Thursday March 28th, 2024
Download SceneNow app
Copied

Meet the 5 Arab Startups That Just Won Dubai’s 2020 Expo Live Grant

Hailing from Egypt and the UAE, these 5 startups were awarded $100,000 ahead of the massive Expo 2020.

Staff Writer

The Dubai Expo Live - an initiative by the UAE ahead of the mammoth Expo 2020 - has just awarded five Arab startups as part of the 29 changemakers with an edge for sustainable cities, with up to $100 thousand in funding for each initiative.

With the mission to engage stakeholders and inspire inclusiveness for a prosperous future, this programme backs up startups with creative and sustainable solutions to enhance individuals’ well-being, the programme supports projects worldwide whose solutions generate social and environmental value, in line with Expo 2020 Dubai’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. From crowd-solving platforms to eHealth services, these are the five Arab startups inspiring change who made waves at the Expo Live last week.

1. Yomken. One of the Egyptian-based startups, Yomken.com, connects businesses with problem-solvers through their online platform to create a “crowd-solving” mechanism for challenges.“It’s important not to underestimate the power of the crowd”, asserted Tamer Taha, founder of Yomken.com. A startup with a simple solution to many small businesses that lack the funding to implement the traditionally-known R&D tools is now on the road to expansion across the region. “These are real change-makers addressing our world’s most pressing challenges,” said Yousuf Caires, Expo Live Vice-President. “They are visionaries who are determined to see their projects bring meaningful change to those that need it.”

2. Transport for Cairo. With Egypt being one of the most populated countries in the world and traffic congestion is a never-ending dilemma, Transport For Cairo found a way to make commuting faster and more efficient. Through a digital platform, this startup connects citizens to both formal and informal transportation networks using a mapping approach. “Transport for Cairo embodies Expo 2020’s theme, ‘connecting minds, creating the future.’ By working collaboratively, with other experts and with ordinary people to map Cairo’s complex transport system and to put that knowledge into the hands of those trying to get around the city, they are creating a solution that can benefit thousands by making their journeys quicker, easier and more sustainable,” Caires said.  

3. Smart Labour. Socially committed to drive educational change in the UAE, Smart Labour developed a digital platform to teach blue-collar workers skills like reading and writing, in return for vouchers and prizes. Not only is it making education more accessible to the underprivileged, it also educates them with money management, personality development and communication skills.

4. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture. Non-for-profit UAE initiative International Center for Biosaline Agriculture provides environmentally-friendly and sustainable solutions for marginalized agricultural areas. Through intensive research and the generation of production systems, ICBA is committed to helping build more resilient environments that will generate income.

5. Ver2 Digital Medicine. Using connectivity once again to find solutions, Ver2 Digital Medicine, provides users with an online platform that connects and educates them with high-quality medical knowledge. Aiming to create a medical educational model through the grant allocated by Dubai’s Expo Live, this UAE-startup will  transform the traditional healthcare service to a digital experience.

Expo Live’s Grant programme is open for submission twice a year, and applications can be found here. 

Main photo: The Live Expo 2020 Event, last week in Dubai. 

Photo Credit: Expo 2020 Dubai.