Open Calls

Sequoia Capital Rolls Out €874 Million Early-Stage Funds: A Big Opportunity for Cyprus Founders

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Global venture Sequoia Capital has launched two major early-stage funds totaling about €874 million (USD $950 million): €690 million Series A fund and a €184 million seed fund. 

Cyprus: Take Note

Sequoia’s latest move is not just flashy. It’s a door for European startups to enter the global market. Asked about its Europe ambitions, Sequoia partner Luciana Lixandru said: “I am excited to meet founders who use Europe as their product and engineering hub, but who want to take over the world.” 

Cyprus’s startup ecosystem is in a strong position to take advantage of this initiative. The island’s cost-effective engineering talent, EU-market access, and growing start-up ecosystem make it a natural fit for global investors. For ambitious Cypriot tech founders, this means:

  • A top-tier VC placing real bets in Europe.
  • A chance to lead in clusters (AI, deep tech, SaaS) where Sequoia is seeking “outlier founders”.
  • Better deal terms and access when you’re European but thinking global, especially since Cyprus is EU-based and specialists can build here, scale globally.

What Sequoia Is Looking For

The new funds target:

  • Seed stage: Pre-product or early traction teams.
  • Series A: Companies with product-market fit, ready to scale.
  • Europe-centric teams built for global impact: “Europe’s founder pool has never been stronger,” Sequoia says.

For Cypriot founders, this means being ready for global ambition, not just local sales.

What to Do Now

  • Sharpen your pitch for scale: Show global ambition, not just local deployment.
  • Build around team & tech: Sequoia emphasises founders who can “go from zero to global”.
  • Get exposed to talent networks: Use Cyprus as a tech base; show you can scale out.
  • Position for early bets: Pre-seed and seed rounds could be especially attractive right now, given the size of the seed fund.
  • When ready, get in touch.

About Sequoia Capital

Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Menlo Park, Sequoia Capital has been behind some of the world’s most successful tech companies, from Apple and Google to Stripe and Airbnb. With its revived focus on Europe, it is doubling down on early-stage investing and looking for local founders with a global mindset.

EIT RawMaterials Offers Up To €1M For Raw Materials Innovation Projects

by News Editor

EIT RawMaterials has opened its Call for RIS Innovation Projects, offering up to €1 million per project to support innovation across Europe’s raw materials value chain.

The call is aimed at projects developing new technologies, products, services or business models in areas including sustainable mining, processing, exploration, circularity, recycling and material substitution. Projects are expected to run for one to two years.

Funding And Support

Selected projects can receive funding covering up to 70% of eligible project costs, with the required co-funding depending on the project type and Technology Readiness Level.

Innovation projects can receive between €800,000 and €1 million. Selected applicants will also have access to proposal guidance, matchmaking support and EIT RawMaterials’ European network for raw materials innovation.

Who Can Apply

The call is open to startups, SMEs, large companies, universities, research centres, NGOs, government agencies and public institutions in RIS-eligible countries, including Cyprus.

Applications must be submitted by consortia meeting the call’s eligibility requirements. Each consortium must include at least two organisations from different RIS-eligible countries and represent at least two sides of the knowledge triangle: education, research and business.

The lead partner must be based in a RIS-eligible country. Organisations that are not yet partners can contact their regional innovation and knowledge centre for support.

The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) supports countries and regions with lower innovation performance by providing funding, expertise and networks to strengthen local innovation ecosystems, develop skills and bring new products, services and business models to market.

How To Apply

Applicants should download the call documents, including project templates and evaluation criteria, and prepare a proposal outlining the project’s objectives, expected impact and work plan.

Applications must be submitted through SeedBook. The deadline is Friday, October 16, 2026, at 13:00 CET.

About EIT RawMaterials

EIT RawMaterials supports Europe’s transition towards a green, circular and digital economy by promoting innovation, education and strategic cooperation across the raw materials sector.

Its work focuses on securing raw materials supply, closing material loops and developing new materials solutions.

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