On May 15–16, 2025, Limassol once again became the creative epicenter of the EMEA region. Held at Kolla Factory, the 8th Reflect Festival brought together more than 10 000 participants from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa — including startups, investors, creative teams, students, and public officials — to explore the future of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

“I’m proud that the Reflect Festival continues to be a key meeting point for technology and innovation in emerging markets. We are focused on building stronger connections in the region and showcasing Cyprus as a growing entrepreneurial hub.” — Stylianos Lambrou, co-founder of Reflect and CEO of The Doers Company.

This year, the festival featured four main stages — the Big Picture Stage, Money Stage, Future Stage, and TechIsland Summit — along with a packed agenda of activities: 150+ speakers, 300+ startups, 200+ investors, and the first-ever Doers Pitch — a Shark Tank-style competition for emerging ventures.

Creative agency CAPSBOLD returned as a marketing partner of the festival and teamed up with IT company SPORTSOFT to present a joint booth under the theme: “Agencies of the Future: Where Marketing Meets Digital.”

The booth became one of the most popular attractions at the festival, drawing around 1 000 visitors to take part in an interactive Wheel of Fortune, where prizes included an Xbox Series S, Meta Quest 3, and more.

In addition to the interactive experience, CAPSBOLD and SPORTSOFT shared their expertise with the Reflect audience:

Liudmila Marochkina, CEO of SPORTSOFT, joined a TechIsland Summit panel discussion on expanding access to edtech.

“The true value of such events lies in cross-industry dialogue. Creativity needs a platform, and technology needs emotion,” — Liudmila Marochkina.

Olga Loktionova, PR Director at CAPSBOLD, made a presentation on Big Picture Stand about Marketing in Tech.

“If you want to win in 2025, you cannot just innovate. Research shows that over 70% of companies that heavily invested in marketing in the past few years are now leading in the tech industry.”

Oksana Baykova and Denis Lukyanov hosted a workshop on marketing trends.

“Trends in marketing reflect people’s real behavior and moods,” — Oksana Baykova

“Reflect Festival once again proved to be the best tech event in Cyprus for those who want to share knowledge, inspire, and build meaningful connections,” — Denis Lukyanov

Reflect Festival continues to serve as a magnet for innovators, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and positioning Cyprus as a strategic hub for future technologies and startups.