Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy

What Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy does

Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy is a Sofia-based live entertainment operator and the first registered stand-up comedy group in Bulgaria, founded on 16 May 2011. The legal entity is ИНСАЙД ДЖОУК СТЕНД-ЪП БЪЛГАРИЯ ЕООД (EIK 205568236), operating from бул. Евлоги и Христо Георгиеви 25. The company organizes and produces stand-up comedy events across Bulgaria and selectively in Western Europe and the United States, serving general adult comedy audiences, aspiring and professional comedians, and Bulgarian diaspora communities. Its comedian roster numbers approximately 15 named performers including founders Dimi Deyanski, Monika Naydenova, and Kubrat Argilashki, with international credentials spanning Sziget Comedy, US tours, and a Peacock documentary feature.

The product portfolio centers on four formats: weekly open mic nights in Bulgarian (Tuesdays at KEVA) and English (Mondays at KEVA); an annual Open Mic Stand-up Comedy Tournament with a 1000 BGN grand prize running since 2018; ticketed headline and themed showcase shows (Sofia vs Province, Gen Z vs Millennials, Brutal Stand-up, Stand-up Date, FOREIGN AFFAIRS); and international comedy tours in cities including Berlin, New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Prague, Belgrade, Amsterdam, and Pittsburgh. The company has no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on a Squarespace website, third-party ticketing infrastructure (bilet.bg, Eventim.bg, Showclix, Fienta, urboapp.com), Facebook event pages, and email. Inside Joke holds a registered trademark in Bulgaria and the EU for its brand identity.

The business model is event-driven and community-led. Primary revenue is generated through ticket sales at 20-40 BGN per seat, with couple bundles at 40-45 BGN and group promotions (4=5) at 110 BGN, distributed through online ticketing partners and at-door sales. A secondary layer of venue partnerships (KEVA bar, Club Singles at NDK, Senso Club in Varna, Toplocentrala) and co-productions with cultural programs (Sofia Summer Fest, Devet Slona) provides physical distribution and occasional sponsorship or revenue-sharing economics. Free-entry weekly open mics serve as a low-friction talent and audience acquisition funnel. The company is privately held with no external institutional investment, 7 employees, and no disclosed financial statements.

Name

Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy

Legal name

ИНСАЙД ДЖОУК СТЕНД-ЪП БЪЛГАРИЯ ЕООД

Website

https://insidejokestandup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy is a privately held Sofia-based live entertainment operator, founded in 2011 as Bulgaria's first stand-up comedy group. It produces weekly bilingual open mics, an annual tournament with a 1000 BGN prize, themed showcases, and international tours for Bulgarian and expatriate audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Comedy Entertainment

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Stand-Up Comedy Shows (MPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comedy Festivals (MPAGACAD), Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Live stand-up comedy
• Comedy shows
• Open mic nights
• Comedy events
• Comedy talent development

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Live event ticket sales: The primary revenue stream is ticket sales for stand-up comedy shows and themed events. Tickets are sold online via bilet.bg and Eventim.bg, and at the door. Pricing ranges from 20–40 лв for individual tickets, with promotional bundle pricing for couples (40–45 лв) and groups (110 лв for groups of 4-5). Free-entry open mic nights attract participants and audiences without ticket revenue.
2. Venue partnerships and sponsorship: Venue partners (KEVA, Club Singles, Toplocentrala, etc.) provide physical spaces for shows. Some events are produced in partnership with cultural festivals (Sofia Summer Fest, Rivers of Sofia) and cultural programs (Devet Slona), suggesting co-production or sponsorship arrangements that may involve revenue sharing or subsidized production costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy produces and operates live stand-up comedy entertainment in Bulgaria, running open mic nights, comedy tournaments, headliner shows, and international tours. Founded in 2011, it is the first stand-up comedy group in Bulgaria and operates with bilingual (Bulgarian and English) programming. The company operates from Sofia, Bulgaria, with seven employees, and holds a registered trademark in Bulgaria and the EU.

Product overview

Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy is Bulgaria's first and premier international stand-up comedy group, founded in May 2011. The company operates a portfolio of live entertainment products centered around stand-up comedy: weekly open-mic nights in both Bulgarian and English languages at KEVA venue in Sofia (its core recurring product since 2016), an annual Open Mic Stand-up Comedy Tournament (competitive format for aspiring comedians with a 1000 BGN prize), headline comedy shows featuring both domestic and international comedians with thematic formats (Sofia vs. Province, Gen Z vs. Millennials, Brutal Stand-up, Stand-up Date), and international comedy tours across Europe and the United States. The product portfolio spans free community open-mic events, ticketed headline shows, and competitive tournament formats, serving both Bulgarian-speaking and English-speaking audiences in Bulgaria and abroad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MicsItUp: Open mic event brand in partnership with Inside Joke, hosting the most open mics in Sofia

Products and services

• Live Stand-up Comedy Shows
• Open Mic Nights
• Stand-up Comedy Tournament
• International Comedy Tours

