The Bulgarian who created the first factory in space: How does one become an “extraterrestrial” entrepreneur?

He builds factories in space and is Bulgarian. In 2024, his company became only the third in history to successfully return cargo back to Earth (after Space X and Boeing). His name is Delian Asparouhov. He is the co-founder and CEO of Varda Space Industries – one of the hottest start-ups in the global space industry today.

Does it sound fantastic? But it's not. Or maybe it is, but science fiction has already become reality. It is being made possible by people just like him, people who are ready to go "all in" so that everyone can benefit from their future success. We still don't know whether Delian and his idea for pharmaceutical production in space will unfold as planned, but it is certain that he is one of those visionaries who pave the way where there is none yet.

Briefly about him: He finds working with "normal" technologies boring, so he boldly jumps into the darkest darkness – space – where he creates the world's first factory outside Earth, which could spark a revolution in healthcare. He is a pioneer who does not wait for others but creates the future he dreams of himself.

Delian left Bulgaria as a child, but to this day he feels deeply connected to his native country, to which he continues to return. His dreams of space date back to around the same time he moved to live with his parents in the United States. It took him about 20 years to start making them come true. In the meantime, he enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and soon after received $100,000 from Peter Thiel to leave this prestigious educational institution and start his own business. He tested various ideas, became a professional investor, but never stopped thinking about space companies.

Delian Asparouhov is a next-generation innovator or, as Economic.bg called him in its first interview with him, an "extraterrestrial entrepreneur." A year later, we meet him in an unusual and extremely colorful conversation between two space enthusiasts who have chosen to invest and help develop the industry in outer space, which everyone is watching with great expectations.

We present to you the exclusive conversation between Delian Asparouhov and Dobroslav Dimitrov, chairman of BRAIT, which was the highlight of the program of ALL IN – the business forum of Economic.bg, organized in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Bulgarian Employers' Association for Innovative Technologies (BRAIT).

Translated with DeepL.