Cyprus’ flagship tech and startup festival, Reflect Festival, returned to Limassol, welcoming 9,000 entrepreneurs, investors, and tech enthusiasts in an ambitious new venue. Reflect Festival successfully wrapped up another edition fueled by a passion for innovation and tech, bringing together 9,000 attendees to discuss technology, startups, and innovation. The 7th edition marks the biggest conference ever organised in Cyprus’ history and the most international year of Reflect so far.
“We’re beyond ourselves seeing that the dream to transform Cyprus into a thriving tech and entrepreneurial hub is coming alive,” explained Stylianos Lambrou, the co-founder of Reflect Festival. “Reflect’s rocket growth is the best possible testament to that, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s hustling with us to bring as much inspiration and as many ‘doers’ to the island as possible. This festival brings real, tangible change – and that’s what truly matters,” Lambrou added.
Startup Ecosystem Flourishes
Startups, investors, tech enthusiasts, policymakers, and decision-makers met at Kolla, with the colourful former factory serving as a backdrop to a unique island experience. “This year, we truly built a playground for doers. With five stages, workshops, roundtables, meetup spots, a massive expo, networking and relaxing lounges, a massage room, a dance floor, and even a basketball court, Reflect found an incredible new home,” said Alexander Jahn, Managing Partner of Reflect Festival. From now on, the festival plans to grow together with this up-and-coming district that will become the new heart of Limassol.
Attendees from 70 countries came to Reflect, around 1,500 companies participated, and 130 governmental representatives from 20 countries were part of it. StartupIndia in association with the High Commission of India, Cyprus, brought a delegation of 10 highly innovative Indian tech companies including unicorn startups, led by Sanjiv, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, India, to showcase their ideas and achievements, building bridges between the two ecosystems.
On top of that, embassies from India, Slovakia, the United States, the UK, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Greece, Netherlands, Sweden, Egypt, UAE, Hungary, Romania, Austria, and Japan supported the festival with their presence. The event was opened by Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus. Also in attendance this year were Ms. Irene Piki, Deputy Minister to the President, and Dr. Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.
Seasoned Founders and Eager Startups
Reflect prides itself on consistently inviting real “doers” and practitioners with proven success stories to its stages, and this year was no exception. The lineup included Elizabeth Yin, the VC legend from Hustle Fund; Tony Jamous, the man behind Oyster – a company that reached unicorn status in 2022; and Vaibhav Kapoor, who co-founded the Indian healthcare unicorn Pristyn Healthcare. The overall number of speakers exceeded 270, with more than 250 VCs and 400 startups joining the ReflectX startup-investor programme.
The startups battled it out during the ReflectX competition, with 36 semifinalists going through the semifinals on Day 1, and only 6 making it to the finals. The suspenseful finale crowned one winner in the end – Playbook, represented by Wafa al Obaidat from Bahrain. “Competitions like these have a huge impact. They bring VCs and startups together; they create a plethora of opportunities for both; and on top of that, all of these amazing, talented people from all around the world spend time here in Cyprus,” said Dusan Duffek, the co-founder of Reflect Festival. “That’s a unique leverage for the country and the further region, and I can’t wait to see how far we can take it,” he added.
Innovation Meets Entertainment
The expo featured over 150 companies with both Cypriot and international startups showcasing their innovative products and services. Additionally, event partners prepared exciting activities within their booths. Attendees could experience real-life holograms, try on augmented reality garments, test their golf swings, enter contests and giveaways, interact with a robot, and even grab water bottles for just 1 euro cent.
As one of Reflect’s goals is to recharge its doers despite its packed programme, side events and exciting activities all around Limassol are an integral part. The parties, experiences, and sports events went hand in hand with business. Every day concluded with a party featuring various meetups and customised gatherings throughout the day. Attendees could take walking tours, attend wine tastings, and enjoy jet skiing among plenty of other activities.
“If you want to experience the best of Cyprus’ – as well as EMEA’s – business ecosystem and the best of Cyprus period, I recommend not missing the next Reflect,” Lambrou stated. “We had a blast – and we’re starting work on the next one right away. See you next summer in Limassol,” he added.
The Doers Company: What’s Next
The team behind Reflect Festival announced its next steps by launching The Doers Company as an umbrella organisation behind the event and further activities. Lambrou explained that “next up, you’ll see us during Elevate Summit, our proptech event here in Limassol in October.” He continued by saying that “we’ll travel with Reflect pop-up events around the world and will continue working on our fashion brand Doers United.”
“Plus,” he added enthusiastically “we have one more project in the works: the GetForward accelerator that will help startups take off. And that’s just the beginning.”
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