Dr. Nasser Alshareef
Advisor in “Deputyship of Investment” at Ministry of Education (MoE), Saudi Arabia
Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk), in partnership with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) will host the Entrepreneurship World Cup 2020 (EWC) from 18-20 October, with the aim to attract advanced technologies and the best talents to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while supporting Saudi startups, with the participants of 175,000 applicants from 200 countries.
EWC this year attracted 15,000 applications from Saudi entrepreneurs, 15 of whom were chosen to display their project virtually in the Saudi National Finals, which was held on September 7, 2020, as six of these Saudi companies were selected to participate in the global finals. The first three projects will automatically reach the final, while the remaining three will compete with other international companies in the semi-finals.
Four of the six winners on the night were graduates of TAQADAM, a startup accelerator powered by KAUST and the Saudi British Bank (SABB).
- 1st place Talon Dust Control – a Saudi-manufactured dust control and stabilization solution
- 2nd place Edama Organic Solutions – Saudi Arabia’s first organic waste recycling solution
- 5th place Peregrine Genomics – a next generation genomic diagnostics testing platform
- 6th place MIQYAS – an app that fits garments tailored to your measurements
Hattan Ahmed, Head of the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center said, “In this period of global uncertainty and as economies transition to the digital era, young minds and entrepreneurs stand at the bow navigating the shifting sands of global technology, channeling entrepreneurial drive and championing business creation.” He continued, “KAUST is a natural partner of the EWC 2020, as both organizations share the mutual global ambition of attracting tech startups, premier global talent and the building of a global funnel in which Saudi Arabia can serve as an eminent hub for entrepreneurship. The Entrepreneurship World Cup is one of the most ambitious global pitch competitions – and we are excited to partner with Misk Foundation to reach thousands of startups and help them achieve their dreams.”
The winning companies in the Entrepreneurship World Cup 2020 will be awarded prizes amounting the USD 1 million, in addition to investment opportunities and support of up to USD 75 million. Moreover, they will get access to free of charge training, resources, connections, and mentorship programmes as well as investment opportunities and perks from EWC leading partners.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/entrepreneurship-world-cup-2020-ewc-ksa-week-dr-nasser/
