5-Minutes With: Lyubomir Filipov
5-Minutes With is typically an interview series where business leaders from Endeavor Bulgaria’s network share their personal experiences, advice, and lessons learned — but for this edition, we’re expanding the spotlight.
As part of our Innovation Initiative in partnership with Veolia Bulgaria and Sofia Municipality, we’re excited to bring in the perspective of an ecosystem leader driving transformation from within one of Bulgaria’s most vital infrastructure organizations.
Meet Lyubomir Filipov, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Regulation at Sofiyska Voda, operated by Veolia. With deep roots in both the public and private sectors, Lyubomir brings insight into public-private partnerships, EU financing mechanisms, and how strategic alliances can unlock large-scale impact.
In this interview, he reflects on why intrapreneurship inside big organizations matters, what drives sustainable growth in utility services, and how corporate innovators can adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to drive change.
What does innovation mean to you personally, and how do you see it shaping the future of public services?
For me, innovation is not just about new technology, service or product – it’s about solving real problems in smarter, more sustainable ways.
Innovations are successful when they are not just a function but when they are a mindset. Especially in the realm of public services, innovation is no longer optional – it’s our responsibility to the next generation. As leaders in essential infrastructure, we must move from being operators of systems to becoming architects of sustainable society.
Innovation will define how we tackle the great challenges of our time: water scarcity, energy transition, and urban resilience. I envision a future where public services are digitally intelligent, ecologically restorative, and socially inclusive – where utilities don’t just respond to needs, but anticipate and shape them. That future begins with bold partnerships, cross-sector thinking, and a commitment to shared value.
What motivated Veolia Bulgaria to launch this initiative, and why now?
We launched our innovation and startup partnerships because the timing demanded leadership and collaborative efforts among all players – the small and large companies, the public administration and the society. Moreover, the innovative and start-up ecosystem in Bulgaria and the region has significantly flourished during the last few years, i.e. there is enough talent to be supported.
We’re living in a decade of convergence – climate urgency, digital transformation, and citizen empowerment are all accelerating at once. In Veolia and Sofiyska voda we saw an opportunity not just to adapt, but to lead – to become a catalyst for innovation across the entire public utility sector in Bulgaria and Wester Balkans region.
Why now? Because this is the tipping point. Traditional linear models of development are no longer viable. We must rethink how we produce, distribute, and regenerate value. By opening our doors to startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs, we’ve created a platform where local ingenuity meets global capability. It’s a strategic move, but also a deeply personal one – we’re building a legacy of innovation for the future of Sofia and the region.
In your view, what makes a startup ready to collaborate with a large organization like Veolia?
A startup is truly ready to collaborate with Veolia when it understands the art of scalability and the rhythm of the traditional corporate culture, which, yes, sometimes could be a quite lengthy process. Also, it’s not just about having a brilliant product – it’s about aligning with our mission, adapting to our operational complexity, and co-creating solutions that are resilient, compliant, and impactful at a scale.
We look for founders who combine agility with discipline – those who are not only solving a pain point, but are also thinking about systemic value creation. A readiness to engage in iterative pilots, to listen deeply, and to work within highly regulated environments is key. And above all, we’re looking for partners, not vendors – startups who want to walk the journey with us, who see Veolia not just as a customer, but as a long-term innovation ally.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to founders who want to work with you?
My advice is simple but fundamental: deeply understand the ecosystem you’re trying to impact. We operate in a space where infrastructure meets policy, sustainability meets economics, and innovation must meet public trust. Founders who succeed in our world are those who go beyond the pitch deck and immerse themselves in the realities of utility operations, regulatory expectations, and citizen needs.
Be visionary – but also be humble, structured, and partnership-oriented. Innovation is not just about invention – it’s about integration. If you can show how your solution fits into a larger puzzle and can grow within real-world constraints, then you’re already one step ahead.
What’s something exciting about Veolia that might be unexpected?
Most people don’t realize that Veolia is not just a global leader in environmental services – we are increasingly a platform for systemic environmental innovations. Behind the scenes, we’re building AI-powered water grids, circular industrial ecosystems, and carbon-neutral urban loops. This is not a company stuck in the past, it’s a company that is helping reinvent the infrastructure of tomorrow. In this direction is also our last strategic programme, GreenUp, which sets specific ecological objectives, aimed at making Veolia the champion of decarbonization, depollution and regeneration of natural resources.
What excites me personally is how deeply we are investing in local capacity building. In Sofia, for example, we’ve been able to blend global expertise with Bulgarian talent to create a living lab for sustainable transformation. That’s something unexpected – and incredibly powerful and positioning Bulgaria as a good example on the global green map.
What’s one innovation that’s surprised you recently – either in your work or outside of it?
Some recent innovations that truly impressed me was Veolia’s global concept for water reuse and capture of excess heat and energy in industrial production. The particular projects we have developed in the Americas, Europe and Asia demonstrate the efficient synergy among different industries and reconsiders how we use and most importantly utilize the available resources.
That’s transformative – not just in terms of efficiency, but in how we build trust with the public through reliability and foresight and also how we create awareness.
Outside of my field, I’m fascinated by bio-based materials – like mycelium insulation or algae-based plastics. These innovations represent a future where nature is not just preserved, but integrated as a technology.
What’s one book, podcast, or resource you’re currently reading or listening to that you’d recommend to others?
Right now, I’m diving into “Net Positive” by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. It’s a brilliant exploration of what it means for companies to go beyond “less harm” and instead become a force for systemic good. It resonates deeply with our mission at Veolia: to regenerate the environment, empower communities, and create long-term value, through purposeful actions.
I believe that every leader, especially those in infrastructure or government, should read it. It challenges us to think not just about profit, but about legacy. And ultimately, legacy is what great leadership is about.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Stay curious, ready to learn, and always ask why — to ask yourself, your team, and your support group. Don’t take answers as the ultimate truth. Stay critical but open-minded. Use all the support and resources available, be ready to pivot, and keep pushing outside your comfort zone. Resilience and continuous learning will take you further than any single idea.