Our Impact
Towards a knowledge-based economy
Economic impact
Cyprus Seeds is one of the major players in Cyprus, contributing to creating a knowledge-based economy. In only 4 years of operation, Cyprus Seeds can demonstrate tangible results towards this direction, such as:
- €1. 300.000+ donations have been attracted from the private sector, including foundations, corporate donors and individuals from Cyprus and abroad.
- Cyprus Seeds is the only initiative in Cyprus which has attracted donations from The Hellenic Initiative, a not-for-profit organisation established by Greeks and Cypriots of Diaspora and global philhellene communities based in New York).
- In less than four years, Cyprus Seeds completed 2 successful funding cycles and supported 12 scientific projects from the Universities, Centres of Excellence and Research Centres of Cyprus.
- €630.000+ has been granted during the 2 Cycles.
- Change of mindset every grantee is looking to either spin out or pursue a licensing agreement.
- 2 start-ups spun out from the University of Cyprus as as a result of two projects supported by Cyprus Seeds.
- 1 of the 7 projects of the 1st cycle concluded 2 “Option-to-be Licensing Agreements” with 2 US Pharma companies, resulting in funding to the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics.
- Acted as a mini technology transfer office and paid for the filing of 8 Provisional Patents in the USA and Europe; 1 of the 8 US patents was recently awarded.
- 10 new hires of researchers as a result of Cyprus Seeds funding.
- The only private initiative supporting exclusively the commercialisation of academic research from Cypriot universities, Centres of Excellence and Research, aiming to slow down the brain drain and create a pipeline of research based start-ups which will attract private investors’ funding.
Environmental Impact
Environment protection and energy management are among the most significant challenges of our time. A few of the Cyprus Seeds projects address this challenge by:
- Developing environmentally friendly and more effective methods to improve the quality of the water
- Developing a lower-cost technology detecting faults in photovoltaics much earlier than conventional technologies contributing to ensuring maximum energy.
Social Impact
The projects supported by Cyprus Seeds directly impact people’s lives. More specifically:
5 healthcare projects contribute, among others, to the therapy for inherited neuropathies, provision of non-invasive surgeries in the area of oncology, improvement of fertility treatment techniques, detection and monitoring of the capacity of malignant tumours, cardiac and neurological diseases, enhancement of the research on metastasis and quantified the cancer cell metastatic behaviour.
1 project contributes to developing innovative methodologies to monitor and manage works of art, artefacts and monuments, bringing new insights and opportunities relevant to our art and cultural heritage.
1 project develops cutting-edge seed technology to increase the tolerance of crop plans in major stress conditions related to global climate change.
International awards granted to Cyprus Seeds
- Shortlisted Candidate for 2022 European Enterprise Promotion Awards, in Category 2 – Investing in Entrepreneurial Skill
- National winner of the 2022 European Enterprise Promotion Awards in Category 2 – Investing in Entrepreneurial Skills.
- Won the national award of the South Europe 2020 start-up competition in the “Best start-up ecosystem initiative” category.
International Awards granted to Cyprus Seeds grantees
- The DIMEC team was a finalist in the 2021 startup competition of the MIT Enterprise Forum Greece (MITEF Greece), considered the most prestigious startup competition in Greece.
- The Yieldshield team won two prizes in the 2022 MITEF Greece.