Making European Regulations Less Painful
Martin Kostadinov turned red tape into a startup opportunity no one saw coming
Martin wasn’t supposed to be here.
Two years ago, he and his co-founder were building a decentralized tech solution to fight product counterfeiting across Europe.
Digital proof of ownership. Blockchain. Coco Chanel.
Sexy idea. Big dream.
But then they found out the big guys were already on it.
And they weren’t just competing, they were forming a consortium.
Martin calls it “like a breakup.” The kind that crushes you.
So they pivoted. Fast.
And that’s how Synex was born.
A startup nobody sees coming
Synex helps companies comply with Europe’s most complex product regulations.
Battery laws. Textile requirements. Digital product passports.
Stuff no founder wants to deal with — but has to.
Especially if you’re importing, manufacturing, or selling anything in the EU.
“Compliance is not optional. If your product isn’t compliant, you don’t sell. It’s that simple.”
Synex gives you both:
Experts who understand the regs
A software layer that simplifies the process
They work with battery manufacturers, fashion retailers, importers from China — anyone trying to sell into Europe and survive the growing wall of rules.
From student founder to compliance whisperer
Martin didn’t come from big law or consulting.
He was a teenager from Bulgaria.
He tried jobs in soil analysis, essential oils, publishing.
Started his first real project while still in school.
But before that?
“I had no direction. I was addicted to games. I was going nowhere.”
Then one day, during lockdown, he looked in the mirror and decided to change everything.
Cold showers. Discipline. Full reset.
He’s kept the ritual ever since.
The pivot that made Synex real
Their original startup idea had no path forward.
But while digging through the competition’s site, Martin spotted a term: Digital Product Passport.
One Google search later, he fell into the rabbit hole of ESPR — the European regulation on eco-design for sustainable products.
“It turns out this isn’t just about textiles. It’s batteries, furniture, electronics. It’s massive.”
That was the lightbulb moment.
They didn’t want to sound cool in a bar anymore.
They wanted to build something that solves a real, urgent, expensive problem.
What Synex actually does
Synex offers a mix of consulting and software.
Clients can pick how hands-on they want Synex to be.
It’s modular.
It’s tailored.
And it’s designed for compliance at scale — without hiring an army of internal lawyers.
They also experiment with AI internally:
Using ChatGPT and Comet for data review
Scraping websites to identify risky import patterns
Screening ERP systems to pull just the right compliance fields
But they’re careful.
“AI helps, but compliance is binary. Probabilistic tools aren’t reliable enough to certify anything.”
Why Europe matters
We talked about the usual complaints:
Too much regulation. Too slow. Losing ground to the US and China.
Martin disagrees.
Yes, Europe can be heavy.
But it also has two key advantages:
World-class talent
Huge public funding for innovation and compliance
“VCs give you debt now. But the EU has grants, support programs, and long-term plans. If you know how to use them, they’re better than most investors.”
Synex isn’t rushing to raise a round.
They’ll only do it if their SaaS layer becomes scalable across markets.
Otherwise? They’ll stay lean and profitable.
What makes a founder succeed?
Martin doesn’t brag about titles.
He doesn’t call himself CEO.
He just solves problems, builds systems, and connects the right people.
“My superpower is finding talent, aligning them, and helping them work toward the same goal.”
He lives in Madrid. Lifts competitively. Stays off social media.
Still takes cold showers.
He’s one of the most grounded founders I’ve talked to in a while.
My takeaway
Most people run away from boring problems.
Martin ran straight at one — and found a goldmine.
He’s not building vaporware on top of AI hype.
He’s building tools for the regulatory future every company in Europe will face.
If your product touches Europe, Synex might soon be your best friend.
If not? You’ll wish you knew them when the rules change.
🎧 Full episode live now — The Founders Chat
A great example of spotting opportunity where others see bureaucracy, turning complex EU regulations into a scalable, high-impact business