SocialTech Lab

🌍 Greetings from Budva, Montenegro! The BOOSTCamp journey has officially kicked off as part of the BOOST: Urban Future Finance acceleration programme in collaboration with UNDP in Europe and Central Asia. ➡️ Last week, we launched with Day 1, featuring ice-breaker activities 🤝, getting to know each other through fun questions, setting expectations for the week 📝, creative pitching with LEGO 🧩, and tackling real-world challenges through a case study 🌆 that inspired participants to develop collaborative solutions for urban transformation. We’re thrilled to share how last week unfolded! Stay tuned for more updates and insights from this inspiring journey. 💡 #UrbanFinance #WesternBalkans #UNDP #InnovativeFinance #TechFinance #SmartCitySolutions

We loved presenting EIT to participants of the New European Bauhaus Ignite Hackathon! It was really great experiencing how EIT brought people together to create change in their city. Congrats to all participants and organizers! SocialTech Lab CyprusInno Kimitisik Gardens of the Future The Base by CyprusInno New European Bauhaus EIT Urban Mobility EIT Climate-KIC RIS EIT Food EIT Manufacturing Nicosia Municipality Charalambos Prountzos

✨Let’s rewind: ➡️ The EIT Community Ignite NEB Hackathon in Cyprus From the inspiring opening ceremony at the NEB 2022-winning Gardens of the Future to two action-packed days of collaboration and innovation at The Base by CyprusInno, this journey was truly unforgettable! 🌍💡 With 52 innovators forming 14 teams, 14 unique business ideas were developed in just a few days, highlighting the power of collaboration and creativity in tackling real-world urban challenges. The result? Two winning teams and solutions that could shape the future! 🚀 A massive thank you to everyone who helped bring this event to life 🙌. 🎬 Let’s relive the energy, creativity, and impact that made these three days so remarkable! - This project is supported by EIT Community NEB, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. Kimitisik Climate-KIC

🚀 Last week, we kicked off the BOOST: Urban Future Finance acceleration programme in collaboration with UNDP in Europe and Central Asia focused on driving urban transformation in the Western Balkans. ➡️ We were joined by a diverse group of innovators, changemakers, and leaders from startups, government, and nonprofits across the region. 🌍💡 We’ve just completed Module 1, diving deep into SDG Impact Management. A huge thank you to Teodor Petricevic, Accelerator Lead at UNDP, for his expert training on SDG-focused impact management and for guiding participants on how to effectively measure the success of their initiatives. 🌱 BOOST: Urban Future Finance is a 6-month programme blending online and in-person training with mentorship. ➡️ Next up: Montenegro BOOSTCamp 🚀🏕️, where we’ll meet these incredible changemakers in person and accelerate their initiatives! Stay tuned for more updates from our BOOSTCamp journey! #UrbanFinance #WesternBalkans #UNDP #InnovativeFinance #TechFinance #SmartCitySolutions

📢 We’re thrilled to announce that City&Me has been selected to join UNDP’s BOOST: Urban Future Finance Acceleration Programme 2024! 💡 We’re excited to join BOOST with our innovative solution that combines sustainable practices, community engagement, and token-based incentives to drive urban development. Through our platform, we reward green behaviours - such as walking, cycling, and recycling - with tokens that users can exchange for goods, services, or public benefits. 🚶♀️♻️🚴♂️ 🚀 The programme, powered by UNDP in partnership with SocialTech Lab and supported by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic, seeks to accelerate innovative financial solutions for urban transformation across the Western Balkans. Follow our journey and learn more about the initiative at boostimpact.org or socialtechlab.org. Thank you to UNDP in Europe and Central Asia, CyprusInno, SocialTech Lab and Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic for this incredible opportunity! #UrbanFinance #WesternBalkans #UNDP #InnovativeFinance #TechFinance #SmartCitySolutions #UNDPBOOST #cityandme

