Zubr Capital to host first student hackathon in Limassol on October 23
Private equity firm Zubr Capital announed this week that it is set to host its first Zubr Capital Young Hackathon in Limassol on October 23, bringing together students and early-stage entrepreneurs for an intensive one-day challenge.
The event will be held at the Parklane Hotel in Limassol and will run from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Participation is free but places are limited, and registration is open until October 19.
Applicants will be required to complete a short interview before joining. The working language of the hackathon will be Russian.
Organisers said the hackathon is designed to compress months of startup learning into a single day, aiming to test business ideas and sharpen entrepreneurial skills.
They added that the initiative will contribute to strengthening Cyprus’s growing reputation as a regional tech hub.
“Cyprus is a rapidly growing hub for IT and startups, attracting talent and capital from surrounding European and MENA sources,” the announcement said.
“With the backing of Zubr Capital, which holds over $250 million worth of tech investments across a portfolio of 20 companies (including two unicorns), students will learn how funding and support can drive the growth of new technologies and innovations,” it added.
This particular initiative, the announcement continued, “highlights Zubr Capital’s continued commitment to supporting the growth of the local tech community”. Zubr Capital’s investors include EBRD, FMO, and Wargaming.
The hackathon will focus on the essential stages of a startup’s journey, including identifying market needs, building minimum viable products, and crafting effective investor pitches.
Zubr Capital has gathered a group of distinguished mentors to guide participants throughout the day. These include Oleg Khusaenov, founder and chief executive officer of Zubr Capital, Nikita Krivelevich, investment director at Zubr Capital, and Anna Khechoyan, investment manager at Zubr Capital.
They will be joined by Sergey Osipov, co-founder of Placy and Playsense, Ulad Radkevitch, general partner at Verras Capital and vice president at ScienceSoft, Andrei Avsievich, investor and co-founder of GRAI, and Andrei Yarantsau, founder of Steam Power Investments.
“When students and startups collaborate, it offers more than accelerating individual projects,” said Oleg Khusaenov. “This hackathon will be a platform to strengthen the entire startup ecosystem.”
“The engagement happening during this event will help shape the future of tech companies while nurturing the next generation of local entrepreneurs,” he added.
“In just one day, we will take students through the full startup journey,” said Nikita Krivelevich. “They will see how an idea moves through all stages from testing to MVP and pitching.”
“Not only will we expose them to new technologies, but we will also guide them on how to strategise, build success-oriented teams, and design engaging presentations,” Krivelevich explained.
Students will gain exposure to the full cycle of startup development, from idea shaping to pitching, while also benefiting from direct feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and investors.
For many, this will mark their first experience of the pressures and opportunities found within the European and international startup ecosystems.
The event is open to students from universities across Cyprus, with organisers highlighting the opportunity to gain real-world startup experience and mentorship from industry leaders whose work has reached global markets.
For startups, the hackathon offers the chance to view their projects from a fresh perspective, with students providing valuable feedback free from industry bias.
Moreover, the organisers said that this exchange is expected to lead to innovative solutions, clearer strategic directions, and faster progress to market.
The mission of the hackathon is to foster a better understanding of product development, highlighting the perspectives of participants, mentors, and investors.
Attendees will see how theory connects with practice in high-pressure environments and how ideas can be transformed into scalable and resilient businesses.
Zubr Capital has positioned this inaugural hackathon as the first in a series, with the intention of establishing a regular platform for collaboration between students and entrepreneurs in Cyprus’s expanding tech ecosystem.
Beyond the prototypes and pitches, organisers stressed that the real value of the event lies in the direct engagement with seasoned founders and investors who have scaled ideas into global companies.
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