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Ghost Angels: Snap Alumni Launch Fund To Accelerate Social Media Innovation

A cohort of 20 former Snap executives and innovators has united to introduce Ghost Angels, a new investment fund targeting the future of social media. The fund, which has already supported five companies and plans to invest in at least 15 more over the coming year, remains discreet about its total capital raised.

Strategic Formation And Diverse Expertise

Founded in 2025 by former Snap global partnerships executive and current Microsoft AI executive Max Rivera, Ghost Angels brings together approximately 20 former Snap leaders, operators and founders. Among the founding members are Alexandra Levitt, who previously led Snap’s corporate accelerator, and former Snap product and design leader Will Wu. The fund aims to leverage the operational and product expertise of its members to support early-stage founders building consumer technology companies.

Redefining Social Media Dynamics

Rivera argues that social media is entering a new phase, with platforms increasingly separating content distribution from community building. Rather than relying solely on advertising-driven business models, many emerging startups are experimenting with subscriptions, usage-based pricing, tokenized economies and other alternative monetization strategies. According to Rivera, smaller teams are also able to launch and iterate products more quickly, creating opportunities for new entrants to challenge established platforms.

Embracing AI-Driven Innovation

Ghost Angels is primarily targeting pre-seed and seed-stage AI startups focused on consumer and social applications. The fund believes artificial intelligence can reshape how users discover content, interact with communities and create digital experiences. Support from former Snap executives is particularly valuable for founders navigating challenges around engagement, product design and platform growth, Rivera said.

Future-Forward Strategies

Alongside investments in AI-powered social products, Ghost Angels is backing companies developing AI-native content formats and creative tools across industries, including music, gaming, sports and fashion. The fund sees generative AI as a way to lower barriers to content creation and distribution while enabling new forms of digital engagement. Its investment strategy reflects broader shifts across the technology sector, where entrepreneurs are increasingly building specialized communities and niche platforms rather than competing directly with large social networks.

Cyprus Fuel Prices Jump 20.5% As Energy Costs Rise Across The EU

Cyprus recorded a 20.5% year-on-year increase in the prices of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in May 2026, according to Eurostat data released on Monday.

The increase was broadly in line with the European Union average of 20.7%, with fuel and lubricant prices rising across all EU member states during the period.

Cyprus Tracks The EU Average

Among EU countries, the largest annual increases were recorded in Bulgaria (33.9%), Luxembourg (32.2%), Lithuania (30.8%) and Romania (30.4%). At the other end of the scale, Hungary registered the smallest increase at 3.5%, while annual growth ranged from 12.7% in Poland to 29.2% in France across the remaining member states.

Eurostat noted that fuel and lubricant prices generally declined across the EU until February 2026 before moving higher in subsequent months.

Diesel And Petrol Follow Different Paths

Across the European Union, diesel prices increased by 29% in May 2026 compared with the same month a year earlier, while petrol prices rose by 16.2%. Monthly trends, however, were more mixed. Between April and May 2026, diesel prices across the EU fell by 5.8%, whereas petrol prices increased by 0.8%.

In Cyprus, diesel prices declined by 1.5% over the same period. Although lower than in April, the decrease was less pronounced than in Germany (-11.9%), Greece (-8.5%), Estonia (-8.4%) and Ireland (-8.1%).

Petrol prices moved in the opposite direction, rising by 2.1% between April and May. A similar pattern was observed across much of the EU, with 23 member states reporting monthly increases. Italy recorded the largest monthly rise in petrol prices at 6.9%, while decreases were reported in Germany (-5.6%), Ireland (-2.0%) and Sweden (-0.7%).

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