As every year, the competition is organized by the University of Cyprus Centre for Entrepreneurship (C4E), under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in today’s innovation-driven economy.

The competition is open to startups, individuals with pioneering and innovative ideas, as well as experienced professionals from the business and research sectors of Cyprus. This dynamic community is committed to empowering and supporting entrepreneurial initiatives.

As a business development competition focused on early-stage startups, CyEC offers ambitious teams a platform to receive guidance and support from experienced mentors and industry leaders.

The competition aims to support innovative business initiatives and help turn them into viable, globally oriented ventures, with an emphasis on understanding problem-solution fit and product-market fit.

Applications can be submitted through the official competition website: https://cyec.org.cy

Applicants can choose between two categories:

• Accelerator Category, for ideas at an early stage (application period: July 21 – September 10, 2025).

• LaunchPad Category, for more mature ideas and companies that have already launched their products or services in the market (application period: July 21 – November 3, 2025).

Detailed criteria for each category can be found on the official website: www.cyec.org.cy

Following a selection process, teams chosen for the Accelerator category will take part in a business acceleration program designed to help them refine their ideas and business plans. At the end of the program, the teams will participate in two presentations: a private pitch to the judging committee and, a few days later, a public pitch during the Entrepreneurship Forum. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winning teams.

Beyond the Accelerator program, each team will be assigned mentors who will offer personalized advice, solutions, and creative challenges to help further develop their business ideas.

In recent years, more than 220 applications have been submitted, with previous winners including Malloc, Bolsterup, Heroes Made, IQ3Solar, and Elysia Solutions.

The main sponsor of CyEC 2025 is the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, with Digital Tree E-Publishers as the media sponsor.

In the coming weeks, another press release will be issued with further details on prizes and CyEC 2025 partners. This announcement serves as a call for applicants to begin preparing their submissions.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to join a community of visionary entrepreneurs and bring your innovative ideas to life in front of potential investors.