Cyprus can become a renowned European tech hub, say founders of ‘virtual kafeneio’

Interview with Oleg Silakov and Phillip Gladkov, co-founders of Gameram

In this exclusive interview, Oleg Silakov and Philipp Gladkov, co-founders of the social gaming network Gameram, share insights into their journey from passionate gamers to startup founders.

They discuss the inspiration behind Gameram, its role in fostering meaningful connections within the gaming community, and the platform’s impressive growth.

Additionally, the founders highlight why Cyprus was the ideal base for their company, detailing the strategic advantages of the island’s location, its vibrant tech ecosystem, and the collaborative opportunities within the local gaming industry.

CM: Can you tell us about the origins of your online network for gamers and what inspired you to create it?

Oleg Silakov: Phillip and I have been playing games our whole lives. Since our early childhood we were looking for peers to play first PC and console games together at a time when playing together socially was not that common.

Now we are not alone! 3.34 billion people play games. For many players, gaming has become a daily routine and a way to relax, play with friends, and be part of a community. By the way – the average age of gamers is now (shockingly) 35 years. This age group represents us now fully grown up from those boys exploring the first PC and console games.

In this age of disconnection and loneliness, gaming has become a new way of connection between people with other people, like book clubs, going to concerts, or playing football. Sometimes, being gaming buddies can grow into something bigger and more personal. The problem is that 40 per cent of all gamers struggle to socialise and fear discussing games on social media. So we created Gameram to solve this problem.

Think of Gameram as a virtual kafeneio, where people can gather in a cosy environment to discuss their shared passion – games!

CM: How does your platform facilitate social interactions among gamers, and what unique features set it apart from other gaming networks?

Oleg Silakov: Our focus is connecting players, not providing the content to watch. Millions of gamers of all ages play thousands of different games, speaking different languages. We are creating a platform to help gamers meet new friends and teammates to discuss games, play together, and share their gaming experiences.

With a current user base of 500,000 monthly active users, Gameram is rapidly growing. As we continue to attract more users, our platform will only become more effective and engaging. 

Why did you choose Cyprus as the base for your company, and how has this location benefited your operations and growth?

Philipp Gladkov: Before opening the company in 2020, we carefully compared popular startup destinations, Cyprus was our choice for several reasons:

1. The vast gaming community, which includes several large companies like Wargaming, Nexters and tens of medium and small-sized gaming studios.
2. The strategic position is between Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia.
3. Widespread English language.
4. Appealing tax regime
5. Of course, the climate!

We have never regretted our decision. It is worth mentioning Paphos, where our headquarters are located. The city is super green, with universities and public places popping up. The traffic is low, and the infrastructure is constantly evolving. It is a great place to work, live and thrive!

Cyprus hosts a vibrant gaming community with many large and small companies. How has being part of this community influenced your business and development strategies?

Philipp Gladkov: First, there are many networking events, such as GDCy and the WN conference. As a founder, you can attend these events, meet people, ask for advice, or find potential partners, service providers, and customers. The community is super friendly, and it is easy to blend in.

I usually meet with small startups to exchange tips on how to survive, get introductions to venture funds, and get emotional support. Middle-sized companies can help with guidance on scaling the business. Big companies can become your potential exit for the startup or become strategic investors partners.

CM: Can you discuss the strategic advantages of Cyprus’ location between Europe, MENA, Africa, and Asia for your company?

Oleg Silakov: Gameram is a global product with users worldwide, and our biggest goal is to understand the needs of local users and game developers. Travelling to conferences, hosting partners, and opening offices abroad are essential to running a startup. Cyprus is located in the middle of several largest markets: Europe, MENA, Asia, and Africa, representing 80 per cent of the world’s population.

Though there is a lack of direct flights to major destinations, there is easy access to the largest airline hubs like Heathrow Airport and Dubai International Airport.

For example, travelling to the USA is time-consuming in terms of flight time, but there is a ton of flexibility – a significant number of daily flights to Heathrow, from where to get to the USA is not a big deal. As a second case, I am going to a conference in Singapore in October and there are a number of flights from Dubai. I believe such accessibility will strongly benefit Gameram in the long term!

CM: With English being widely spoken in Cyprus, how has this linguistic advantage facilitated your interactions with local authorities, banks, and other stakeholders?

Philipp Gladkov: During the last couple of years as a company, we have worked with many local services and authorities, such as migration, banks, taxation, legal, Research and Innovation Foundation, etc. and we never experienced linguistic problems.

Furthermore, my wife gave birth in a local hospital two months ago and there was no case when someone could not speak English!

It’s fascinating and convenient that almost everyone here speaks several languages, including English. Furthermore, in the majority of cases, everyone was responsive and understanding. In my previous venture, we had offices in several European countries, and communicating with local authorities was quite a challenge, but not in Cyprus.

CM: Cyprus is increasingly recognised as a global hub for gaming companies. In your opinion, what makes Cyprus an ideal location for tech and gaming companies, and how do you see its future in this industry?

Philipp Gladkov: Cyprus can become a top destination for startups. We have observed more and more big IT companies opening offices here, more conferences and big tech associations like TechIsland appearing, as well as the governmental efforts to support it.

However, there are a lot of challenges still to overcome:

1. It’d be great to see more access to funding and more Cyprus-based venture funds in the future. New funds do appear, like the new 33East fund or Gem Capital and there are programs to support startups from the Research and Innovation fund, and even more funds from Europe have shown up at the ReflectX event. However, Cyprus startups still struggle to raise money today.
2. Startups have another pace and business conditions that public and business services should take into account. For example, some banks know that founders are under constant pressure to run their companies and raise funds, and the most valuable resource is time. Such banks process the opening of an account quickly—either they give a fast rejection with a clear explanation or provide fast approval. Other banks, however, run several months checks before the decision.
3. There are a few recent success stories of unicorns born in Cyprus. Hopefully, this will change for the good in the distant future!

Cyprus has a great chance of becoming one of Europe’s largest and most renowned tech hubs, and we will try our best to make this happen!