In Fall 2024, GlobalPittsburgh had the honor of hosting Marios Pafitis, a rising entrepreneur from Cyprus, through the U.S. Department of State’s Young Transatlantic Innovation Leaders Initiative (YTILI). Implemented by American Councils for International Education, this program empowers Europe’s most promising entrepreneurs with U.S.-based placements and strategic mentorship.
Marios, Co-founder & CTO of MammoCheck Ltd, a healthtech startup focused on reducing late-stage breast cancer diagnoses, was placed with MindTrace Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based neuromodulation company.
"During my time there, I received valuable mentorship and strategic guidance, particularly around the FDA regulatory pathway for my own medical device startup," Marios shared.
With a background in AI and Computer Vision, Marios has led multiple tech and social impact ventures—from co-founding Fooderloo, to building iNicosia with CYENS Centre of Excellence, and guiding MammoCheck's regulatory and market strategy.
At MindTrace, he worked closely with CEO Maxwell Sims, who connected him with Jaimie Cole, now advising on MammoCheck’s FDA application. An introduction to LifeX, Pittsburgh’s top healthtech accelerator, led to MammoCheck being accepted into its current cohort—the only European startup represented.
Marios’s YTILI experience is now coming full circle. His action plan includes bringing Maxwell to Cyprus to explore MindTrace’s EU expansion, using Marios’s local network to open new doors for his host company.
Throughout the fellowship, GlobalPittsburgh coordinated Marios’s placement and cultural engagement. His goals—learning about U.S. regulatory strategy, investor engagement, and AI-powered MedTech innovation—were met with hands-on experience and lasting connections.
His journey is a powerful example of what YTILI makes possible. We’re proud to have played a part in supporting his success.
