Startup Cyprus is the Cyprus startup ecosystem legal entity that culminates the ecosystem’s efforts to realize the pledge made by the Cyprus startup community, by people that believe in the creative and disruptive power of startups and innovation, to startup Cyprus. It has been active for over 4 years as a pledge amongst the community and founded as a legal entity in February 2016 by 13 pioneering startup founders and ecosystem heavyweights. Being naturally startup minded, the startup and innovation ecosystem of Cyprus, believes we should not let a good crisis go to waste. The challenges our economy is facing, are an opportunity for reform for growth to materialize our vision to Startup Cyprus. Thus, the startup and innovation ecosystem of Cyprus has come together, united in its efforts to support the vision to Startup Cyprus.
Startup Cyprus represents a community numbering over 2.900 startupers. It took a central role in policy advocacy by authoring the national Cyprus Startup Manifesto (http://startupcyprus.org) The startups, innovative enterprises, startup entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem of Cyprus, came together under the umbrella of Startup Cyprus and articulated the parameters, changes, and ingredients needed to startup Cyprus in a comprehensive document with 10 Recommendations and 29 Actions Points to startup Cyprus. In 2016. 33% of the Manifesto actions were initiated and implemented. Relevant article on Implementing Change: Cyprus Startup Manifesto 2016 Implementation https://medium.com/@Stavriana_K/implementing-change-8b96cb0ae772#.ot0jcn1sl)
Further, we gathered the support and pledge to implement the Manifesto of important ministers and organizations, such as the Minister of Finance, Minister of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Minister of Education and Culture, Minister of Transport and Communications , Undersecretary to the President (in charge of reform), the Cyprus Digital Champion, the President of Democratic Rally, the ruling party in Cyprus, Invest Cyprus (CIPA), the Research Promotion Foundation, the Cyprus Association of Research and Innovation Enterprises and numerous innovative organizations, technology and telecom corporations and important organizations and associations.
Our efforts led to the Republic of Cyprus actively adopting the recommendations of the Cyprus Startup Manifesto drafted by Startup Cyprus in the National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship. The National Policy was ratified by the Council of Ministers in December 2015 and is now the comprehensive action plan aimed to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over 77% of Priority actions have been initiated in 2016.
Startup Cyprus is a member of the National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship Implementation Watchdog Committee. Moreover, the Cyprus National Coordinator of the European Startup Manifesto is a Startup Cyprus representative, one of the Startup Cyprus Co-founders, Ms. Stavriana Kofteros.
In addition, Startup Cyprus is one of the founding members of the European Startup Network (http://europeanstartups.org/), comprised of national startup associations. The main goal of the European Startup Network is to harmonize the European startup ecosystems with respect to the legal environment, market access and entrepreneurial culture within each country. It is also a member of Allied For Startups (http://alliedforstartups.org/), GEN Cyprus (http://genglobal.org/) and member of the eSkills National Coalition in Cyprus.
Further, one of the cofounders of Startup Cyprus is the Founder of Student Life that runs the very successful startup StudentLife that organizes the StudentLife Academy. StudentLife will be involved directly in the project as a third party.
In Startup Cyprus we believe that the Cyprus innovation and startup ecosystem must cultivate the necessary culture and skills and provide the appropriate tools to encourage the creation of startups, spinoffs and spinout companies. This can be done by implementing certain important actions to ensure the development, sustainability and growth of innovative startup companies. These actions include developing new skills and competences, cultivating entrepreneurship culture, mentoring and supporting new entrepreneurs, and supporting outreach activities among others.