The Founder Institute (http://FI.co), the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, announced today that it is exploring a new semester launch in Nicosia in 2015.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 9,000 companies - including fast-rising startups across 6 continents like Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, Appota, and many more. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
If you'd like to help bring a semester to Nicosia, then fill out an Interest Form. If enough people complete this form by the Launch Deadline (Apr 21, 2026), then the Founder Institute will formally launch a Fall 2015 program.
The Founder Institute is a part-time, four-month program where promising entrepreneurs can "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit your day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to test demand for a 2015 program, the Founder Institute will host several free startup events;
- The AI-Native Founder Revolution: Build Your Company Faster Than Ever : 7:00pm, Jul 08, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/401679
- Venture Trailblazers featuring Tim Draper: 6:00pm, Jul 09, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/402097
- Go From Idea to Working App with AI, Featuring Adeo Ressi: 8:00pm, Jul 09, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/402216
- How to Build Without a Team Using AI with Jonathan Greechan: 7:00pm, Jul 14, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/401896
- Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 7:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/390593
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 7:00pm, Jul 28, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/401218
- Learn from AI-Native Solo Alumni: How FI Grads Built Without a Co-Founder: 7:00pm, Aug 04, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/391145
- From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 3:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/393331
- Stop Guessing, Start Raising: An Investor Q&A : 3:30am, Aug 11, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/392857
- Build a Startup Idea Investors Won’t Ignore: 3:00am, Aug 19, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/391302
- FounderX Silicon Valley 2026: Global Conference in San Francisco: 3:00am, Aug 26, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/399808
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 7:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/392948
- How to Build a Strong Pipeline of Entrepreneurs for your Innovation Hub: 7:00pm, Sep 15, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/398361
- Break the Idea Loop and Decide What to Build: 3:00am, Sep 22, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/391582
- From Idea to Traction: Lessons From Global FI Alumni: 3:30am, Oct 06, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/390869
- From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 7:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/393461
- From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 7:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/393108
- From “Maybe” to Momentum: Building a Great Startup Idea: 3:00am, Nov 18, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/391455
- From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 7:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (Europe/Athens): https://FI.co/e/391031
Leading the Founder Institute's efforts in Nicosia are Argyris Argyrou (Founder, AtYourService.com.cy), Peter Lazou (Business Mentor, Startup Live Academy), and Stavriana Kofteros (Lead Organizer, Startup Academy).
Other successful entrepreneurs who have pledged their support to mentor founders in a Nicosia Founder Institute program include:
- Alexis Piperides: CEO, Proto.io
- Ali Akber: Founding Engineer | AI Consultant | Fractional CTO
- Alina Andreieva: DesignThinkers Academy business partner, Ascent Group Managing Partner, DesignThinkers Academy
- Anastasios Avranas: Managing Partner, Interfima
- Andreas Mathikolonis: Head of Crypto Business Development (Strategy) , BLK Group
- Andreas Livadiotis
- Andrei Yarantsau, DeepTech CY
- Andrey Kostyuk: Co-Founder, AAlchemy Ventures Limited
- Antoinia Norman
- Anton Vasiliev: General Partner, Freesearch Ventures
- Arseniy Dabbakh, Innotechnics
