For the second consecutive year, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of the easy family of brands and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, honored young entrepreneurship in Cyprus by awarding the "Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2024."

According to a statement from the foundation, three young entrepreneurs under the age of 35, who launched their own startups in the Republic of Cyprus within the past five years, received a total of €100,000 in prizes.

The first prize of €50,000 was awarded to Andreas and Christos Neophytou for their business, Cito Gourmet Express. The second prize of €30,000 went to Maria Lafazani for her Maria Lafazani Clinical Laboratories, and the third prize of €20,000 was awarded to Yiannis Christodoulou for Topsquare Homes.

At the awards ceremony, held on September 18, 2024, at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou granted a total of €100,000 to the top three entrepreneurial ideas. These awards included €50,000 for first place, €30,000 for second, and €20,000 for third.

The "Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs" have now become an established event in Cyprus, alongside the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards, which have been recognizing bicommunal business collaboration since 2009. Applications for the Bi-Communal Awards will open early next year.

Sir Stelios congratulated the three winners via Zoom during the ceremony.

Philippa Karsera-Christodoulides, presented the award to the first-place winner. The second prize was presented by Rena Rouvitha-Panou, a board member of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation based in Cyprus, and the third prize was presented by last year's winner, Theodoros Panagides, owner of the "Stavros" cafe-restaurant in Pedoulas, in the presence of media representatives.

During the awards ceremony, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou stated: "This year, we selected three successful startups that operate in key sectors of the Cypriot economy, including the fields of catering, healthcare, and construction."