Forbes Cyprus 20 Women in Tech Awards: Call for applications opens

Aivitam Ventures, together with Forbes Cyprus, launched the Forbes Cyprus 20 Women in Tech Awards for female entrepreneurs and employees in the tech sector who have made significant contributions to advancing the tech industry while also actively working with charitable and social initiatives. Potential nominees can apply for the Award till October 5th using this link.

Nominees should be women

  • Whose residence or work is based in Cyprus and who are tax residents of Cyprus. 
  • Entrepreneurs and senior executives in the tech sector — fintech, crypto, startup, banking, game dev, VC funds, educational projects, property management, etc. 

The application process is simple and takes 6 minutes: 

1) Fill in the registration form; 

2) Attach an essay describing a nominee and why they are worthy of the Award; 

3) Attach information on charity and social projects in which the nominee has participated; 

4) Wait for the results in your email. 

A special independent jury will analyze nominees’ profiles and select the top 20. 

This year’s Award is presented in conjunction with Exness and other major partners: AdTech Holding, bbf:, PIN-UP Global, Vidby, and SOFTSWISS. With partners’ support, we will hold five Women in Tech Club events to boost the community from October to December. During these events, we will speak about various areas of interest: HR, Real Estate, Adtech, Fashion, Fintech, and more. We will also invite Forbes journalists and speakers to each event. 

Finally, the Award ceremony and gala dinner will be held on December 7-8th during our next big event — Forbes Cyprus The Future of Fintech Summit. The winners will be honored with special prizes from the partners and will also become the heroines of a special printed issue of Forbes Cyprus. 

Learn why and how the Forbes Cyprus 20 Women in Tech Award can help nominees glow in the tech industry from the perspective of our organizers and partners:

Dmitry Dosov, GP at Aivitam Ventures:

“I have a lot of experience working with Forbes. It is a global brand with great opportunities. My idea is to make the nominees of the award not only local heroes, but also global ones.”

Elena Krutova, Chief Administrative Officer of Exness:

“With just 32% of women occupying positions in the tech sector, the gender gap remains a global issue many companies try to address. But it goes even deeper; a recent study by PWC showed that 78% of students can’t name a famous woman working in tech. And it is not only about the numbers; having a more diverse environment helps the business perform better, and helps in maintaining healthy leadership practices in organizations. This is why the Forbes 20 Women in Tech Awards hold profound importance for our industry. They act not only as a celebration of these women but also allow them to inspire other women and girls to follow in their footsteps. Most importantly, the awards can be a catalyst for tech companies to implement initiatives to promote inclusion. At Exness, we couldn’t be happier to support such a noble event, as we remain committed to our efforts to make our tech positions more accessible to women.”

Olga Dmitrenko, Chief Revenue Officer at AdTech Holding:

“Supporting Forbes 20 Women in Tech Cyprus 2023 isn’t just about recognition, it’s about shining a spotlight on the women who are defining today’s tech landscape and impacting such a rapid transformation of technology. It’s a reminder that diversity fuels innovation, and our industry thrives on limitless potential.”

Marina Ilina, CEO of PIN-UP Global:

“First of all, the award will contribute to dispelling the most widespread myth about the technology sector — in reality, there are a lot of women in IT. We hold a variety of positions and make a significant contribution to the development of the industry: we lead companies, make difficult decisions, go through crises, and set trends in the industry. An event of such a scale as Women in Tech is about recognizing each other’s successes, quality networking, and the opportunity to share insights with professionals. I think for each of us it will become a personal brainstorm and a motivation booster.”

Cecilia Ioannou, Public Relations Manager at bbf::

“Women in business are integral to any flourishing economy; their dynamic presence in the real estate and the tech sectors in Cyprus holds great importance, as those two industries are vital to Cyprus’ economy. Their remarkable achievements yield exceptional results, fortifying the real estate and tech sectors and deserving admiration and recognition.

Encouraging innovative thinking and cultivating platforms for dialogue is a great initiative.

That’s why, at bbf: we take immense pride in partnering as a Gold Sponsor and Official Real Estate Partner for the Forbes 20 Woman in Tech Cyprus Awards. Such events recognize the significant contributions of women in business, particularly in real estate and technology, providing a space for forward-looking conversations and networking and promoting the growth and diversity of those industries.”

Alexander Konovalov, CEO & co-founder of Vidby:

“Though women are still not proportionately represented in the tech industry, there’s a wealth of talented women making significant contributions within this domain. When they apply for this award, they not only earn well-deserved recognition but also serve as inspiring role models, motivating others to achieve success for themselves, their teams, and their businesses. In doing so, they help shape a more inclusive and innovative tech landscape. At Vidby, we envision a future where gender is no longer a barrier to potential, and this award embodies that aspiration.”

Valentina Bagniya, Chief Marketing Officer at SOFTSWISS

“The contribution of women leaders to the tech industry’s development is growing as rapidly as the field itself. Since women leaders encounter similar challenges daily, every event that brings together ladies in tech and provides a chance to share unique experiences holds great value. The Women in Tech Summit is poised to become a platform for discussing contemporary aspects of women’s leadership and effective problem-solving strategies. At SOFTSWISS, we have a higher representation of women in technical roles, including key positions, compared to our market competitors, with a male-female ratio of 52% to 48%. This allows us to offer some valuable insights to our colleagues from other companies in the industry.”

You can find the cover and the Summit’s program by the link.

For questions about the Award, comment on other opportunities from Forbes Cyprus, or an introduction to our partners, contact our Head of Communications, Inna Lohvin, at [email protected].

Aivitam Ventures, together with Forbes Cyprus, are the organizers of the Forbes Cyprus 20 Women in Tech Awards 2023.

Aivitam Ventures is all at once — venture fund, startup builder, accelerator, provider of global PR and marketing for startups and tech companies. Also, the company has right to hold Forbes events in Cyprus.