XpatAthens

XpatAthens

2021 has been a remarkable year for the startup ecosystem in Greece as the country climbed six places to 48th in the world according to StartupBlink’s “Startup Blink Global Ecosystem Report for 2022”. At the same time, Greek startups raised over €500M in 2021 -almost triple compared to last year’s disclosed investments- while the country entered for the first time the “unicorn” club. Unicorn companies are those that reach a valuation of $1 billion without being listed on the stock market and two Greek companies have recently reached this status.

StartupBlink Global Startup Ecosystem Map

According to the StartupBlink world index, Greece ranked number 48 globally climbing 6 places since last year with an upward trend that is expected to be recorded in the next report. Greece’s rise is mainly due to the rising startup ecosystem of Athens, as the Greek capital is high on the list of the top 100 ecosystems in the field of recreation, in 51st place. Athens is the top-ranked Greek city in an index of 1,000 cities ranking at 132. Greece also ranks at number 18 for startups in Western Europe and is an ideal place to locate Social & Leisure, Transportation, and Foodtech startups.

According to the Startup Blink report, Greece remains resilient, despite the financial crisis of 2008 and the pandemic of 2020. Greece is an EU country located at the intersection of Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa having at the same time the advantage of a highly-skilled English-speaking workforce. In 2021 startup funding was increased and important exits were registered including two unicorn companies. This has attracted worldwide attention to the Greek startup ecosystem and its technological capabilities as the country has the potential to become a regional technology hub.

To read this article in full, please visit: greeknewsagenda.com
Thursday, 05 February 2015 14:33

Service To Be Proud Of

We thank our friend Andrea for sending us her experience at a hotel in Athens.

It was my first time in Greece and after visiting Mykonos and Santorini, a must they tell me when you come to this country, we decided to stay in Athens to see the city and visit friends. On the last day we checked out of the hotel and were having lunch (our flight was thankfully not for a few hours) when I realized that I had forgotten all my jewelry in the hotel room safe! I quickly called the hotel and told them the situation. They agreed to leave the room as it was and didn’t allow anyone in until I arrived and had taken my belongings. I am so thankful and impressed with how professional they were. I’ll be coming back to the Life Gallery on my next visit to Athens. Thank you XpatAthens for letting me tell my story.

Life Gallery Hotel
http://www.lifegallery.gr/en/


Until next week,

Jack
 

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

With great luck we found ourselves somewhere in picturesque Mikrolimano. Right by the water with tables and comfortable maritime armchairs almost touching the sea, Delfino offers a unique opportunity for all who search for good-tasting and high-quality food. The atmosphere is exclusive and the location with its strong marine elements competes favourably with the famous background of "Delfino" with the picturesque and distinctly beautiful Portofinoon the Italian Riviera. With collector's furniture and paintings decorating the dining room and an exceptionally aesthetic bar where you can enjoy classic cocktails with soft music; we offer you a totally pleasurable experience.

Delfino Restaurant is located in the town of Piraeus, south-east of Athens. Though the drive here may be a tad inconvenient, the seafood delicacies, other meat dishes, pastas and wines make up for it. Located close to the sea, it accommodates up to 70 people in the outdoor seating area, so you can enjoy the view. An additional 70 visitors can be seated inside. The interiors are beautifully decorated while the facade is inspired by a yacht's design. Come by and you're likely to make more trips outside the city for a bite.

With fresh Greek fish, unique seafood flavours from our homeland as well as other Mediterranean countries and a variety of fresh pastas in unique recipes from neighbouring Italy, we cover a wide variety of cullinary delights.

When it comes to service, we are always polite, welcoming and eager to assist in your selection, offering you an exceptional dinner.

Contact:

60 Akti Koumoundourou
Microlimano
18535 Piraeus
Greece
+30 210 412 0388

Do you have a recommendation or recipe to share? Send it to us at ideas@xpatathens.com!

