Gender Equality Remains A Top Priority, Says Cypriot President

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 16, 2025

Gender equality remains a core priority for the Government, President Nikos Christodoulides stated on Wednesday during the presentation of the Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou’s report for March–December 2023.

Highlighting the Government’s commitment, President Christodoulides remarked, “There is still much work ahead, but we are encouraged by the progress we’re seeing. It is precisely these results that compel us to continue.” He emphasized that the report’s findings would be thoroughly examined by the Secretariat for Monitoring the Government’s Work to identify obstacles and inefficiencies, ensuring they are addressed in the 2025 annual planning.

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Commissioner Christodoulou underscored the Government’s integrated approach, noting that policies promoting work-life balance, the increasing number of women in the Council of Ministers, education reforms, and comprehensive measures to combat violence against women are accelerating progress toward true gender equality. She also informed the President that Cyprus had climbed to 20th place in the European Institute for Gender Equality rankings this year.

“By integrating gender considerations across all Ministries and Deputy Ministries, we are advancing toward substantive equality between women and men,” Christodoulou said while acknowledging that significant challenges remain.

Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, also attended the meeting, reflecting the Government’s united front on gender equality.

A Broader Perspective

While Cyprus doubles down on its commitment to gender equality, the global narrative presents a contrasting picture. In recent months, some companies and institutions have shifted away from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, citing either a re-evaluation of priorities or criticism of their efficacy. Cyprus’ steadfast focus on equality amidst this backdrop serves as a reminder that achieving substantial change requires persistence, adaptability, and a clear vision—values that remain at the heart of the Christodoulides administration’s policies.

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Bending Spoons Buys Miro As SaaS Valuations Continue To Reset

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 10, 2026

Bending Spoons is buying Miro for $1.36 billion in cash, implying an equity value of $1.79 billion. That is about 90% below the workplace collaboration company’s $17.5 billion valuation in late 2021.

From Digital Whiteboard To AI Workspace

Founded in 2011 as RealtimeBoard, Miro began as a digital whiteboarding tool for remote teams. Demand surged during the pandemic, helping the company expand from about five million users to roughly 30 million between 2020 and 2022.

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Miro later added more than 250 integrations and partnerships with Atlassian, Cisco, Microsoft and Zoom. Today, it describes itself as an “AI innovation workspace,” offering AI assistants, prototyping tools and integrations with GitHub, Jira and Slack.

Growth Slowed After The Pandemic

Miro now has more than four million paying customers and 100 million total users, with about $600 million in annual recurring revenue. Businesses and enterprises generate roughly 90% of revenue, while the company has about $435 million in net cash and is profitable.

Its valuation decline reflects a broader reset in SaaS markets. As pandemic-driven demand faded, companies cut software spending and consolidated overlapping tools, increasing pressure on stand-alone collaboration platforms competing with broader ecosystems from companies such as Microsoft, Canva and Figma.

Bending Spoons Targets Mature Software

Miro has also reduced its workforce since reaching about 1,200 employees in 2022, cutting 119 positions in February 2023 and another 275 in October 2024, according to its CEO.

The acquisition fits Bending Spoons’ broader strategy of buying established software companies whose valuations have fallen but whose recurring revenue and user bases remain substantial. It previously agreed to acquire Airtable for $1.28 billion after the company had been valued above $11 billion in 2021.

For Bending Spoons, the strategy is a bet on durable revenue and profitability rather than the rapid-growth expectations that drove software valuations during the pandemic.

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