The tech and business landscape in Cyprus witnessed a significant evolution on September 20-21 as more than 8,000 people, including 200 speakers, gathered in Limassol to celebrate technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The 6th Reflect Festival marked a turning point, hosting its first truly global edition that garnered enthusiastic responses from attendees and put Cyprus firmly on the map as a tech hub.

For two days, Limassol was filled with forward-thinkers and doers, all united to connect, ideate, and celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation together. While the discussions and keynote speeches were true highlights to this year's Reflect Festival, there were various side events taking place concurrently, such as the Doers FunRun by Anymaster, a catamaran journey, rooftop networking, and more, enhancing attendees' networking experience.

Bolstering the event’s emphatic advocacy for innovation and entrepreneurship in technology, Reflect Festival partnered with TechIsland, bringing global trends and local opportunities to the forefront of conversation.

One of the festival's standout features was the TechIsland Summit, hosted at Limassol's Pier. This summit brought together prominent leaders and experts to discuss Cyprus's focus on tech innovation. The collaboration with TechIsland highlighted the island's potential as a tech hub and created opportunities for valuable insights and partnerships.

Covve, a Cypriot-founded technology company dedicated to enhancing how people build relationships, contributed to attendees’ efforts in making the most of their connections through NFC tags attached to each attendees’ name tag, enabling faster connections. Reflect Festival 2023 was a platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and creating meaningful connections. Over 100 investors and more than 200 startups participated, resulting in a vibrant atmosphere ripe for collaboration.

There were three times more connections made this year than that of last year’s, and the winner received a prize for creating the most connections, celebrating the impact of networking on people’s personal, and professional lives.

Reflect Festival 2023 introduced an important initiative known as the Country Partnership program, aimed at connecting ecosystems by providing access to markets, talent, and funding. This program involved partnerships with countries like India, Slovakia, and Israel, but it also marked a significant milestone by welcoming India as the Country Partner for 2023.

India's participation was historic, as it was the first time the country sent a startup delegation consisting of more than 10 startups and 20 entrepreneurs, investors, and public officials to Cyprus. The delegation was organized by Startup India, India's largest public program for startups, and T-Hub, India's largest technology incubator, joined with entrepreneurs and a selection of their startups.

This partnership showcased the potential for Reflect Festival to serve as a bridge between technology ecosystems, fostering international collaboration and growth opportunities.

Reflect Festival organizers wasted no time in announcing their next edition, scheduled for May 30-31, 2024. With the goal of attracting over 10,000 attendees to Limassol, they aim to further establish Cyprus and the EMEA region's startup ecosystem on the global stage. The festival's continued growth and impact reflect the dynamic evolution of Cyprus as a thriving hub for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Reflect Festival 2023 was a resounding success that demonstrated the growing prominence of Cyprus in the tech and business landscape. With its expanding network of connections, collaborative initiatives, and ambitious plans for the future, Reflect Festival is poised to continue shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship in the region and beyond.