🌍 Thrilled to have been part of the EIT Community Ignite NEB Hackathon this past weekend, where innovation met community to reimagine urban spaces! 🚀 As a designer, I'm passionate about using playful, interactive concepts to transform experiences (and in this case - cities) into more vibrant, inclusive, and safe places. Together with a talented team, we focused on a project to reimagine the Nicosia Municipal Gardens, exploring how lighting, sound, and gamification can make it more engaging and inviting—flipping the narrative that a lack of vibrancy equals a lack of safety. The hackathon was a unique opportunity by CyprusInno, Kimitisik, SocialTech Lab and EIT Urban Mobility. It brought together incredible thinkers across disciplines to address how urban spaces can be better utilized for community benefit, sustainability, and public interaction. It was inspiring to see so many people coming together with ideas to transform urban challenges into possibilities for a greener, more connected future. Participating in the hackathon reminded me of the power of playful urban innovation—not only to engage communities but also to foster sustainable change. I’m excited to continue working towards a future where cities are living, breathing ecosystems that make people feel connected, safe, and inspired. 💡 Here’s to designing spaces that bring joy and meaning to city life! #UrbanInnovation #Hackathon #PlayfulCities #SustainableCities #Nicosia

Over the weekend of 9-10 November, the EIT Community Ignite NEB Hackathon brought together passionate innovators at The Base by CyprusInno. 💡🌍 We kicked the weekend off with challenge briefs from the challenge owners, setting the stage for teams to form and dive into solving urban challenges for Cyprus together. 🤝 Thanks to expert Pitching Skills Training and mentoring from Kimitisik, 14 teams pitched their innovative solutions to a panel of judges from SocialTech Lab, Kimitisik, and EIT Urban Mobility. 🚀 Congrats to all the teams who amazed us with their creativity and collaboration! 🎉 Special congratulations to Pit-to-table (Business Award Winner) and MC² (Social Award Winner), who earned a spot in the next phase ➡️ Grow NEB, to bring their ideas to life! ✨🌍 A huge thank you to our amazing challenge owners, Opu Collective, Urban Gorillas, Misfit Union, CYENS Centre of Excellence - EIT Community RIS Hub Cyprus , all the jury members, and everyone who contributed to making this incredible experience possible! 🙌 - This project is supported by EIT Community NEB, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. #eitignitehackathon #neb2024 #nebcyprus2024 #eitcommunity #kimitisik #cyprusinno #socialtechlab #thebasebycyprusinno #cyprus #innovation #socialimpact #urbandevelopment #nebvalues Climate-KIC

📣 We're thrilled to announce the successful completion of the EIT Community Ignite NEB Hackathon in Cyprus, supported by EIT Community NEB! ✨ ➡️ On November 8th, Gardens of the Future—NEB 2022 winner—opened its doors to host us for an opening ceremony. We were honored by the presence of Nicosia’s Mayor, Charalambos Prountzos, who shared his opening remarks and excitement about the hackathon’s potential to drive real change. The stage was set for two intense days of collaboration, visionary ideas, and breakthrough solutions to tackle urban challenges in Cyprus 🌍💡 🎬 Let’s rewind to see what went down at the opening ceremony! A huge thank you to everyone who made this celebration so memorable. Stay tuned to see all that unfolded during two days of creative hacking! 👀 #eitignitehackathon #neb2024 #nebcyprus2024 #eitcommunity #kimitisik #cyprusinno #socialtechlab #thebasebycyprusinno #cyprus #innovation #socialimpact #urbandevelopment #nebvalues Kimitisik Climate-KIC

