JA STARTUP 2026 FINALS & AWARD CEREMONY: “Livia” wins the ticket to Gen-E 2026 in Latvia!

Junior Achievement Cyprus proudly announces the successful completion of the JA StartUp 2026 Programme, celebrated during the Road to Gen-E 2026 event. The Finals brought together innovation, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit from young people across Cyprus, showcasing the next generation of changemakers.

For the first time, the JA StartUp Finals took place as part of a full-day experience alongside the JA Company Programme Finals, on Wednesday 29 April 2026 at Royal Hall in Nicosia. The event highlighted the power of youth entrepreneurship, reaffirming that students have the vision and ability to shape the future through creativity, innovation, and determination.

The competition marked the culmination of months of hard work, with 10 finalist teams from leading universities presenting their business ideas to a distinguished jury and audience.

This year’s winning team, Livia, was awarded 1st Place and the title of StartUp of the Year 2026. Livia is developing an intelligent agriculture platform that combines satellite data, autonomous drones, and AI-driven analytics to provide farmers with actionable insights. By optimizing irrigation, improving crop quality, and increasing yield, Livia aims to scale precision agriculture solutions globally. The award was presented by JA Cyprus BoD Vice Chair, Michael Kammas.

Livia will represent Cyprus at Gen-E 2026, Europe’s largest entrepreneurship festival, hosted this year in Riga, Latvia.

The 2nd Place Award was presented to Futsapp, an inclusive digital platform that connects people through sports. The app enables users to find teams, meet new players, and book venues, promoting accessibility, social inclusion, and community building regardless of background. The award was presented by MetLife Cyprus General Director Christos Sophocleous.

The 3rd Place Award went to Apodix.io, a digital receipt platform offering a smart and eco-friendly alternative to paper receipts. The solution allows users to securely store and track purchases while helping businesses improve efficiency and gain valuable insights through data analytics and POS integration. The award was presented by the Research and Innovation Foundation Senior Scientific Officer Litsa Kountouridou.

The Sustainability Award, presented by Coffee Island CEO Harry Evripidou, was awarded to RE:LAB. The team developed an open-source platform that transforms plastic waste into customizable 3D-printed products, rewarding users with blockchain-based tokens and enabling a circular, community-driven recycling economy.

The programme was implemented with the support of dedicated academics, mentors, and industry professionals, who guided students throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

Junior Achievement Cyprus extends its warm thanks to the programme partners MetLife, Coffee Island, and the Research and Innovation Foundation, as well as to the jury members, mentors, and all contributors who made the event possible. Special thanks are also extended to the Master of Ceremony Elena Olympiou for her dynamic presence and contribution to the success of the event.

The Road to Gen-E 2026 brings together ideas and teams from the classroom to the university. The winning teams will travel to Riga, Latvia, in July to represent Cyprus at Gen-E 2026, the largest youth entrepreneurship scene in Europe. You can follow the winning teams’ journey at www.gen-e.eu

JA Cyprus is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the largest global non-profit organization dedicated to youth entrepreneurship education, empowering young people with entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and employability skills.

For more information, please visit www.jacyprus.org or contact info@jacyprus.org