 

Thursday, 19 February 2015 12:04

Master of Education In "Distance Education"

Athabasca University – Canada’s Open University - was founded 1970 and awarded international recognition in the U.S. (2005) and Europe (DOATAP 6/2009). One of the top Open Universities in the world, it currently serves more than 37,000 students in 87 countries.

Athabasca University in collaboration with the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Institute of Technology is pleased to offer the post-graduate program, Master of Education (M. Ed.) in Distance Education, to residents of Greece and other Eastern European countries. The program is provided completely online so students can study wherever they live and work.

The M. Ed. in Distance Education Program is recognized by DOATAP - Hellenic NARIC (Protocol Number 16201/2009 & 6986/2009) and therefore accredited throughout the European Union. It is aimed at practitioners and teachers in various disciplines who are interested in the use of new educational technologies, online course development and implementation, and the design of distance education and training programs.

Click here for more details: emattech.gr

Monday, 07 September 2020 07:00

What Fruit, Veggies & Herbs Are In Season Now?

In today's world of refrigeration and hothouse-grown produce, the distinction among seasonal produce is often lost. However, each fruit, vegetable, and herb does have a season when it is ripe and ready to eat without the help of anyone except Mother Nature - better from both a nutritional and taste perspective. In Greece, these are the seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs we see in our farmer's markets.


Autumn Harvest

Seasonal Vegetables

You'll still find eggplant, okra, root onions, potatoes, purslane, and tomatoes, while zucchini are at their ripest in September in early autumn in Greece.

The situation perks up again in October when cucumbers begin ripening as do dill, endive, fennel leaves, fennel roots, fresh and dried beans, root onions, peppers, radishes, romaine, and rutabagas.

Seasonal Fruits

Some fruits are at their best at this time of year, including apples, grapes, kiwi, persimmons, green olives, quince, and pomegranates. Figs, grapes, melons, and plums are also still in season. As far as nuts are concerned, walnuts and pistachios from Aegina are also good in the autumn months.

To read this article in full please visit: www.thespruceeats.com
 

 
Thursday, 04 June 2015 07:00

Year Round Tourism For Greece

Greece has a goal to extend the Greek tourism season to 12 months a year. The GTP recently reported that the Greek Ministry of Tourism is focusing on new tourism markets including China, Brazil, Canada, Korea and the Middle East.

Year Round Tourism for Greece

The Greek Travel Pages (GTP) article stated that action has been taken already to stretch Greece’s tourism season. According to the Alternate Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura, Greece’s top tour operators increased the amount of vacation days they offer to tourists from 185 days to 210 days.

Kountoura expressed her plans during an economics forum in Athens late last month. “Greece aims to be among the top five most popular countries in the world,” she said. “We want tourism 12 months a year.” The minister said that in the past one barrier to reaching Greece’s year-round tourism goals was a lack of investment.

Niches to Defy Seasonality

The longer the tourist season, the longer the window of time a country has to gain tourism revenue. School vacation periods and warm weather seasons remain to be the most popular times of the year for tourists to travel anywhere. Advocates for year-round tourism argue that if a destination was worth a visit in the summer, it would also be worth a visit come winter. There must be a decent balance.

Investments can be used to promote a destination in the traditional off-season. The development of tourism niches can entice visitors who wish to return and discover even more of Greece’s landscape and countryside in the non-summer months. Sports activities, cooking classes and special aviation tours should be promoted. Culture and health tourism packages can also be offered any time of the year. For example in France’s Les Deux Alpes, hiking is highly promoted during the summer months to balance out the extremely busy ski season. Combined with its world renowned gastronomy, Greece is a special tourist destination that is rich in archeology sights, beautiful stretches of coastline and mountainous villages that are perfect destinations for cooler months.

To read more, please visit: All About Aviation
The Hellenic Initiative (THI) supports the Greek delegation in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Greece.

Six Greek entrepreneurs were selected to participate in the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which took place from the 22nd to the 24th of June 2016 in Palo Alto, California.

