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Exciting Funding Opportunities for Cyprus Startups: €6.2 Million Budget Announced!

The Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) has unveiled two groundbreaking initiatives aimed at enhancing the competitive edge of both existing and startup enterprises. These initiatives, named the Seed and Innovate programs, are geared towards accelerating the development of cutting-edge products and services and broadening their international market presence. The total budget allocated for these initiatives stands at an impressive €6.2 million.

Innovate Seed Announcement

INNOVATE Program

Targeted at companies already active in the market, the INNOVATE program focuses on optimizing product or service development, kickstarting commercial production, and facilitating entry into the global market.

  • Total Call Budget: €3.2 million
  • Maximum Funding per Project: €1 million
  • Submission Deadline: September 9, 2025

For more insights, visit: Innovate Program Details

SEED Program

The SEED program aims to support the rapid development of dynamic, innovative startups seeking to create globally competitive products or services.

  • Total Call Budget: €3 million
  • Maximum Funding per Project: €500,000
  • Submission Deadline: September 12, 2025

Discover more here: Seed Program Details

These calls are co-funded by the Republic of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Cohesion Policy Program “Thalia 2021-2027”. For further information, contact the RIF Partners Support Center at 22205000 or email support@research.org.cy.

A New Twitter-Inspired Social Network Is Taking Shape

A new social network called Twitter.now is entering the market, with a founding team that includes former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates. The service is being developed by startup Operation Bluebird.

As Ars Technica reported, X sued the company last year and asked a Delaware judge to block the launch. Operation Bluebird argued in a petition that X had abandoned trademarks including “Twitter” and “Tweet.”

Coates has said the project is not an attempt to recreate the original Twitter. In a LinkedIn post, he described the platform as a new public space focused on trust, transparency and user choice.

AI System To Rate Posts

Twitter.now is currently being tested, with early access priced at $20. Its main feature is VERA, an AI system designed to evaluate posts, verify claims and provide sources and context.

Posts receive a trust score, with users eventually able to set a minimum score to filter their feeds. The company says this approach will give people more control over what they see instead of leaving those decisions entirely to an algorithm.

Moderation Remains A Challenge

Scaling moderation will be one of the platform’s biggest tests. Social networks have repeatedly struggled with content moderation as their communities grow, and newer platforms such as Bluesky have faced similar criticism.

Operation Bluebird says VERA will form the basis of its moderation and verification system. A second version is already planned, with expanded tools that would let users set a specific trust threshold for the posts appearing in their feeds.

For now, Twitter.now remains in an early testing phase, combining the familiarity of the Twitter name with an AI-driven approach to evaluating online information.

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