Two weeks, one mission: Turning big ideas into bold startups! After graduating from the School of Computer Science and completing a successful accelerator at the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center, Ariel University, I had the privilege of joining the 50:50 Startups Bootcamp in #Cyprus—and what an experience it was! From day one, we were challenged to step outside our #comfort #zones, reimagine our ideas, and build startups that create real impact. For ToReach, this was more than just a bootcamp—it was a launchpad to the next level. What made this journey unforgettable? ✅ Design Thinking with Demetris Photiou, where we reimagined assumptions and built meaningful solutions. ✅ Business Modeling with Gizem Mentes Muhtaroğlu, creating clear paths from concepts to execution. ✅ Market Analysis with Antonia Christou, uncovering strategies to meet customer needs. ✅ Financial Planning with Pangratios Vanezis of KPMG—because cash flow is as crucial as a great product. 💰 ✅ Storytelling Workshops with Martin Zarian, transforming our startups into stories people can’t resist. ✅ Pitching Sessions with George Vou, making sure our presentations were unforgettable. 🤝 The Real Magic? The People. Whether walking to the CyprusInno Base or bonding over Cypriot coffee, we shared ideas, learned from one another, and built lifelong connections. 💡 What’s next? Armed with these lessons and a network of incredible minds, I’m ready to take ToReach to the next level. The future for #SMBs is brighter than ever, and we’re here to lead the charge. Thank you to the SocialTech Lab Team - Burak Berk Doluay Steven W. Stavrou Annita Tsolaki Berfu Ilgililer for your support and guidance, And to the 50:50 Startups directors - Shai Friedman, Marwan Meqbil - thank you for creating such an inspiring and empowering experience. Let’s build the future together. 🌟 #50Percent50Startups #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #StartupJourney #ToReach #StartupBootcamp

🤩 What do you get when you bring together 10 startup teams, a diverse group of dreamers, and two unforgettable weeks in #Cyprus? 🇨🇾✨ ✈️ I’ve just returned from the 50:50 Startups Bootcamp, and it was a journey packed with learning, inspiration and a few unexpected challenges (like figuring out how to navigate roundabouts the Cypriot way 😅). 🛠️ Building Startups from A to Z This wasn’t just a series of lectures. Each day, we were guided step-by-step through what it takes to transform an idea into a sustainable business. Together, we tackled every part of the startup puzzle: ✅ Kicked things off with design thinking led by Demetris Photiou where we learned to question our assumptions and ideate solutions that truly matter. ✅ Explored business modeling with Gizem who showed us how to map out a clear path from concept to execution. ✅ Delved into market analysis with Antonia uncovering strategies to identify customer needs and market gaps. ✅ Mastered financial planning with Pangratios Vanezis from KPMG, because understanding cash flow is as crucial as having a great product. 💰 ✅ Polished our branding skills in a storytelling workshop with Martin Zarian — turning our startups into stories people can’t resist. ✅ Wrapped it all up with an intensive pitching session led by George Vou, who made sure our presentations were not just good but unforgettable. 🤍 But what truly made this experience special was the people. We weren’t just a room full of participants — we were 10 teams, each with its own story, challenges and dreams. Every day, on our 30 minute walk to the CyprusInno Base in the heart of the Buffer Zone, we shared ideas, debated strategies, and, most importantly, learned from one another. 🌍🤝 🌍 Beyond the Workshops: Real-Life Connections We had the chance to visit companies like IREROBOT LTD, who are using #AR technology to tackle hearing challenges, and hear firsthand about their struggles, pivots and successes. These experiences were as eye-opening as they were inspiring. The best part? It wasn’t all business. Each evening, we gathered over dinner — a chance to unwind, laugh and bond. The stories shared over mezze and Cypriot coffee were just as valuable as the lessons from the workshops. They reminded us that behind every startup is a human story, filled with passion, risk and resilience. 🍷🌙 🙌 A Massive Thank You to the Dream Team I couldn’t end this post without expressing my deepest gratitude: 🫶🏼 To the SocialTech Lab crew — Burak, Steven, Annita and Berfu for their unwavering support and guidance. 🫶🏼 And to the 50:50 Startups directors,Shai Friedman and Marwan Meqbil for bringing together such a diverse and inspiring group of innovators. ⭐️ This wasn’t just a bootcamp; it was the start of a lifelong journey. As we head back to our respective homes, we’re taking with us not only the skills to build our startups but friendships that will last a lifetime. 🥂 #StartupJourney #EntrepreneurLife #CyprusAdventures