Two Students from Technical University of Sofia receive awards at the 2026 John Atanasoff Award Ceremony

Tihomir Garmenliev, a Computer Science and Software Engineering student at Technical University of Sofia, and creator of the BulTrain digital platform, received the John Atanasoff award in the category Project with High Public Impact. His platform, aimed at modernizing rail transport in Bulgaria and Europe, already has over 1000 active monthly users.

In the John Atanasoff – Students and Their Teachers category, an award received Kaloyan Anastasov – until recently a student at Technological School of Electronic Systems (TUES) – and as of this year, a first-year student at the Faculty of Telecommunications at Technical University of Sofia. Top performer at the 2026 National Information Technology Olympiad, recipient of the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies National Award and several other awards for his project “Stryama” – an AI-powered platform for web application generation. Credit for Kaloyan Anastasov’s success also goes to his TUES teacher – Milen Spasov, and his significant contribution. The two received the award together in the Coat of Arms Hall at the Presidency from President Iliana Iotova herself.

In the 24th edition of the presidential initiative, the John Atanasoff Grand Award goes to Dr. Dobrik Georgiev – a young Bulgarian computer scientist, currently pursuing his academic career at University of Cambridge, UK.

The John Atanasoff Award ceremony takes place annually around the birth date of the renowned inventor of Bulgarian descent and creator of the first digital computer. Traditionally, the presidential initiative honors students and young Bulgarian scientists for outstanding achievements in the field of computer science.
The recipients of the John Atanasoff Award and Certificates are selected by a jury of leading Bulgarian scientists and experts in the field of computer science.

Presenting the awards, President Iliana Iotova wished the laureates to walk confidently on the path of high technology, and to maintain their connection with Bulgaria, just as John Atanasoff remained connected to his homeland throughout his life.