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AAlchemy Growth Lab, Nicosia (2026)

01/06/2026

What role should angel investors play in Europe's future competitiveness?

That was the question explored by Jacopo Losso, Director General of EBAN - European Business Angel Network EBAN, during his keynote at the AAlchemy Ventures Stage at Doers Summit Limassol 2026.

As Europe continues to search for ways to strengthen innovation, retain talent, and compete globally, early-stage investment remains one of the most important drivers of entrepreneurial growth. Angel investors are often the first believers behind ambitious founders, providing not only capital but also experience, networks, and strategic guidance.

The keynote explored how angel investing contributes to stronger innovation ecosystems, why early-stage capital matters for long-term economic development, and what Europe can do to create better conditions for founders and investors alike.

One message stood out throughout the session:

Competitive economies are built long before companies reach scale. They are built when founders gain access to the capital, support, and expertise needed to take their first steps.

Thank you, Jacopo Losso, for bringing this important perspective to the conversation.

29/05/2026

28th Regime: Game Changer or Marginal Improvement?Can the 28th Regime actually change Europe’s competitiveness for startup talent and innovation?

This became one of the central discussions during the AAlchemy Ventures Silent Stage at Doers Summit Limassol.

Following the keynote sessions by Anna Krzyzanowska from the European Commission and Styliani Petroudi, the panel featuring Dr Marianna Prokopi-Demetriades, Theodoros Loukaidis, Tanya Romanyukha, Jacopo Losso and Pedro Santos Vieira. explored the practical implications behind the initiative and what it could realistically mean for founders, investors, and innovation ecosystems across Europe.

The discussion moved beyond theory and into ex*****on: regulation, ecosystem coordination, founder mobility, investment attractiveness, and Europe’s ability to compete globally for innovation and talent.

One thing became clear throughout the session: Europe already has talent and innovation capacity. The real question is whether it can build structures that allow both to scale effectively.

28/05/2026

Cross-border investing continues to be one of the biggest opportunities, and one of the biggest challenges, in the European venture ecosystem.

At the Silent Stage during Doers Summit, Yuri G. Rabinovich, Davit Tsitsko Tsitskishvili, Chris Birrell, Andrey Kostyuk and Jacopo Losso discussed what still prevents stronger investor participation across markets and what practical steps can improve collaboration.

The conversation focused on syndication, investor trust, ecosystem fragmentation, deal flow access, and the importance of building relationships between networks rather than operating in isolated markets.

One of the strongest takeaways from the panel: Europe does not necessarily lack investors, it often lacks coordinated access, collaboration, and infrastructure between ecosystems.

Exactly the type of discussion we hoped to bring to the Silent Stage.

28/05/2026

A proud milestone for Founder Institute Cyprus and the growing startup ecosystem on the island.

We’re excited to share that the Founder Institute Cyprus chapter has been officially featured in the GEM Cyprus National Report 2024/2025 by the University of Cyprus, alongside key incubators and accelerator initiatives shaping entrepreneurship and innovation in Cyprus.

As part of the global Founder Institute network, we launched the Cyprus chapter to bring a world-class pre-seed accelerator model, built in Silicon Valley and operating across 200+ cities, directly into the local ecosystem.

Seeing our chapter recognised in the country’s official entrepreneurship report during our very first cohort is incredibly meaningful.

Our current cohort includes 21 founders building across multiple industries, supported by 65+ mentors connected specifically to the Cyprus chapter, with access to Founder Institute’s wider global mentor network of 30,000+ experts, operators, and investors.

Most importantly, a huge thank you to our founders who took the leap to join this journey with us and become part of the very first Founder Institute Cyprus cohort. Building something from day one takes vision, resilience, and trust, and we’re incredibly proud to support each of you through this process.

Read the full report here: https://www.gemc4e.org/

A huge thank you as well to the Centre for Entrepreneurship at the University of Cyprus and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism for including us in this year’s report.

This is only the beginning, and we’re excited for what’s ahead for founders building from Cyprus to the world.

FI Cyprus directore Andrey Kostyuk and leaders Maksim Leukhin Melinda B. Alexandros Loizides

Photo credit for Andreas Philippides

27/05/2026

Most founders prepare for fundraising by improving their pitch.

Far fewer prepare for the negotiation dynamics, investor psychology, and communication strategy behind the deal itself.

During Doers Summit Limassol 2026, Andrey Kostyuk, CEO & General Partner at AAlchemy Ventures, led a workshop focused on how founders can approach investor communication and negotiations more strategically in real-world fundraising environments.

The session explored:
• ethical persuasion vs manipulation
• storytelling frameworks for investor communication
• negotiation strategy and founder positioning
• BATNA, ZOPA, and investor alignment
• understanding different investor motivations
• game theory and decision-making in venture discussions

One of the strongest themes throughout the workshop was that fundraising is not a single pitch moment. It is an ongoing process of preparation, positioning, adaptation, and understanding the people across the table.

The full workshop recording is now available on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/CZe8YjnufwE?si=OeJLQEn0hS4Cw_8z

27/05/2026

Some companies become unicorns because of timing.

Others because someone spotted the signal before the market did.

One of the opening conversations at the AAlchemy Ventures Silent Stage during Doers Summit Limassol focused on what investors actually look for before breakout growth becomes obvious.

