In its first year, more than 600 start-ups from all over the Middle East, including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Morocco, and Algeria, have entered the competition from a variety of fields such as education, health, environment, transportation, sanitation, and community.
At the grand final event held in Dubai on March 22, Won Dr. Ari Gargir, founder of the Israeli company Red-C Biotech- which produces universal blood cells. The grand winner won a 500,000$ prize alongside expert mentoring by entrepreneur Ziv Aviram and Pr from Forbes magazine.
In second place with a prize of 100,000$, won the Jordanian company Akyas led by Bara Wahbeh. Akays works to create advanced sanitation systems and convert waste into bio-products. In third place with a prize of 50,000$, Saar Safra’s Israeli company BeeWise, which produces autonomous beehives based on artificial intelligence.
Winners were chosen by a professional group of judges:
Ziv Aviram
Founder and President, Aviram Foundation
Christin Y. Hu
Chief Business Officer, G42 Sports Analytics
Fatima Al Jaber
Board Member, Al Jaber Group
Steven Bertoni
Assistant Managing Editor, Founder Forbes
Diana Wilde
Co- Founder, Aurora50
The Finalists:
Dr. Ari Gargir,
RedC biotech
Bara Wahbeh,
Akayas
Saar Safra,
BeeWise
Sara Benlafqih,
BMTA&c
Adi Goldman,
Biotic
More about the event speakers:
42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton
H.E. Salwa Abdulaziz Zein, CEO, the Private Office of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Faisal Al Qassimi
Vishal Badiani, Head of Creative Strategy, Snap Inc.
Reim El Houni, CEO, Ti22
Rita Yahan-Farouz
Donna Benton, Founder & CEO, The Benton Group
Ambareen Musa, Founder & CEO, Souqalmal.com
Medea Nocentini, COO, Global Ventures