The Zubr Capital Young Hackathon brought together university students from across Cyprus for a one-day startup competition that focused on creating practical business solutions.

The event, organised by investment firm Zubr Capital, aimed to strengthen Cyprus’ growing innovation ecosystem by allowing young professionals to collaborate directly with real startups.

Participants were given the option to either present their own startup concept or join an existing project.

Each team followed a complete startup development process, starting with problem-solving, conducting market research, preparing business plans, and building a minimum viable product before concluding with a final pitch session to a panel of judges composed of investors and entrepreneurs.

“When students and startups work side by side on real business cases, they form the core of Cyprus’ future innovation economy,” said Oleg Khusaenov, CEO of Zubr Capital.

“This kind of collaboration accelerates learning and creates a direct link between education and entrepreneurship,” he added.

The hackathon gathered eight startup teams and fifty participants, all of whom worked together to build market-ready solutions within a single day.

This format was not theoretical but practical, with students engaging in live startup projects alongside active founders.

By the end of the day, teams had transformed their ideas from problem identification to investor presentations, mirroring the pace and intensity of real-world startup operations.

Mentors from Zubr Capital and its network of portfolio and partner companies guided participants throughout the day, offering advice on market research, strategy, and investment readiness.

The competition concluded with pitch presentations evaluated by a distinguished jury of investors and founders.

The judging panel included Oleg Khusaenov, founder and CEO of Zubr Capital; Eugene Nevgen, co-founder of Bratte.com, Locals, and Animation Inc, as well as a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum credited with creating products used by over one billion people; and Luba Pashkovskaya, co-founder of Verv and recognised among Forbes Europe’s Top 50 Women in Tech with more than 150 million global users.

Also serving on the panel were Sergey Osipov, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of AI real estate startup Placy; Andrei Avsievich, super angel investor and founder with multiple AI exits; and Andrei Yarantsau, founder of Steam Power Investments and former vice president at Wargaming.

The group was completed by Ulad Radkevitch, general partner at Verras Capital and vice president at ScienceSoft; Paul Matusevich, fintech innovator and entrepreneur; and Sergei Riabuhin, managing partner at Zubr Capital, known for building high-performing teams.

“Such initiatives help grow a new generation of founders who can think globally while building locally,” said Nikita Krivelevich, Investment Director at Zubr Capital, who oversees investments in B2B and SaaS companies across Central and Eastern Europe.

“Cyprus has the talent and the environment to become one of the region’s key innovation centres,” he added.

“The Zubr Capital Young Hackathon established a connection between students who want to start businesses and the active startup sector of the island,” the company said in an announcement.

“The programme provided students with valuable practical experience and expert guidance, while startups gained access to fresh concepts and potential business partners,” it added.

“The initiative underscores Zubr Capital’s commitment to investing not only in companies but also in people – and to supporting Cyprus’ role as an emerging international hub for technology and innovation,” the company concluded.

It should be noted that the firm manages $250 million across thirty technology companies, including two unicorns, and counts EBRD, FMO, and Wargaming among its investors.