Nearchos Petrides, CEO of Ellinas Finance, recently gave the INSPIRE 2025 audience the oppurtunity to enter the mind of the investor for a moment, speakin about the most important element that company founders must keep in mind when approaching investors in search of financing: honest communication with each other.
Described as one of the warmest supporters of the Cypriot startup ecosystem, Petrides was participating in a fireside chat entitled ‘What Investors Really Want – Inside the Mind of an Investor’, powered by KPMG and moderated by Pangratios Vanezis Board Member, Head of Enterprises and Startups, KPMG Startup Innovation Lab (SIL.)
What investors want
“People matter more than the idea. I mean that 100%,” Petrides said, then giving an example from his own experience to prove what really matters during the startupper-investor meeting. “One of the first startups I invested in was about a product that I didn’t really like. It wasn’t something I would invest in. But the team had a clear vision of how it would go forward and a clear strategy for how it would implement it. So, they made me believe and invest, ultimately, in them, in their idea and in their business,” he explained, highlighting the importance of proper communication between them.
"In fact, we concluded that we made the right decision when a major challenge presented itself. What the team we invested in did was communicate the problem with us, and so together we proceeded to solve it. Good communication is ultimately the big issue in the relationship between an entrepreneur and an investor," clarified the CEO of Ellinas Finance, continuing that, " the most common misunderstanding on the part of entrepreneurs concerns exactly this. Communication with their investors. And they must expect that, at some point, there will be challenges. That is why they must be ready to find people who will be decent, who will listen to them and support them."
Next, Nearchos Petrides gave a piece of advice to entrepreneurs: "Show honesty and transparency to the people who believe and invest in you."
The three ingredients: Passion, vision, strategy
Asked if he makes the decision to invest in an idea within the first five minutes, the CEO of Ellinas Finance answered positively. “Yes, you sense it immediately,” he said, explaining that he notices three things when he meets a founder of a start-up. “Passion is something you feel from the beginning. You see how much the person you have in front of you believes in their product and why they want it to succeed. Then I want to see the vision. Where they want to go and how far they can go. And I can perceive the vision within the first five minutes of our meeting. Third, there is the strategy. How do they intend to implement the product in order for the venture to succeed? It’s these three things, just like that,” he concluded.
Partners & Sponsors
Strategic Partner: Cyta Business
Platinum Sponsor: Bank of Cyprus
Gold Sponsors: ECOMMBX, Zorbas Group, Cyfield
Silver Sponsors: PwC Cyprus, Petrolina, Bioland
Academic Sponsor: University of Nicosia
Stage Sponsors: National Bank of Greece (Cyprus), KPMG Cyprus, Odyssey, CyRIC/Gravity Ventures Incubator, Invest Cyprus
Panel Sponsors: HRDA, OPAP
Podcast Presenter: Payabl.
Sponsors: Hermes Airports, IMR, Libertex
Technology Partner: Kotsovolos
Community Partner: TechIsland, Junior Achievement Cyprus
Innovation Partner: Research & Innovation Foundation (IDEK)
Mobility Partner: Pilakoutas Group
Sustainable Transport Partner: Cyprus Public Transport
Sustainability Partner: Electricity Authority of Cyprus
Coffee Partner: Coffee Berry
Partner: Charalambides Christis
Supporters: ASBIS, CSR Cyprus, Capacitor Partners, HJS Insurance Agents, Mastercard, Robura, Superad, Kapodistrias, Photos Photiades Breweries & Epilogi, Voici La Mode Group of Companies, GrantXpert, Gap Vassilopoulos, Techbiz, Grow Sustainability Consulting, ASBIS, Murex, Drastyc, Bolt
With the support of: Cyprus Computer Society, CITEA, CPMA, Youth Board of Cyprus, OEB, Skills Cyprus, National Betting Authority
Media Sponsors: Alpha Cyprus, CBN, IN Business, Reporter, SuperFM
Organizer: IMH
Under the auspices of: Municipality of Nicosia
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INSPIRE 2025 – Where passion meets action, and action changes the world.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
