffolding mesh, cars and trucks, digitally printed materials of the highest quality – literally at each step of our everyday lives we are surrounded by items and advertisements made by Fresh Print. The company for digital and large format printing was established in 2003 and has gained the deserved reputation of a reliable partner that works with the most advanced technologies and achieves outstanding results.

Buying real estate, writing a will or defending your inheritor rights – the only way to guarantee the best outcome for you in such circumstances is to consult with an experienced lawyer in the field. Why? Bulgarian law has its own intricacies that only local practitioners with years of experience are aware of, and property deals are too serious to be signed lightly. Legal Frame is a law firm that has established as its core priority the mission to help clients navigate the Bulgarian law and protect their best interests.

LIREX is a Bulgarian IT Solution company that strives to help businesses grow and prosper securely, efficiently and reliably. Innovative thinking, part of LIREX's DNA, is embedded in the ability to identify opportunities to optimize work processes and develop innovative customized solutions that make it easier for companies and help them focus on their core business. LIREX specialists therefore have extensive experience in developing bespoke solutions that are tailored to the specific requirements of each business from different industry sectors.

In today's rapidly changing world, life science companies play a critical role in tackling pressing global challenges. Bayer, a leader in healthcare and agriculture innovation, is at the forefront of developing solutions that improve lives, protect the planet, and promote sustainability. Lyuba Paounova, General Manager for Bayer Bulgaria and Head of HR for Romania, Bulgaria, and Moldova, brings Bayer's commitment to innovation, sustainability, and leadership to the Bulgarian business landscape.

Dr Manuela Toteva is a marketing and communications specialist with over two decades of experience in the field. She has managed communication projects for companies in the software industry, metallurgy, the financial sector, trade, and higher education, including SAP, Aurubis, METRO Cash & Carry and others, and is the author of the publication Effective Tools of Digital Marketing in B2B Organisations.

For over a decade now, Germani has been opening a wide window to the German-speaking world by offering high-quality education and care for children aged from one year and six months old to over six years old.

Licensed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education, Germani follows the pedagogical principles and goals set by the Law for Pre-School and School Education in the Republic of Bulgaria. By using the best educational programmes from Germany, Kikus and Hans Hase, it gently immerses its students in the richness of the German language.

To decipher what the numbers generated by the activities of a company are telling you and to make the best decision stepping on this foundation is a skill that requires talent and experience, and should be perfected for many years. Mariela Spiridonova knows this well. As a registered auditor and certified expert accountant, and professional who has taught for years at Varna's University of Economy, she can understand the secret language of numbers and to find their beauty and importance for every business.

ZAGORKA has a history of 122 years since the opening of the brewery in Stara Zagora. In 1994, the company joined the HEINEKEN global family. ZAGORKA is committed to developing its business sustainably and responsibly through its Sustainability Platform "Brew a Better World".

The company has a diverse high-quality portfolio of brands – Zagorka, Heineken®, Ariana, Birra Moretti, Amstel, Stolichno, Starobrno, and Apple Thief cider. ZAGORKA also offers alcohol-free drinks – Zagorka 0.0%, Heineken® 0.0, and Vibe by Ariana Radler 0.0%.

The brewery of Kamenitza AD in Haskovo is brewery Number 1 in the global Molson Coors Group for the second year in a row. Every year, over 20 production facilities compete for the recognition; their performance is evaluated on the basis of 13 indicators. Some of the leading KPIs include: consumption of resources such as water and electricity, effectiveness of the production process and the packaging lines, average time between unplanned outages etc. The indicators of each brewery are followed and compared on a monthly basis through the year.

The companies that are members of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria are big, mid-size and small, and make 99% of beer in the country. Their share is 95% of the market and every year they pay taxes to the government that exceed 360 million leva. In 2023, despite the serious challenges due to the increased expenses for raw materials, the intensive investments in the brewing industry continued. The capital investments in the past 18 months amounted to 92 million leva, of these over 45 million leva were in long-term material assets for green innovation