Cyprus and Israel share a lot in common by way of complicated histories. However, politics were in no way influential nor of any relevance at the Invest Cyprus Startup Demo Day. The conference itself was flawless and nothing short of inspiring. Marios Giorgoudis, who speaks surprisingly perfect and beautiful Hebrew, was absolutely essential in bringing the success of the conference to fruition. He has the knowhow and network to bring many investors from all over the world to show what his country has to offer.
The first day of the conference kicked off with inspiring talks from three major players in the Cypriot investment community. Mr. Christodoulos Angastinoiotis, Chairman of CIPA, opened the conference and set the tone for the following day. Following, Mr. Constantinos Petrides, Under Secreatry to the President of the Republic of Cyprus gave an address that gave an overview of the tech and innovation landscape throughout Cyprus, and the growth the country is experiencing as a result. A lecture given by Ms. Joanna Theodorides discussed the Intellectual Property regime in Cyprus and the opportunities there are in the field. To conclude, Mr. Angelos Gregoriades, Chairman of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association, gave an inspiring talk about the benefits of doing business in Cyprus. This message was brought home later that day when 13 startups pitched to investors for 10 minutes each. The brightest entrepreneurs of Cyprus certainly made an impression, and it was amazing to see the potential wave of the world’s next great startup companies.
Following these events, the conference moved to Cyprus’ first accelerator and incubator, IDEA. Yiannis Liveris, Manager, and Maria Markidou, Programme Coordinator, opened the door to an up close look at what early stage innovation looks like from the Cypriot innovators. It was wonderful to witness the first round of a new and blossoming startup ecosystem with a promising future.
Of course, no matter where Krypton travels, it is always nice to be accompanied by its friends in the local embassies who advocate for Israel and its powerful investment and startup community around the world every single day. It was an honor to have Sami Abu Janeb, Deputy Head of Mission, present at the event to bring everything home.
Needless to say, if Marios keeps conducting business for Cyprus with the same spirit, this will not be the last demo day in Cyprus that Krypton will be attending. With the right guidance and investment partners, Cyprus will experience rapid growth comparable to its Mediterranean neighbors. Quite literally, just across the pond, lies an untapped ecosystem waiting to disrupt the way we interpret investments and startups potential across the whole world.
