{"id":15201,"date":"2026-05-04T19:52:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T16:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/?p=15201"},"modified":"2026-05-04T19:52:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T16:52:58","slug":"ja-startup-2026-finals-award-ceremony-livia-wins-the-ticket-to-gen-e-2026-in-latvia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jacyprus.org\/en\/ja-startup-2026-finals-award-ceremony-livia-wins-the-ticket-to-gen-e-2026-in-latvia\/","title":{"rendered":"JA STARTUP 2026 FINALS & AWARD CEREMONY: \u201cLivia\u201d wins the ticket to Gen-E 2026 in Latvia!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Junior Achievement Cyprus proudly announces the successful completion of the\u00a0JA StartUp 2026 Programme<\/strong>, celebrated during the\u00a0Road to Gen-E 2026<\/strong>\u00a0event. The Finals brought together innovation, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit from young people across Cyprus, showcasing the next generation of changemakers.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The competition marked the culmination of months of hard work, with\u00a010 finalist teams<\/strong>\u00a0from leading universities presenting their business ideas to a distinguished jury and audience.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s winning team,\u00a0Livia<\/strong>, was awarded\u00a01st Place and the title of StartUp of the Year 2026<\/strong>. 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Livia will represent Cyprus at\u00a0Gen-E 2026<\/strong>, Europe\u2019s largest entrepreneurship festival, hosted this year in Riga, Latvia.<\/p>\n

The\u00a02nd Place Award<\/strong>\u00a0was presented to\u00a0Futsapp<\/strong>, 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a03rd Place Award<\/strong>\u00a0went to\u00a0Apodix.io<\/strong>, 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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Sustainability Award<\/strong>, presented by Coffee Island CEO Harry Evripidou<\/strong>, was awarded to\u00a0RE:LAB<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n

The programme was implemented with the support of dedicated academics, mentors, and industry professionals, who guided students throughout their entrepreneurial journey.<\/p>\n

Junior Achievement Cyprus extends its warm thanks to the programme partners\u00a0MetLife<\/strong>,\u00a0Coffee Island<\/strong>, and the\u00a0Research and Innovation Foundation<\/strong>, 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\u00a0Elena Olympiou<\/strong>\u00a0for her dynamic presence and contribution to the success of the event.<\/p>\n

The Road to Gen-E 2026<\/strong> brings together ideas and teams from the classroom to the university. The winning teams will travel to Riga, Latvia<\/strong>, in July to represent Cyprus at Gen-E 2026, the largest youth entrepreneurship scene in Europe. You can follow the winning teams\u2019 journey at www.gen-e.eu<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

For more information, please visit\u00a0www.jacyprus.org<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0or contact\u00a0info@jacyprus.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t