The participants had two options to participate: either by bringing their startup concept or by joining an existing project. The participants followed a complete startup development process – starting with problem solving, including market research, business planning, and MVP creation – and concluding with a final pitching session in front of expert judges of investors and entrepreneurships.

“When students and startups work side by side on real business cases, they form the core of Cyprus’s future innovation economy,” said Oleg Khusaenov, CEO of Zubr Capital. “This kind of collaboration accelerates learning and creates a direct link between education and entrepreneurship.”

The hackathon brought together eight startup teams and 50 participants, working side by side to build real solutions in just one day. This wasn’t a theoretical case study format – students worked directly with real founders on active startup projects, co-building market-ready solutions side by side.

Supporting Cyprus’s innovation ecosystem

In just one day, participants went from identifying a problem to delivering an investment pitch. It’s an intense format that mirrors real startup dynamics and gives students a practical sense of what it means to build a business.

Throughout the day, mentors from Zubr Capital and its portfolio and partner companies guided participants through key stages – from market analysis to investor presentations. The event concluded with team pitches and feedback from experts.

The jury included leading investors and founders such as Oleg Khusaenov, Founder & CEO of Zubr Capital and one of the most influential tech investors in the region; Eugene Nevgen, Co-Founder of Bratte.com, Locals and Animation Inc, Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and creator of products used by over one billion people worldwide; Luba Pashkovskaya, Forbes Europe Top 50 Women in Tech and Co-Founder of Verv with 150M+ global users; Sergey Osipov, serial entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of AI real estate startup Placy, and Andrei Avsievich, super angel, investor and Founder with multiple high-multiple AI exits.; Andrei Yarantsau, former VP at Wargaming and Founder of Steam Power Investments, investing in global tech ventures; Ulad Radkevitch, General Partner at Verras Capital and Vice President at ScienceSoft; Paul Matusevich, fintech innovator and entrepreneur; and Sergei Riabuhin, Managing Partner at Zubr Capital known for scaling high-performing teams.

“Such initiatives help grow a new generation of founders who can think globally while building locally,” said Nikita Krivelevich, Investment Director at Zubr Capital, overseeing investments in B2B and SaaS companies across Central and Eastern Europe. “Cyprus has the talent and the environment to become one of the region’s key innovation centres.”

The Zubr Capital Young Hackathon established a connection between students who want to start businesses and the active startup sector of the island. The programme provided students with valuable practical experience and expert guidance, while startups gained access to fresh concepts and potential business partners.

The initiative underscores Zubr Capital’s commitment to investing not only in companies but also in people – and to supporting Cyprus’s role as an emerging international hub for technology and innovation.

An investment firm, Zubr Capital, operates as a local entity in Cyprus through its long-term expansion plan, which includes managing $250 million across 30 tech companies, including two unicorn businesses. The company receives funding from EBRD, FMO, and Wargaming as part of its investor base.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.