National Bank of Greece sponsors Cyprus innovation summit
National Bank of Greece will return as a key sponsor of INSPIRE 2026, the annual entrepreneurial festival in Cyprus, from October 7 to 8 in central Nicosia. The bank will serve as stage sponsor for the Startup Stage, reinforcing its role in connecting Cyprus’ innovation ecosystem with Greece and international partners.
The bank is also organizing Innovation Cyprus 2.0, a dedicated event on October 7 at 16:30 at its headquarters in Nicosia. The program will bring together leaders from business, academia, and government to discuss the future of innovation in Cyprus.
The event opens with remarks from Giorgos Agioutantis, CEO of National Bank of Greece in Cyprus, followed by addresses from the Greek ambassador to Cyprus, Konstantinos Kollias, and two academic leaders: Dr. Marios Dikaiakos, president of the University of Cyprus’ Entrepreneurship Council, and Dr. Spyros Arsenis, head of the bank’s NBG Business Seeds program.
A fireside chat between Ernestos Panayiotou, the bank’s general manager for transformation, and Dr. Nicodemos Damianou, Cyprus’ deputy minister for research and digital policy, will explore innovation as a national priority. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Arsenis.
Another panel will focus on how established companies integrate innovation, featuring representatives from Microsoft, Mastercard, and Tototheo Global. The session is moderated by Marilena Sevastidou, National Bank’s corporate banking director.
Cypriot startup MammoCheck will present its journey from research idea to business success. The company won first place in the 16th NBG Business Seeds Innovation and Technology Competition, and its team will detail how their solution, developed with social impact in mind, has gained international traction.
A key theme of the event is bridging academic research with commercial application. A panel featuring professors from the University of Cyprus and Cyprus University of Technology, alongside Amazon Web Services’s regional representative, will examine how universities can better support startup growth. The session is moderated by Dr. Panos Markopoulos.
Institutional perspectives will be addressed by Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos, the president of the Employers and Industrialists Federation, and officials from Invest Cyprus and AmCham Greece. Their contributions will show the role of local government and business associations in supporting innovation.
The event concludes with a discussion on funding and investment, featuring partners from Uni.Fund VC, Metavallon, L-Stone Capital, and Big Pi Ventures. The panel, moderated by Dr. Arsenis, will focus on how startups can access capital and connect with broader investor networks.
