FAQs

ARIS is a non-profit organisation established in association with Deloitte, with the sole purpose of offering start-ups and scale-ups with the structure, mentorship and network needed to grow successful business ventures. The acceleration programme has been

designed and is being curated by Deloitte’s Innovation and entrepreneurship Centre. The accelerator targets start-ups that want to speed up the execution time of their projects and expedite their go-to-market speed and scale-ups that need business or financial support to develop and expand further their business. ARIS is located right in the heart of Limassol, at Nicolaou Pentadromos Centre.

A start-up is an entrepreneurial venture that has the potential to scale-up FAST! To grow rapidly, you need a huge market – ideally in the realm of millions. Tech startups are the most popular type of start-up as they can scale-up fast.

ARIS welcomes applications by innovative enterprises from anywhere in the world which are passionate about solving today’s problems through innovative technological solutions.

Interested teams go through a competitive application process. The call for applications is continuously open and the evaluation of the submitted applications occurs at the end of each month. The evaluation procedure consists of two stages. To be admitted to the program, applicants must pass both stages.

The acceleration programme has been specifically designed to enable innovative enterprises speed up their market strategy. As such, the programme provides entrepreneurs with a practical roadmap to fine-tune their business model, test and effectively commercialise their product/service. Residents’ acceleration journey starts according to their maturity level and advisory needs.

Whether you have an innovative solution and you require business support to succeed in a competitive market or have the tech skills but lack the business case, ARIS can help you go to the next level.
Here’s what you get from the programme:
– Mentoring: Providing guidance with product and customer validation, marketing, product development & pitching.
– Pitching: Hands-on advice on how to create your pitch deck and develop your pitching skills.
– Networking Opportunities: Develop connections with industry partners, mingle with likeminded people, and build a network.
– Co-working Space: A fully furnished office space, hot desk and conference rooms.
– Funding Opportunities (grants): Organise workshops on available funding and provide assistance on the preparation of proposals.
– Financial Projections: Template to prepare your Financial Projections and provide feedback.
– Connecting with Investors: ARIS prepares residents and introduces them to potential investors.

Start-ups or scale-ups which are accepted to the ARIS programme are not required to give equity. However, in some special occasions where ARIS and/or Deloitte is interested in investing in one of the start-ups then we discuss the possibility of taking equity and the percentage, with each start-up separately, taking into consideration several factors.

Participating in ARIS is highly demanding, as residents are required to work under a very tight schedule. Working a part time job is optional, although we encourage the ARIS residents to not work during their participation to the programme. In addition, if you have a packed schedule, family commitments or any other serious time considerations, the ARIS Program may not be right for you. If, on the other hand, you are able to commit yourself fully to the programme and eventually your future team, then the ARIS Program could be a great way for you to kick start your career.

The application for the ARIS programme is available here 

The applications will remain open throughout the year. The selection of the start-ups is done internally and is based on specific evaluation criteria as well as capacity.

Applications need to be submitted by teams of at least two founders. They also need to fulfill two main criteria, that the proposed products or services are innovative and that they are technology based. We will choose startups and scale-ups which are dedicated on working on products/services that will solve real problems or create a meaningful change to our current technological state.

No experience is required. We just ask that you are passionate about your production/solution and willing to work hard at making it a reality.

Yes. At least one member of your team needs to be based on site throughout the team’s residency. It’s the best way for us to be able to help you.

No, we hope that our collaboration will not end after your residency. The method of collaboration will be discussed with each team , by assessing the various options based on its individual needs.

Different mentors will be coming in and out of ARIS at different times. Although some will not be physically present, they will always be available via email/phone/chat. The objective is to provide you with as much as one-on-one time as possible, and have you participate in workshops that will be of value to you and your idea.

Yes, once you commit to our intensive programme, we expect that you attend the sessions that were deemed important by ARIS as regards the progress of your project.

We are not here to tell you what to do and how. This is your company after all. We are merely here to guide you through the process of transforming your enterprise into a viable and successful business venture. To assist you in this process, we have set a list of tasks and milestones to be achieved throughout the duration of the programme to give you an idea of what you should be focusing on at each particular stage of the programme.

Additionally, ARIS participants will have an obligation to be physically present and participate at events/sessions organized/offered by ARIS.

You are expected to work hard and inform us regularly about your progress. In frequent intervals you’ll have the opportunity to improve your pitching skills by presenting your work to other ARIS participants and mentors. 

Yes, applications need to be submitted by startups or scale-ups with at least two members dedicated on working on the proposed product / service