Filenews 7 October 2025 - by Andrea Mavrou
For the third consecutive year, Sir Stelios Hadjioannou, creator and owner of the "easy family of brands" and founder of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, rewarded the vision and innovation of young entrepreneurs in Cyprus. At the award ceremony of the "Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs in Cyprus 2025", held on October 7 at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, three winners shared the amount of €200,000.
Sir Stelios Hadjioannou congratulated the winners via Zoom, emphasizing his admiration and support for the country's young entrepreneurs.
The first prize of €100,000 was won by George Chrysostomides for the Shopify company "Shrine" (shrine.io).
The second prize of €60,000 was awarded to Chrystallena Poulli, creator of the herbal cosmetics company "CP Herbalist" (cpherbalist.com).
The third prize of €40,000 was won by Harout Chouldjian and Panagiotis Frantzeskos for the international online company "Luxmery", which specializes in silhouette garments (theluxmery.com).
The first prize was awarded by the First Lady, Filippa Karsera Christodoulides, the second prize was handed over by Rena Rouvitha Panou, member of the Board of Directors of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, while the third prize was awarded by Maria Lafazani, one of last year's winners, giving the ceremony a special and symbolic character.
George Chrysostomidis who won the first prize worth €100,000 for the creation of the shopify website company "Shrine", receiving the cash prize, stressed: "The award is an impetus to continue and is an important "checkpoint" in our course so far. We have huge plans for the future, which we aspire to implement with the same dedication and faith in the values that have led us here. This award is for me an opportunity to give back to the society that supported me from my first steps. The prize money of €100,000 will not be invested in my own company. I made the decision to donate it to charity, as well as to young people of my generation, who have already started their own business ventures and need this extra boost to continue."
Chrystallena Poulli, winner of the second prize worth €60,000, for the creation of the herbal cosmetics company "CP Herbalist", addressing the audience during her award, underlined: "For CP Herbalist, the award is a valuable boost for the future. The cash prize will be used to acquire a new specialized cream production machine, which will enhance our production, enrich the product range and give new momentum to exports, while creating new jobs in Cyprus."
Harout Chouldjian and Panagiotis Frantzeskos, who won the third prize worth €40,000, for the international online company selling silhouette clothing "Luxmery", in their brief statement during the award ceremony, pointed out: "This award for us is not only a recognition of our course so far, but also a starting point for even more ambitious steps. We will invest the prize money in the most important capital, which is our people. Through TCC Ventures, the e-Commerce aggregator we created, we want to guide young talented "A-players" in Cyprus, develop them and highlight them into future partners in internationally competitive brands." During the ceremony, the two entrepreneurs also announced the addition of a new partner to their team, emphasizing that strengthening the team is pivotal for Luxmery's next steps.
At the same time, all contestants expressed their thanks and gratitude to Sir Stelios Hadjiioannou and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, acknowledging his long-standing support for the new generation of entrepreneurs. With a common message, they encouraged the young people of Cyprus to participate in the "Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs", emphasizing that this experience is a valuable opportunity for recognition, development, inspiration and networking, which can act as an important springboard for their next professional step.
The First Lady, Filippa Karsera Christodoulides, who awarded the first prize, addressed a short but inspiring speech to young entrepreneurs, stressing that this is one of her favourite events.
Ms. Karsera Christodoulides underlined that "these awards are much more than financial support – they are an act of trust in the young people of Cyprus, in their ability to create, innovate and move forward". He also added that "they give a valuable impetus to young entrepreneurs to take the next step, to be inspired and to actively contribute to the development of the economy of our country".
In closing, he stressed that, at a time when Cyprus is recording a positive performance in the economy, with responsible management, reduction of public debt and a steady growth path, the support of new entrepreneurship becomes even more important, as "there is no more proper investment than the one made in people – and especially in young people".
Sir Stelios Hadjioannou, for his part, said: "I feel proud because the Stelios Awards for Young Entrepreneurs are evolving and now being established as an institution that inspires and supports youth entrepreneurship in Cyprus. This year broke all records with 77 innovative entries. The selection of the winners was difficult and this is the greatest proof of the talent and strength of the new generation. Of these participations, three startups operating in sectors with distinct identities and perspectives stood out. I would like to congratulate not only the winners, but also all those who registered and presented their proposals. I urge them to continue with determination and to those who did not make it this year, my message is: Try again in 2026!''.
''I am committed to continue supporting the new generation, with consistency and stability because this is where the leaders of tomorrow are formed, this is where the future of Cyprus is built. Every young entrepreneur who dares to make his dream come true, is for me a proof that Cyprus has inexhaustible potential", he said in closing.
