The entrepreneurial spotlight turns to Cyprus this Friday, July 5, as ten local startups prepare to compete at the Startup World Cup 2025 Regional Finals, taking place at BrainRocket in Limassol.

The winning team will go on to represent Cyprus at the Grand Finale in San Francisco, where they will pitch for a chance to win $1 million in investment funding.

Presented by Mellow and hosted at BrainRocket, the event is part of the global Startup World Cup series organised by Pegasus Tech Ventures, and is locally co-ordinated by Aivitam Ventures.

It connects leading startups with international investors, mentors, and innovation experts, offering an unparalleled opportunity for Cypriot founders to gain global exposure.

According to Aivitam Ventures, this year’s event is expected to serve as a milestone moment for Cyprus’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The ten finalists, drawn from sectors including technology, healthcare, finance, and AI, will pitch live before an expert panel. The winner will secure direct entry into the San Francisco Grand Finale, alongside 50 other regional champions, and access to a global network of VCs, business leaders, and potential partners.

Among the day’s main attractions is a keynote speech by Waze co-founder Uri Levine, who will deliver a talk entitled ‘How to Build a Billion-dollar Company’. Levine, who also invested in Moovit, will share lessons on scaling a startup from local beginnings to global impact.

A Q&A session and book signing will follow.

Three panel discussions are also scheduled, each addressing critical aspects of startup growth in the Cyprus and wider Mediterranean context.

The first, ‘Made in Cyprus: How to Make Cyprus a Leader in the Startup Ecosystem’, will explore what it takes to position the island as a regional innovation hub.

Moderated by full-stack brand builder Martin Zarian, the panel includes Marios Tannousis, CEO at Invest Cyprus, Yiannos Georgiades, Advocate and Co-founder of Kinisis Ventures Ltd, and Panis Pieri, technology writer and growth hacker.

The second session, ‘Funding the Future: AI Edition’, will look at the challenges and opportunities of investing in artificial intelligence.

Moderated by Yuriy Romanyukha, Managing Partner at ICLUB Global / TA Ventures, the panel features Carolos Georgallis of Kinisis Ventures, Yiannis Eftychiou from East 33, Mellow CPO Vladimir Chesnokov, and Sergy Sergyenko, CEO of Cybergizer.

The third panel, ‘Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: The Startup Experience’, will address gender diversity in entrepreneurship. Strategic Business Advisor Raluca Ioanna Man will moderate a discussion between Evangelina Fysa, founder of Bungálow 28, Stavriana A. Kofteros, founder and partner at W11Ventures, Marianna Hadjiandoniou, founder and director at PERHA Group, and Luba Pashkovskaya, co-founder at Verv Group and founder of the Women Leadership Club.

The morning programme begins at 9.30am with guest arrival and networking, followed by a welcome address at 10.00am.

Levine’s keynote is scheduled for 10.30am, followed by the three panel sessions from 11.20am to 12.20pm. A short buffet break will precede the pitch competition, which will run from 12.40pm to 2.40pm.

The winner announcement will take place shortly after, followed by a networking reception closing the day.

The Startup World Cup finals come at a time when Cyprus is steadily gaining international visibility as a startup and innovation hub.

According to the latest StartupBlink index, the island climbed nine places, becoming one of the fastest-rising startup ecosystems in the European Union. Since 2020, the number of Cyprus-based startups has increased fivefold, fuelled by a favourable business environment, strategic geographic location, and a growing pool of tech talent.

The event is supported by a wide range of partners. Global coordination is led by Pegasus Tech Ventures, while Aivitam Ventures oversees the Cyprus leg.

Mellow is the title partner. Silver partners include Dream Play, Invest Cyprus, and the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF).

SOFTSWISS joins as bronze partner, BrainRocket serves as host, Cybergizer is the technology partner, and The Future Media is supporting as media partner.

Attendance is free of charge, but registration is required.

Interested attendees are encouraged to contact Aivitam Ventures for access. The event will be held at BrainRocket, Arch. Makarios III Avenue 53, Limassol 4003, from 9.30am to 4.00pm.

While the competition primarily targets startup founders and investors, organisers say the event is open to the broader community, including business professionals, students, academics, and policymakers.