- Artak Sahakyan
- Ben Stacey: CEO, Pitchverk
- Beny Rubinstein, Eng, M.B.A., PhD Candidate: Founder & CEO, BZR Insights
- Brigitte Baumann
- Briken Bufi: CEO & Co-founder, Sainni AI
- Carmine Masiello: Entrepreneur, Mentor, CTO, KCYMA Studios Ltd
- Christiana Aristidou: International Business Lawyer, DEMOCRITOS ARISTIDOU & CO LAW FIRM
- Christina Michaelidou: Certified life and Business coach | Trainer | Author | Mentor | ICF CY Board director, DESIGN YOUR WINS
- Christina Orfanidou: Head of Group AI , Columbia Group
- Christos Christodoulou, Double Eye
- Constantine Demetriou: Mr, Neom Investment Fund
- Cyril Golub: Board Member, LatBAN
- Daniel Shterk: Founder & Chief Opportunity Curator, FundraisingDispatch.com
- Dionysis Partsinevelos: Venture Capital, 33East | G4 Ventures
- Edmund Frey
- Elena Michael: Founder, Evolving Minds & YoungstarsCyprus
- Frixos Larkos
- Gala Grigoreva: CMO/Go-to-Market and Growth Marketing Strategist , Adsterra
- Gary Stewart: Founder, MyCofoundr
- George Georgiou: CEO, Novatex Solutions
- George Economides: Vice-Chair at Totalserve Group | Partner at E & G Economides LLC, Totalserve Group
- Georgios Diamantopoulos: Founder, Zero to MVP
- Gillian Muessig: Ms, Mastersfund
- Ivan Yong: Organisational Pyschologist & Sales Coach, Nanyang Angelz Limited
- Janet Todorova: Head of Expansion, Founder Institute
- Julia Amatuni: Head of Strategy and Research, Asteriada
- Kanstantsin Netyliou: Co-Founder, Founders.cy
- Kat Gabrielle
- Katya Solov: Founder, Miranna
- Konstantinos Kareklas: Strategy and Operations, -
- Lida Liberopoulou: Independent Researcher & Founder, Threadbaire
- Maksim Leukhin: Head of Investor Relations , AAlchemy Ventures
- Maria Pallidou: Co-Founder and CFO , PhosPrint SA
- Maria Stylianou: Tech Leadership Consultant, Independent
- Marianna Prokopi Demetriades: Biotech Innovator, RSL Revolutionary Labs
- Marianna Hadjiandoniou, PERHA Group
- Mariano Kostelec: Founder & CEO, Inflection Systems
- Mario Paladini: Co-Founder & CEO, Club GLOBALS
- Marios Isaakidis: Director, infotropic.tech
- Melinda Bojte: Founder, Mels Digital, Aphrodite Events
- Michalis Antoniou: Mr, mmm
- Michalis Papadopoulos: Founder and CEO, Velicor Consulting
- Moysis Moyseos: Incubator Manager , Gravity Ventures
- Nicolas Rouhana
- Nikita Volchek: Founder & GP, Volchek Capital Partners
- Nikita Yuriev: Partner, ULTRA.VC
- Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos
- Oksana Malysheva: Managing Partner, Sputnik ATX VC
- Oleg Tumanov
- Orlando Castellanos: CINO, NETinfo
- Ourania (Rania) Vrondou: Director , Hadjianastassiou, Ioannides LLC
- Pavlos Kleanthous: Founder & CEO, Parsectix
- Pavlos Loizou: CEO , Ask Wire
- Ricardo Marvão
- Richard Cristina: Principle Director & Founder , Bloom for Start Ups / Innovate U / Founder Institute.
- Richard Mort, Japan-Europe Facilitator
- Sandra Da Silva: Sandra Da Silva , The Inner Architect
- Sergei B Bogdanov
- Sergey Negodyaev: CEO, Aenix
- Sergey Osipov: Co-founder, Placy AI
- Sotiris Makrygiannis: Founder , AIA Lab
- Stavriana Kofteros: Special Entrepreneurship & Development Advisor Democratic Rally
- Styliani Petroudi: Director of Innovation, CYENS Centre of Excellence, CYENS
- Viktoria Kanar: Co-Founder, Re-Fresh Global
- Volodymyr Zhukov: Venture Partner, Network VC
- Yiannis Menelaou: Director, Xtellus Europe Ltd
- And many more to be announced.
Help bring the Founder Institute to Nicosia and fill out an Interest Form today.
About The Founder Institute
The Founder Institute (www.FI.co) is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program, helping aspiring founders across the globe build enduring technology companies. In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs "learn by doing" and launch a company through structured training courses, practical business-building assignments, and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, aspiring founders are not required to quit their day job to participate, so they can begin building a business around their ideas without putting their livelihood at risk.
Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch over 9,000 companies, which have created over 30,000 new jobs. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
The Founder Institute was founded in 2009 by serial entrepreneur Adeo Ressi.
(Aerial view of Nicosia city, Cyprus image by Shutterstock)
