Επισόδεια
Behind the Pitch - Episode 10: MyStudentFlat
In this episode, we explore the MyStudentFlat team and their crowdfunding campaign with its Co-Founders, Dimitris Economou and Elena Orfanidou. We dive into the founders' journey, from meeting over a property listing in Nicosia to building MyStudentFlat together. Dimitris shares his path as a lifelong entrepreneur, from running one of the oldest travel agencies in Greece into business travel, short-term rentals, luxury real estate in Athens, and ultimately student housing in Cyprus from 2016 onwards, while Elena walks us through her digital banking career, including 16 years at Piraeus Bank in Greece building the digital channel from scratch, her time as Chief Digital Officer at Astrobank in Cyprus, and what eventually pulled her out of the corporate world to start something of her own. We unpack the inspiration behind MyStudentFlat, a Student Housing as a Service platform built to fix the chronically fragmented student rental market across Southeastern Europe, and how it eases the experience for students, families and landlords alike. The founders break down how the platform actually works, from browsing 360° flat tours and signing contracts online to all-inclusive rent, starter packs and cleaning, the lease-and-sublease model that powers the engine, and why landlords are happy to give up the 17 to 20% margin in exchange for a hassle-free, professionally managed income stream. We also discuss the traction so far across 50+ flats in Cyprus at 100% occupancy, the early presence in Athens, the plan to reach around 200 units by September 2026, the use of funds for this round, a strategic partnership with one of the largest student housing players in Europe, the path to dividends within two years, and the longer-term ambition of an IPO or strategic acquisition.
Behind The Pitch - Episode 9: Cleedee
In this episode, we explore the Cleedee team and their crowdfunding campaign with its Founders, Stavros and Michalis. We dive into the founders' journey, from meeting in the army and reconnecting at university to building Cleedee together. Stavros shares his path from a double degree in engineering and mathematics through a PhD in computational engineering and scaling startups like Arrival, while Michalis walks us through his commercial career, including building and exiting the Bolt franchise in Cyprus and launching a power bank sharing network across two countries. We unpack the inspiration behind Cleedee, a recruitment platform purpose-built for the hospitality industry, and how it tackles the chronic staffing challenges faced by hotels, restaurants, and cafés. The founders break down how Cleedee works, the proprietary technology behind it, the pivot from a success-fee model to subscription packages, and how the platform differs from traditional job boards and generic applicant tracking systems. We also discuss the network effects driving growth across 11.5K pre-screened candidates and 90 business locations in Cyprus, their plans for geographical expansion into Greece and Austria, the use of funds for this round, the competitive landscape, and potential exit pathways.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 8: the Doers Company
In this episode of Behind the Pitch, we sit down with Stylianos Lambrou, the visionary founder of the Doers Company, the team behind Reflect Festival and more, to uncover the story behind this innovative platform reshaping the events industry. We explore Stylianos' background and the spark that ignited Reflect Festival, a game-changer in Cyprus and the region when it comes to networking and connecting entrepreneurs together. Stylianos breaks down the upcoming new product Doers United platform’s unique features, its cutting-edge approach, and the passionate team driving its success. We also dive into their impressive events portfolio, and their ambitious plans for geographical expansion. From challenges faced to lessons learned, Stylianos shares candid insights into the entrepreneurial journey and the evolving landscape of the industry. Plus, we discuss investor returns and the motivation that keeps the Doers Company team pushing forward. Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or simply curious about the future of events, this episode is packed with inspiration and actionable insights.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 7: LoLa Cloud PCs
In this episode, we dive into the journey of Roger Theophanous, the founder of LoLa Cloud PCs, and explore the story behind this game-changing technology. We uncover Roger's background and the inspiration that led to the creation of LoLa, a pioneering solution in the cloud computing space. Roger walks us through the technology behind LoLa, highlighting its unique features and capabilities. We also discuss the team that drives the innovation at LoLa, their collective expertise, and the collaborative effort behind this ambitious project. Additionally, Roger shares insights into the challenges faced along the way, lessons learned, and the broader industry landscape that LoLa is navigating. Whether you're curious about the future of cloud PCs or the entrepreneurial journey of a tech founder, this episode is packed with valuable insights. When investing or engaging with startups, always conduct thorough research. Your capital may be at risk.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 6: Phi
In this episode, we explore the Phi team and their crowdfunding campaign with its Founders, Tassos Hadjicocolis and Stephanos Androutsellis. We introduce the Phi team and share their background, providing insight into the inspiration behind Phi and what sets it apart as an innovative solution in the industry. We delve into the concept of free-form design and discuss Phi's capabilities as a cloud-based platform. The team also reflects on past challenges and key lessons learned. Additionally, we explore the market landscape, including major players and potential acquisition opportunities, and explain the reasons behind their current fundraising efforts.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 5: Moving Doors
In this episode, we explore the Moving Doors team and their crowdfunding campaign with its Founders, CEO Demetris Papadopoulos and CTO George Hadjivarnava. We discuss the team's backgrounds, the founding story, the business model, how they select properties, what role technology plays, their thoughts on funding rounds and exit strategies, and many more.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 4: The Courtyard
In this episode, we explore The Courtyard crowdfunding campaign with the project managers, George Mouskides and Jad Wakil. We discuss the inception and development of this unique residential project, located at the entrance of Nicosia. We delve deeper into the project's origin, its unique features, and the vision behind it. The guests share their insights into the project's eco-friendly features, technological integrations, and the sense of community it aims to foster. They highlight the project's expansive green spaces, underground parking, and the absence of cars on the ground level, emphasising the tranquility and safety it offers. We also touch upon the financing of the project, including the innovative approach of crowdfunding as a means to involve the community and offer real estate investment opportunities to a broader audience.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 3: Snap
In this episode we welcomed Antonis Neocleous and George Iacovou, the Founders of Snap. Snap is the first and only local solution for individuals looking to book appointments for beauty and wellness services. In this discussion with Snap's Founders, we covered a wide range of topics, including their experience and expertise, businesses they built in the past individually and together, what they learned from those experiences, and how they are applying this newfound knowledge in their latest startup, Snap. We covered many key areas of Snap's business, including the problem in the market and Snap's solution, the business model, the vision and many more. If you are interested in investing in Snap, this podcast episode is a must-watch!
Behind the Pitch - Episode 2: GoGet
In this episode we welcomed Nearchos Petrides, CEO of Ellinas Finance. GoGet is a new product launched by Ellinas Finance Public Company Limited. They are raising Debt capital through Crowdbase, with the use of funds solely for expanding the new GoGet business line. We talked with Nearchos about the new product GoGet, the need in the Cypriot market for such a product, its business model and how it works. Next, we zoomed out and talked about Ellinas Finance as a Group, its history, and the experience they have with lending. Lastly, we analysed the fundraising round, which includes the 3-Year Debenture they are raising, with semi-annual payments, a 3% spread on 12M Euribor, and a floor rate of 4.5%.
Behind the Pitch - Episode 1: easyBoat
In this episode, we sit down with the Founders of easyBoat, CEO Alexandros Nastos, and CTO Simon Lalagos. easyBoat is an online price comparison platform for yacht rentals, raising equity capital on our platform. With Alex and Simon we talk about the idea behind easyBoat and the easy brand, the specifics of easyBoat, what it is, what it does, the business model, the revenue streams etc. Lastly, we talk about the fundraising round, how much funds they are looking to raise, why should someone invest in easyBoat and more.