Bulgarian volleyball legend Matey Kaziyski took an important step outside the sports arena by investing in the Bulgarian IT company "Tiger Technology" AD. According to information in Forbes, he subscribed 3961 shares for BGN 1,112,047 (i.e., he purchased that many shares in the company), making him the leading individual investor at this stage. The total value of funds attracted for the company is BGN 1.117 million.

Kaziyski's trust

"Matey Kaziyski is one of the most recognizable Bulgarian athletes in recent years. The fact that he first supported us with so-called bridge financing (a temporary loan that helps the company continue its operations until the next larger financing), and then converted all his support into purchased shares, is a strong sign of trust in the company's development trajectory," commented toForbesAlexander Lefterov, founder and CTO of "Tiger Technology".

This is Kaziyski's first more significant publicly announced investment in Bulgaria, and the news comes at a time when he is about to return to Bulgarian club volleyball, with an expected contract signing with vice-champion "Lokomotiv Avia" (formerly "Marek"). Thus, his name is once again associated not only with sporting successes but also with entrepreneurial ventures.

An example from sports – and off the field

Matey Kaziyski is not the only great Bulgarian athlete who decides to support technology companies. Three months ago, it became clear that Dimitar Berbatov had become a shareholder in "Taxi Volt" AD. These steps show that former and current stars of Bulgarian sports are starting to use some of their funds to support young and promising businesses in Bulgaria.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov