Cyprus’ campaign to lure knowledge-economy investors scored a fresh win on 4 February as Melbourne-based start-up HUMRN confirmed it will relocate its corporate seat to Limassol during Q2 2026. In an interview with Cyprus Inform, co-founder and CEO David May said the island’s expanding catalogue of digital-nomad and start-up incentives—combined with access to EU markets—outweighed larger hubs such as Berlin and Dublin.
HUMRN develops human-centred artificial-intelligence tools aimed at mitigating workplace stress and boosting sustainable productivity. The company plans to transfer eight senior managers and hire up to 40 software engineers locally over the next 18 months. Relocation was facilitated under Cyprus’ “Company Relocation Fast-Track” scheme, which offers 12-month work permits for key personnel and dependent family members, renewable for up to five years. May noted that bureaucracy has “improved dramatically” since online application portals were introduced last year, cutting average processing time to four weeks.
For founders and staff tackling the paperwork behind such cross-border moves, VisaHQ’s Cyprus team (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) can streamline every step—from gathering documents and booking appointments to securing digital-nomad visas or Fast-Track work permits—giving companies like HUMRN more time to focus on hiring and product development.
![Australian AI Firm HUMRN Chooses Cyprus for Global Headquarters, Citing Talent Mobility and Tax Regime]()
The announcement coincided with new figures from the Department of Lands & Surveys showing property transactions up 11 per cent year-on-year in January, suggesting sustained demand from incoming expatriates. Real-estate brokers in Limassol and Paphos report that tech workers and founders now account for almost a quarter of rentals above €2,500 per month—a segment virtually non-existent before the pandemic.
For corporate mobility managers, HUMRN’s move underscores Cyprus’ growing attractiveness as an alternative EU base: English is widely spoken, the non-dom tax regime caps personal income tax at 17 per cent for newcomers, and the intellectual-property box offers 2.5 per cent effective tax on qualifying software income. However, housing availability remains tight; the Employers’ and Industrialists’ Federation (OEB) has urged the government to accelerate temporary-housing schemes near tech parks to avoid pricing strains that could erode the island’s cost advantage.
The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy welcomed HUMRN, calling it “proof that our talent-visa reforms are paying off.” Observers expect at least three additional scale-ups from Australia and Israel to announce Cyprus relocations before the end of the first quarter.
HUMRN develops human-centred artificial-intelligence tools aimed at mitigating workplace stress and boosting sustainable productivity. The company plans to transfer eight senior managers and hire up to 40 software engineers locally over the next 18 months. Relocation was facilitated under Cyprus’ “Company Relocation Fast-Track” scheme, which offers 12-month work permits for key personnel and dependent family members, renewable for up to five years. May noted that bureaucracy has “improved dramatically” since online application portals were introduced last year, cutting average processing time to four weeks.
For founders and staff tackling the paperwork behind such cross-border moves, VisaHQ’s Cyprus team (https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/) can streamline every step—from gathering documents and booking appointments to securing digital-nomad visas or Fast-Track work permits—giving companies like HUMRN more time to focus on hiring and product development.
The announcement coincided with new figures from the Department of Lands & Surveys showing property transactions up 11 per cent year-on-year in January, suggesting sustained demand from incoming expatriates. Real-estate brokers in Limassol and Paphos report that tech workers and founders now account for almost a quarter of rentals above €2,500 per month—a segment virtually non-existent before the pandemic.
For corporate mobility managers, HUMRN’s move underscores Cyprus’ growing attractiveness as an alternative EU base: English is widely spoken, the non-dom tax regime caps personal income tax at 17 per cent for newcomers, and the intellectual-property box offers 2.5 per cent effective tax on qualifying software income. However, housing availability remains tight; the Employers’ and Industrialists’ Federation (OEB) has urged the government to accelerate temporary-housing schemes near tech parks to avoid pricing strains that could erode the island’s cost advantage.
The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy welcomed HUMRN, calling it “proof that our talent-visa reforms are paying off.” Observers expect at least three additional scale-ups from Australia and Israel to announce Cyprus relocations before the end of the first quarter.
