Episode description

Our next guest has come a long way in his professional and personal development - from investment banking, through digital media and marketing, and e-commerce to rethinking humanity’s relationship with food. Victor Penev is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of the food database and nutrition data provider Edamam. He is also a mentor and investor in food tech startups and an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs. Before that, Victor co-founded and sold Bulgaria’s largest Internet Company NetInfo BG. In this episode we discover what is next on his journey. In his conversation with Irina, Victor Penev talks about: The legacy of one of Bulgaria’s firsts digital media companies and the early days of the Bulgarian Internet; The bittersweet experience of selling your company as an entrepreneur; Building a business on the intersection of food and technology without traditional fundraising; Defining success beyond financial metrics, focusing on long-term impact; His new longevity project: redefining health and food in Bulgaria *This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed. Time Stamps: 0:00 Trailer 03:25 Introduction 04:13 After the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Student Ventures and First Media Startups 08:50 From Investment Banking to Entrepreneurship 10:52 The Origin Story of NetInfo: Bulgaria’s First Digital Media Company 12:45 How NetInfo Shaped Bulgaria's Internet Landscape 19:25 Trust and Transition: Victor Penev's Experience with Succession at NetInfo 23:14 Cooking Up Ideas: The Birth of Edamam on a Thai Beach 24:30 Breaking the Mold: Building Edamam without VC Money 30:40 Reflections on Venture Capital: Addressing Inefficiencies in Investment Practices 33:26 Meditative Entrepreneurship: Finding Calm Amidst Chaos 37:20 Do You Have to be Competitive to be a Good Entrepreneur? 45:10 The Art of Mentorship: Nurturing Organic Connections 49:50 The Relationship between Food and Longevity: Victor’s New Project 1:03:10 Life as a Puzzle: Entrepreneurship, Home, and Identity 1:09:29 Outro