As part of President Obama’s commitment to expand support for entrepreneurship and economic opportunity around the world, the GES has brought together the best innovators, thinkers, social entrepreneurs, and investors since 2010. Each GES has taken place in a different region of the world, from the United States to Sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s GES took place on the campus of Stanford University, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The Greek entrepreneurs Participating in GES 2016
The Greek delegation included five women, signaling the important role of women in the Greek entrepreneurship ecosystem. The U.S. Department of State and GES provided funding to the participation of these select entrepreneurs, as well as one Greek media representative, Maria Akrivou of Fortune Greece. The Hellenic Initiative (THI), an important partner of the U.S. Embassy on projects related to business development in Greece, also provided part of the costs of the Greek delegation. During the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the Greek delegation had the opportunity to network with hundreds of their peers from all over the world and identify opportunities for collaboration and funding. 

The aim of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit is to connect entrepreneurs across the globe with the access and exchange needed to create and innovate, unleashing their power to change the world. The United States hosted the seventh Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which was previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya. In bringing the Summit back to the United States, President Obama highlights his commitment to building bridges that help us tackle global challenges together.

Goals of the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit
  • Showcase inspiring entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, creating new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration.

  • Connect American entrepreneurs and investors with their international counterparts to form lasting relationships.

  • Highlight entrepreneurship as means to address some of the most intractable global challenges.
Hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Silicon Valley highlights America’s entrepreneurial spirit and allows American investors and entrepreneurs to see the talent, solutions, and opportunities that exist globally. The summit included a wide range of workshops, panels, ignite talks, pitch competitions, mentoring and networking sessions. These gave participants tailored opportunities to gain skills and relationships that help their ventures grow. Within the Summit, there were also demonstration areas, experiential learning exhibitions, and opportunities to connect with industry experts.

The support for the Greek delegation is part of the efforts of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Athens to promote collaboration between Greek and American entrepreneurs and initiatives, especially among youth.

For more information on the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2016, please visit: GES 2016

For more information about the Hellenic Initiative, please visit: THI
Monday, 09 January 2017 07:00

Winter Sales Start January 9th, 2017

Winter sales will kick off in Athens and Thessaloniki on the 9th of January. Additionally, shop owners may also choose to open on the 15th of January 15th.

For stores that will open on January 15th, the proposed shopping hours are 11:00-18:00. Shops are also required to write the old and new price on all items offered and may also include the percentage of the sale. Sales will officially end on February 28th.

To read this article in full, please visit: Tornos News
Monday, 24 April 2017 07:00

Avli - A Funky House Of Meatballs

Avli is one of those places you have to be introduced to by someone who’s already been there. Although a sign does exist above its narrow metal door, there’s so much graffiti on either side of it, you could walk right by even if you had the address firmly in your hand or mind. Once inside, if you’re the first customer, you still might think you’ve made a mistake.

Avli means ‘courtyard,’ but this one is narrow, much more like a back alley. Blue doors and shuttered windows the same shade as the Greek flag pierce the right wall, the left has a few potted plants and three plump alley cats comfortably ensconced on the old-fashioned rush-seated taverna chairs. A whitewashed staircase closes the space at the back, and a sheet of corrugated plexiglass offers some protection from the elements.

Funky is the word that comes to mind, an impression reinforced when you examine the faded clippings, drawings, and magazine ads hanging on the walls and pasted on the shutters (all gifts from friends), the cracked marble flagstones, the small tables with their plastic 'cloths' of different colors, stripes, checks or flowers, the somewhat bedraggled garland of garlic and chili peppers hanging from a drainpipe.

Avli

Address: Agiou Dimitriou 8
Telephone: 210 321 7642

To read this article in full, please visit: Culinary Backstreets
Sunday, 07 January 2018 15:03

January 4 - A Warm Welcome To 2018

Athens rang in the New Year with a record-breaking Vasilopita cake weighing 2,500 kilos!

Also, find out when winter sales begin, learn about the story behind 10 of the oldest houses in Athens, where to find the best street food in the city and much more!

Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!

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