The evolution of Startups4Peace and the launch of an Alumni Community
Startups4Peace Alumni Community was launched in February 2025! Throughout its 10 years of operation the Startups4Peace program has rooted in the Cypriot society as one of the bicommunal programs that promote business, peace and reconciliation.
The launch of the Startups4Peace Alumni Community was hosted by the Embassy of Finland in February! The evening was filled with inspiring conversations as participants shared how their journeys had continued after the program. The aim of the new alumni network is to create a more connected community, ensuring that members continue to get the needed peer support even after the program has ended.
This is a perfect moment to look back and appreciate the journey the project has taken through the years! We have forged new friendships, new business ventures and tangible results that are visible until today, but as we reflect on how far we have come, let's not just see the success, but also the effort, dedication, and teamwork that made it all possible.
How it all started
The Startups4Peace program began in April 2016 as an initiative to develop the Cyprus startup ecosystem and enhance cooperation between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs. To support this goal, the Embassy of Finland organized a roundtable discussion on innovation and startups, featuring Finnish experts and local stakeholders. This event set the grounds for the launch of the Startups4Peace project in June of the same year. The project was designed to be bicommunal, bringing together Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot startup entrepreneurs. Business knows no checkpoints; therefore, business, peace, and reconciliation were the core focuses of the program.
The third Startups4Peace program in 2017 developed and expanded from the previous years. In addition to the main competition, a small-scale acceleration program was introduced, which gave the teams the opportunity to learn and develop their ideas and businesses with the guidance of experts. The winners of the program prepared to participate in Europe's leading startup event, SLUSH, in Helsinki, Finland.
New elements: Bootcamps and pitching battles
In 2018, the program expanded to include some key elements: Bootcamps and pitching. The teams participated in two bootcamps, one in the north and one in the south of the island. Bootcamps gave the opportunity to participants to spend more time together and get to know each other in a more relaxed environment outside the training frame. After the bootcamps, teams competed in a pitching battle, the final event of the program, where participants pitched their business ideas in front of a jury committee. Entrepreneurs from both communities participate in both bootcamps, providing a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, views, good practices, and work together.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the project resumed in 2021, successfully bringing together young people from both sides of the island. During the 2021 trip to SLUSH, the Embassy of Finland hosted a dinner with Mr. Peter Vesterbacka as the guest of honor and the Startups4Peace winners had the chance to discuss with one of the most knowledgeable experts in the startup field.
In 2022, the winners of the Pitching Battle had the opportunity to participate in various visits during their time in Finland. These visits included stops at Aalto University's A Grid, a startup hub that fosters growth in a safe and inviting environment, and Maria 01, an entrepreneurial community and selective campus for tech teams. During their visit, the teams also gained valuable insights into Finnish culture and had the chance to experience for example the Finnish sauna!
Eyes on the future
Startups4Peace has been a program that throughout the years developed, expanded, gained popularity, and rooted in the Cypriot society as one of the few bicommunal programs that promote business, peace and reconciliation. This program has been the flagship of the Embassy of Finland for the past ten years. We are delighted that the alumni community brings a new dimension to the program, enabling participants to maintain connections even after the program concludes.