site.bta18-Year-Old Bulgarian Presents Innovative Soil Protection Project at COP28

Konstantin Yordanov, the youngest innovative entrepreneur to give a presentation at the Bulgarian pavilion at COP28, has created Agron, an agronomic serum combining pesticides and fertilizers that stimulate plant growth and restore the soil. The 18-year-old is a last-year student at the Baba Tonka High School of Mathematics in the city of Ruse (on the Danube).

The idea was born when Konstantin participated in a Junior Achievement camp involving Norwegians. After the lectures, he realized that he could easily find a solution to an important problem, he told BTA in Dubai.

Now Agron is on its way to certification and patenting. Konstantin developed the innovative product, and Stella, his partner in the start-up, handles the organizational work. The young entrepreneur and innovator is studying biology and chemistry extra hard because he wants to study medicine. "The knowledge I am gaining has helped me create this functional product in a logical way," he said.

Konstantin Yordanov is proud of his experiments with vertical gardens. As to business development, he wants to collaborate with organizations that would like to increase their portfolio. He already has partners, mainly in Spain and Italy. "We would very much like to find users in Bulgaria as well," he said. At COP28, Konstantin has held meetings with potential Arab partners, who might use the product in their attempts to make fertile the sandy soil of the region where they operate.

Agron collaborates with the Faculty of Economics of the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and is involved in various accelerators with another startup, Vodoraslo, which develops products based on algae. Yordanov uses a production base in his hometown of Ruse and is looking for opportunities to expand production.

"I can't describe how happy I am that at this age I can do more than just go to school," Konstantin told BTA.