Briefs · Entrepreneurship
Plug and Play Lands in Cyprus, and Brings the World With It
Cyprus is small. Its ambitions are not.
Plug and Play launched its first Cyprus accelerator on April 7, 2026. The launch ceremony took place in Nicosia. Operations are based in Limassol.
The verdict is straightforward. Cyprus wants to be a bridge, not a backwater.
The initiative is co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus through the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy and the Research and Innovation Foundation. Corporate supporters include ASBIS, Tototheo, Mastercard, and ECOMMBX.
The programme lasts three months. Ten Cyprus-based startups will be selected for the first batch, running from late May through September. Applications close in mid-May.
The focus is deliberate. Fintech and regtech, gaming, social and leisure, and shipping and energy are the chosen verticals. Selected teams receive mentorship, workshops, corporate connections, and introductions to international investors.
Plug and Play says it runs programmes in more than 60 locations and connects founders with more than 550 corporate partners. Founder and chief executive Saeed Amidi said Cyprus has everything it needs to become a strong innovation hub.
President Nikos Christodoulides called the arrival a vote of confidence in Cyprus. The island is not asking for attention, but rather for a place in the global network: compact, connected, and coming of age.
Read the original at freakingnomads.com
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