Andrey Kostyuk and Mike Sigal discussed pattern recognition, founder signals, market timing, investor psychology, and the difference between hype and real long-term potential.

One recurring point throughout the discussion: investors rarely identify unicorns through numbers alone. Vision, adaptability, founder behavior, and market positioning often matter much earlier than traction metrics.

A strong opening conversation for a day focused on venture growth, investment strategy, and ecosystem development.

27/05/2026

The latest Founder Institute Cyprus · Spring 2026 session focused on one of the areas founders often underestimate early on: legal structure, equity, and protection.

The discussion covered corporate setups, shareholder agreements, founder protection, equity considerations, and intellectual property, not as theory, but as practical conversations founders need to understand from the beginning.

A huge thank you to George Economides from Totalserve Group Ourania (Rania) Vrondou from Hadjianastassiou, Ioannides LLC and Evdokia Marcou from Christiana Aristidou LLC for sharing their expertise and helping the cohort navigate topics that can have long-term impact on how startups grow, operate, and protect what they build.

Building a startup is not only about the idea or the product.
The structure behind it matters as much.

26/05/2026

One stage. One day. Investors, policymakers, founders, ecosystem leaders, and operators from across Europe and beyond brought into the same space for conversations that rarely happen this openly, practically, and at this level.

Doers Summit brings together people who build, invest, operate, and shape what comes next across industries, technologies, and ecosystems.

As a Supporter Partner of Doers Summit Limassol 2026, AAlchemy Ventures curated the Silent Stage together with VNTR and EBAN - European Business Angel Network bringing investors, founders, policymakers, mentors, and ecosystem leaders from across EBAN, VNTR, and the wider international ecosystem into one space for a full day of discussions.

The goal behind the stage was simple:
create conversations with real depth, practical perspective, and people who actively shape ecosystems rather than just talk about them.

Throughout the day, the stage explored topics including:
• “Spotting Unicorns Early” — Andrey Kostyuk & Mike Sigal
• “Practical Steps to Engage More Investors in Venture Deals & Facilitate Cross-Border Investing” — Yuri G. Rabinovich, Davit Tsitsko, Chris Birrell & Jacopo Losso
• “Role of the European Commission in EU Startup Ecosystem Development” — Anna Krzyzanowska
• “28th Regime and Beyond” — Styliani Petroudi
• “28th Regime: Game Changer or Marginal Improvement?” — Dr Marianna Prokopi-Demetriades, Theodoros Loukaidis, Styliani Petroudi, Tanya Romanyukha & Pedro Santos Vieira
• “Angel Investing Today: Opportunities & Challenges” — Jacopo Losso, Nicolas Rouhana, Corine Kiame, Panayiotis Philimis, Davit Tsitsko & Andrey Kostyuk
• “Angels and VCs: Handover of Scaleups as Exit & Growth Opportunity” — Eldar Khamitov, Sergey Negodyaev, Nikita Yuriev, Petros Farah & Yuri G. Rabinovich
• “Building Investor Networks & Communities” — Yuri G. Rabinovich
• “Knowledge as a Prerequisite for Success: The Role of Startup Mentoring & Educating Angels” — Andrey Kostyuk, Elias Hadjielias, Elpidoforos Anastasiou, christina michaelidou & Christodoulos Pavlou

A big thank you to everyone.

20/05/2026

Yesterday marked one of the biggest milestones so far of the Founder Institute Cyprus · Spring 2026 program —> the Mentor Idea Review.

This is the stage where founders step forward to pitch their startups in front of experienced founders, operators, and investors, receiving direct feedback designed to challenge assumptions, strengthen positioning, and test clarity under pressure.

A huge thank you to our mentors for contributing their time, experience, and honest feedback to help shape the next generation of founders in Cyprus:

Alexis Piperides 🌎 Gillian Muessig Nikita Yuriev Beny Rubinstein, Eng., M.B.A., Ph.D. candidate Sandra Da Silva Maria Stylianou

At this stage, founders are pushed to move beyond ambition alone, to clearly communicate the problem, the opportunity, the business model, and why their startup deserves attention in a competitive market.

The cohort keeps moving forward.

20/05/2026

Most founders prepare for fundraising by improving their pitch.
Very few prepare for the negotiation itself.

At Doers Summit Limassol 2026, our CEO, Andrey Kostyuk will lead a practical workshop focused on how founders can approach investor communication, negotiation strategy, and deal-making more effectively in real startup environments.

The session combines classical persuasion frameworks, behavioral psychology, storytelling structure, and venture negotiation mechanics into a founder-focused approach to investor discussions.

Topics include:
• how and when to approach investors
• BATNA, ZOPA, and negotiation positioning
• understanding different investor motivations
• ethical persuasion vs manipulation
• storytelling frameworks for investor communication
• strategic negotiation and decision-making dynamics

This workshop is designed for founders who want to better understand not just how to pitch, also how to navigate investor conversations strategically.

📍 Doers Summit 2026
📅 May 21, 11:30 am
⚠️ Registration is required to attend the workshop.

https://luma.com/doers-limt?tk=2Vl7ZV (or on the website of Doers Summit)

AAlchemy Growth Lab

01/06/2026

29/05/2026

28/05/2026

28/05/2026

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

27/05/2026

26/05/2026

20/05/2026

20/05/2026

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