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicsItUpcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016MicsItUp is a co-host partner for open mic nights at KEVA. Together with Inside Joke, they host the most open mic events in Sofia. MicsItUp organizer Ogi Vasilev also serves as an open mic host and manages weekly scheduling. The partnership appears to date from 2016 and is a key operational collaboration.
• KEVA barcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEVA bar (ul. Rakovski 114, Sofia) is the primary recurring venue for Inside Joke's weekly open mic nights in both Bulgarian and English. It serves as the company's de facto home venue and is referenced across virtually all open mic event listings. The venue hosts multiple weekly events.
• Club Singles (НДК А4)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClub Singles, located at NDK (National Palace of Culture) entrance A4 in Sofia, is a key venue for headline shows and the annual Open Mic Tournament Grand Final. Multiple themed shows (Sofia vs Province, Brutal Stand-up, etc.) are hosted at this venue.
• Bilet.bgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBilet.bg is the primary online ticketing platform for Inside Joke events, handling ticket sales for the majority of shows. It offers individual tickets, couple bundles, and group promotions (4=5) with online advance pricing. The platform is referenced as the source of online tickets across all event pages.
• Senso Club (Varna)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenso Club at Varna's port area hosts stand-up comedy events in Bulgaria's seaside capital, including Gen Z vs Millennials and Stand-up Date shows. It represents Inside Joke's presence outside Sofia.
• ToplocentralaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerToplocentrala (5 ulitsa Emil Berzinski, Sofia) is an open-air venue used for the FOREIGN AFFAIRS English-language show. It is a cultural venue hosting Inside Joke's international comedy events.
• Sofia Summer FestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSofia Summer Fest is an annual outdoor festival held in Yuzhen Park. Inside Joke produces 'Sofia vs Province' shows as part of the festival program, reaching large outdoor festival audiences.
• Devet Slona (Девет слона)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDevet Slona is a summer arts program in Sofia (11-21 July 2024). Inside Joke co-produced a stand-up evening at the Swimming Pool venue as part of this program, with free entry for all attendees.
• BEVUP appminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBEVUP app (an application for paying for drinks remotely) partnered with Inside Joke for the women's open mic event on 8 March 2025 at KEVA, providing refreshment surprises for guests at the event.
• Фондация ПУЛС (PULS Foundation)minorOthersProceeds from the '40 NOT A PARTY' stand-up birthday event with Nadia Bright were donated as a gift/donation to the PULS Foundation. This charity event used the comedy show as a fundraising vehicle.
• BMNECC (Pittsburgh)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMNECC (449-451 W 8th Avenue, West Homestead, PA) hosted Donald McNair's stand-up show in Pittsburgh, USA. The venue handles local ticketing via Showclix, dinner service, and event production for the international show.
• Space Medusa Bar (Berlin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpace Medusa Bar in Berlin (Skalitzer Strasse 80) hosted the 'Стендъп за Наши Хора' show featuring Monika Naydenova and Petar Evtimov. Fienta was used for ticketing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AEG Presents: Global live entertainment promoter and venue operator producing concerts, festivals, and comedy events. Comparable as a live event promoter operating in the broader entertainment production space, though at much larger scale.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Global live entertainment conglomerate producing concerts, comedy, and theatrical events at owned and operated venues. Comparable as a live event promoter and operator, though at vastly larger scale and broader entertainment portfolio.

Direct peers

• Don't Tell Comedy: US-based live comedy show producer that hosts pop-up comedy events at unique venues with rotating comedian lineups. Highly comparable to Inside Joke's model of producing themed headline shows at partner venues rather than operating a fixed comedy club.
• The Comedy Cellar: Iconic New York comedy club that hosts nightly stand-up shows with a rotating roster of comedians. Comparable to Inside Joke as a venue-anchored live comedy operation, though at much larger scale and global brand recognition.
• Soho Theatre London: London-based live comedy and theater venue that produces and hosts stand-up, improv, and spoken-word shows. Comparable as a presenter of live comedy programming with a multi-show weekly cadence and emerging-talent focus.
• The Stand NYC: New York comedy club and restaurant that hosts nightly stand-up shows and comedy events. Comparable as a live comedy venue operator with ticketed shows and themed event programming.
• Laugh Factory: Established US comedy club chain with multiple locations offering nightly stand-up shows. Comparable business model combining fixed venues with rotating comedian lineups, though at significantly larger scale than Inside Joke.
• The Comedy Store: Legendary comedy venue operating in Hollywood and London with multiple rooms hosting stand-up shows nightly. Comparable as a multi-venue live comedy operator with a deep talent roster and weekly recurring programming model.
• IMPROV Comedy Clubs: US comedy club chain operating multiple venues with nightly stand-up programming. Comparable business model of venue-based live comedy with rotating comic lineups, though at substantially larger scale and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Sofar Sounds: Global live music and comedy event company producing intimate shows at non-traditional venues. Comparable as a producer of recurring live entertainment events at partner venues with a community-driven, artist-development focus similar to Inside Joke's open-mic model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/insidejoke
• Facebookfacebook.com/insidejokestandup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inside-joke-stand-up-comedy
• Instagraminstagram.com/insidejoke
• TikToktiktok.com/@insidejoke

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inside Joke Stand-up Comedy