Top Entrepreneurs are from Algeria, Pakistan, Jordan, Kenya and Lebanon
October 25, 2013 – Arlington, VA – The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative announced the finalists of the third annual Tech-I Competition at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 12. Implemented by CRDF Global, the GIST Initiative builds entrepreneurial ecosystems in over 50 countries in the Middle East, Central and South East Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, by identifying, coaching and funding promising entrepreneurs through competitions, start-up acceleration services, an online social media platform, and interactive mentorship programs.
The first place winner in the Startup Stage is Kytabu, founded by Tonee Ndungu, Keyna. Kytabu is a subscription application whereby Kenyan students can access curriculum textbooks via mobile payment gateway. Second place, Eneza, was created by Co-Founder and CEO Toni Maraviglia, Kenya. It provides mobile access to quality educational materials aligned with local content. Third place, Votek, was co-founded by CEO Dr. Lojain Jibawi, Lebanon. Through an intelligent Arabic voice-enabled virtual assistant platform, the software recognizes, analyzes and understands standard and dialectical Arabic speech with 95 percent accuracy.
The first place winner in the Idea Stage is GuideMe, founded by CEO Badreddine Zebbiche, Algeria. This obstacles detection device is designed to provide audio guidance to visually-impaired individuals. Integrated within shoes, it signals the user via smart phone app. Second place is NANO-TECH, founded by Anum Imtiaz and Faisal Afridi, Pakistan. NANO-TECH specializes in design and manufacturing of high-quality water filtration and treatment products that provide pure and safe drinking water. An estimated 40 percent of deaths in Pakistan are due to waterborne diseases, and the founders aim to fix this. Third place is Presto Wireless, Jordan. Ala’ Khalifeh is the Chief Technology Officer. Presto Wireless enables wireless data users to experience faster speeds, higher coverage, and better reliability by combining separate internet signals. This software will increase speed for users in countries with slow internet connections, without requiring internet infrastructure upgrades.
Both first place companies received $15,000; both second place companies received $10,000; and both third place companies received $5,000.
The award for Best Female Entrepreneur and $4,000 went to Nermin Sa’d, CEO & Co-Founder of Handasiyat, Jordan. The virtual construction engineering company provides engineering support services for firms operating in the Middle East and North Africa. An engineer, Sa’d realizes that women require an online platform to succeed in this male-dominated sector.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged some of these winners in remarks at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. “Nermin [Sa’d] created an online platform where female engineers could freelance from home. And Nermin’s dream is that in five years, her website will be the first engineering company in all of the Middle East and North Africa staffed completely by women.” Secretary Kerry added, “And by making textbooks more affordable, [Tonee Ndungu] gives lower-income students a chance to learn that they might not otherwise ever have had. But that’s not his only motivation, my friends. Tonee is dyslexic, and when he was a student he had to listen to cassette tapes of audio books. So Tonee’s dream is to lower all kinds of barriers to education in the developing world.”
“These young people embody [President Obama’s] famous affirmation that anything is possible: ‘Yes, we can!’ – or as you say in Malaysia, ‘Malaysia boleh!’” said Secretary Kerry.
Honorable Mentions are TaxiBUL, Turkey; Farmspace Africa, Kenya; and AdvanTag, UAE. Each received $2,000.
“This year’s inspiring winners are shining examples of how the GIST Initiative is enabling entrepreneurs to propel early-stage start-ups forward,” said Cathy Campbell, CEO and President of CRDF Global. “During the past three years, innovators in the GIST network have raised more than $21 million in capital and created over 800 jobs. We are enthusiastic for what the future holds for this year’s honorees, and all who are part of the rapidly-growing GIST network,” said Campbell.
The GIST Tech-I Competition identifies and supports the most promising technology and science-based entrepreneurs. The winners were chosen from 30 semi-finalists, following rigorous judging by global business leaders. They join a global GIST community of more than 180,000 innovators.
About GIST
The Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative forges links at the individual and institutional levels among technology entrepreneurs, angel investors, and the marketplace to improve quality of life through economic prosperity. The GIST Initiative builds entrepreneurial ecosystems in over 50 countries in the Middle East, Central & South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, by identifying, coaching and funding promising entrepreneurs through its competitions, start-up acceleration services, online social media platform, and interactive mentorship programs. The GIST Initiative is implemented by CRDF Global and is supported with funding from the U.S. Department of State.
About CRDF Global
CRDF Global is an independent, nonprofit organization established in 1995 to promote international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, training and services. CRDF Global has 17 years of experience managing international research funding programs and supporting emerging science and technology infrastructure in more than 40 countries in Eurasia, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.
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