Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2026

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou rewards entrepreneurship and innovation for the fourth consecutive year

€200,000 awarded to promising young businesses

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Creator and Owner of the easy family of brands (www.easy.com & www.easyHistory.info), and Founder and Chairman of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation (https://steliosfoundation.com.cy/), continues to invest in Cyprus’s next generation of entrepreneurs, recognising innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial daring.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus provide meaningful financial support to young entrepreneurs, enabling them to develop their businesses, seize new opportunities and take the next step in their professional journey.

At the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2026 ceremony, held on 10 November at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, 5 Markou Drakou Street, Nicosia, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou awarded a total of €200,000 to three winners, recognising their business ideas and the promising prospects of their companies.

The three winners

First Prize – €100,000: Elena Kourti, Giorgos Theofanous and Nikolas Gabriel, founders of Nomads Properties, a company specialising in the rental and management of luxury villas and tourist accommodation in Cyprus, offering personalised hospitality services. (www.nomadsproperties.com)

Second Prize – €60,000: Michalis Christodoulou, founder of MC Farm Solutions, a company specialising in the supply, installation and maintenance of modern livestock equipment and automation systems for livestock farming facilities in Cyprus. (www.mcfarmsolutions.com)

Third Prize – €40,000: Therapon Constantinou, Andriana Constantinou and Christos Karapatakis, founders of DermLux, a chain of medical aesthetics clinics in Cyprus offering laser hair removal, facial treatments and injectable aesthetic procedures. (www.dermluxclinic.com)

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou congratulated the three winners via Zoom, encouraging them to continue taking risks and pursuing the next steps in their entrepreneurial journeys. The First Prize was presented by Deputy Minister to the President, Mrs Irene Pikis, while the Second Prize was presented by Mrs Rena Rouvitha Panou, Member of the Board of Directors of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. The Third Prize was presented by Giorgos Chrysostomides, last year’s €100,000 award winner, adding a special and symbolic dimension to the ceremony. It is worth noting that this year, 50 young entrepreneurs submitted applications to participate in the competition.

Eleni Kourti, Giorgos Theofanous and Nikolas Gabriel, winners of the First Prize of €100,000 for establishing Nomads Properties, stated: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for the tremendous honour of receiving First Prize at the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs. For us, having started out as university classmates and close friends, bringing together complementary skills in engineering, management and finance, this distinction represents meaningful recognition of our journey and our vision to redefine boutique accommodation management through an authentic, personalised and design-led approach. This award belongs first and foremost to the exceptional team at Nomads Properties. Every milestone, every achievement and every guest who enjoys an outstanding stay is the result of collective effort and daily dedication. In a country where tourism and hospitality are among the most important pillars of the economy, recognition from an internationally acclaimed entrepreneur such as Sir Stelios fills us with a strong sense of responsibility and renewed determination. We continue to invest passionately in digital innovation, showcasing the island’s most beautiful destinations and local treasures, and creating long-term added value for Cyprus. At the same time, we hope our journey will serve as a message of optimism to young people in Cyprus. We believe that when you follow your passion, continuously invest in knowledge, work with discipline and remain committed to your goals, you can achieve far more than you initially imagined.
The journey of Nomads Properties is only just beginning. We aspire to continue innovating, expanding our presence both in Cyprus and abroad, and setting a positive example for the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

Michalis Christodoulou, winner of the Second Prize of €60,000 for establishing MC Farm Solutions, stated: “This distinction represents one of the proudest moments in the journey of MC Farm Solutions. We are deeply honoured and grateful to receive this recognition through the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2026. MC Farm Solutions was established in 2024 with the vision of supporting Cypriot livestock farmers by introducing innovative technologies and modern solutions that contribute to the advancement and sustainability of the livestock sector. This award recognises the hard work, dedication and collective efforts of our entire team. At the same time, it sends a message to all young entrepreneurs that, with perseverance, hard work and a clear vision, they can turn an idea into a successful business. I would like to express my sincere thanks to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for this important distinction, as well as to our clients, partners and suppliers for their trust and support. Our journey so far would not have been possible without their contribution and cooperation. I would also like to extend heartfelt thanks to my family and everyone who supported me from the very beginning of this venture, believing in me and in the company’s vision. This award is not only recognition of our efforts to date, but also an incentive to continue with even greater dedication, delivering value to the people we serve every day and contributing to the advancement of the primary sector through investment in technology, automation and sustainable development.”

Therapon Constantinou, Andriana Constantinou and Christos Karapatakis, winners of the Third Prize of €40,000 for DermLux, commented: “DermLux was founded in 2023 by three young doctors and friends with a simple idea and a clear purpose: to establish modern aesthetic clinics in every city in Cyprus, offering high quality and effective treatments based on doctor-developed protocols. We opened our first clinic in Limassol with just two treatment rooms. Today, we operate five locations across four cities, with a team of 44 people, the vast majority of whom are young women, who make us proud every day. This award belongs to them. Our journey has been driven entirely by entrepreneurial initiative. We have operated without bank borrowing, reinvesting every euro earned into new treatment rooms, new equipment and new people. We have learned to make quick, data-driven decisions, build the tools we need ourselves and place our trust in our team. Recognition from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, a Cypriot who has reached the highest levels of global entrepreneurship, is the strongest confirmation that this approach of perseverance and reinvestment, rather than chasing quick profits, is the right one. We would like to express our warmest thanks to Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for this honour and their confidence in us. The entire prize money will be invested in our next location in Nicosia, creating new treatment rooms, introducing new equipment and generating new employment opportunities in Cyprus. To young people with an idea who may be hesitant to take the first step, our message is simple: Cyprus may seem like a small market, but there is room for those who dare to take the initiative. There are opportunities, and hard work is rewarded. People like Sir Stelios believe in Cyprus’s younger generation and demonstrate this commitment year after year.”

The Deputy Minister to the President, Mrs Irene Pikis, stated in her address: “Entrepreneurship is a key driving force behind innovation, economic growth and the creation of quality jobs. It contributes to strengthening competitiveness and, ultimately, to improving citizens’ standard of living.
Where necessary, the Government’s role is to act as a facilitator, creating the right conditions for the development and strengthening of private initiative.
In this context, the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs are an excellent example of such a contribution. I warmly congratulate Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation for their longstanding contribution and tangible support for the new generation of entrepreneurs.”

Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, speaking at the awards ceremony, said: “Every year, the Young Entrepreneurship Awards give me the opportunity to meet young people with ideas, vision and determination. Talent exists in Cyprus, and young entrepreneurs are proving that they can establish and build businesses with promising prospects. The Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs provide meaningful financial support to those who dare to take the initiative, enabling them to move forward with their plans and realise their potential. I congratulate this year’s winners, as well as everyone who took part in the competition. The entrepreneurial journey requires perseverance, risk-taking and belief in our ideas.
My message to young people is simple: keep trying, keep innovating and keep pursuing your ambitions. I will continue to support those who dare to take the next step.”