Religious funding is boosted in Bulgaria
Recent budget amendments have further increased religious subsidies from 49 million to 78.37 million levs (about 40 million euros).
In Bulgaria, the constitution formally separates religious institutions from the state. However, in practice, this division has eroded, especially since 2020. Over the past five years, religious institutions have received 361.73 million levs from the state budget and agricultural programs, with the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) as the largest beneficiary, receiving more than 228 million levs, followed by the Grand Mufti's Office with 77 million levs.
Even a tax audit of the BOC conducted last year by the National Revenue Agency (NRA) triggered no consequences, raising concerns about accountability and the growing intertwining of church and state.
9km bypass to finally start in Oryahovo
The Road Infrastructure Agency (API) has announced a public procurement for the construction of a bypass in the Danube town of Oryahovo. The project has an estimated budget of 51.1 million levs (excluding VAT). Oryahovo, which has 5,000 residents, lies between the ports of Lom and Nikopol and has a ferry connection to Romania.
The 9-kilometer bypass will have a G10.5 road profile, meaning one lane in each direction. Though the project has been planned since 2015, delays in administrative procedures stalled progress, and the technical design will now be updated as part of the procurement process.
AI security startup generating interest
Bulgarian venture capital firm LAUNCHub Ventures, which manages 74 million euro from the EIF, World Bank, and private investors, is leading a 7 million euro investment in SplxAI, a U.S.-based company with Croatian roots.
The funding round includes participation from U.S. firm Rain Capital, Poland's Inovo, cybersecurity fund Runtime Ventures, Norway's DNV Ventures, and South Central Ventures. LAUNCHub partner Stanislav Sirakov will join SplxAI's board of directors.
Sirakov emphasized the growing security risks posed by AI agents and noted SplxAI's unique strategy for mitigating these threats at scale. While LAUNCHub's current fund is nearing the end of its active investment period, Sirakov confirmed that preparations for a follow-up fund are underway, with strong interest from potential investors.
Religious funding is boosted in Bulgaria
Recent budget amendments have further increased religious subsidies from 49 million to 78.37 million levs (about 40 million euros).
