by KAUST Innovation
For the second year in a row, KAUST has partnered with Misk Foundation to present the 2020 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC). The world’s largest pitch competition, over 170,000 startups applied from around the world, with 15,000 semifinalists competing to make it through to the global final.
This year, finalists have been whittled down to 100 startups who took part in the EWC KAUST Global Finalist bootcamp, held remotely last month on September 27-28, 2020. The virtual EWC Global Final takes place on October 20, 2020, and gives finalists the chance to vie for prizes totaling $1 million USD. Winners will also have an opportunity to garner additional investment opportunities and another $75 million USD of in-kind support.
Empowering Saudi Arabian startups
KAUST and Misk Foundation have a shared objective of attracting cutting-edge technologies across all industries and top talent to Saudi Arabia, which, in turn, empowers and supports Saudi-based startups.
By nurturing homegrown and international startups, the partners are looking to build a global funnel that highlights Saudi Arabia as a hub for entrepreneurial innovation in a future-forward economy.
KAUST continues to play an essential role in growing Saudi Arabia’s budding entrepreneurship ecosystem by supporting early-stage founders who serve as key drivers of economic growth. The University has graduated over 250 startups from its training programs while also backing 60 startups through its venture capital investment arm – KAUST Innovation Fund.
Together with Misk Foundation, which is devoted to cultivating and encouraging learning and leadership in youth for a better future, the EWC supports KAUST’s shared mission of empowering young people to thrive in the knowledge economy.
The KAUST Global Finalist Bootcamp featured expert speakers delivering intensive seminars, essential workshops hosted by world-class mentors, pitch sessions, industry meetings and an overview of market opportunities, and networking. This has provided the finalists with the chance to hone their skills as they fine-tune their pitches.
Four of the startups set to pitch at the Global Finals are graduates of KAUST program TAQADAM Startup Accelerator. These startups are Miqyas, Peregrine Genomics, Edama Organic Solutions and Talon Dust Control.
Talon Dust Control
Talon Dust Control is a startup based at KAUST that graduated from the 2019 TAQADAM cohort. The team went on to win first place at the EWC Saudi National semifinals in September 2020. The startup has developed an environmentally friendly, liquid spray-on solution that prevents dust lift-off — a valuable tool for arid and dusty regions such as the Middle East.
The product, manufactured locally, is both non-hazardous and inexpensive. Their dust control and soil stabilization solutions reduce water use and the need for labor-intensive work. Talon Dust is currently marketing three versions of their product — one primarily used in landscaping, a second for renewable energy and solar panels and lastly, one in open fields. All products dry within two hours and last for up to two years.
A wide range of industries can benefit from this innovation, including aviation, government and military, construction, solar energy, oil and gas and even outdoor entertainment. With a win at EWC, Talon Dust Control will be on their way to becoming a global exporter.
Source: https://innovation.kaust.edu.sa/ewc-finals-2020/
