Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

Dubai Chamber of Commerce has announced the top three winners of the 6th edition of the Dubai Smartpreneur Competition at the closing ceremony of the Enterprise Agility Forum 2022, which took place earlier today at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Eduployment Portals, a global online recruitment platform designed to help blue-collar workers develop English language skills, claimed first place; Diwama, an AI-based image recognition software that automates waste analysis and drives recycling revenues for waste management companies, placed second; followed by the third-place winner Soul Artists, a global online peer-to-peer platform for discovering and booking performing artists and musicians for events and occasions.

The annual competition, organised under Dubai Startup Hub aims to support talented founders, incubator innovative technology concepts, and promote entrepreneurship in the Emirate. The announcements came after the top 10 finalists made their final pitch to an expert panel of judges, joined by Tomaso Rodriguez, CEO of Talabat; Mona Ataya, CEO of Mumzworld; Talal Bayaa, CEO of Bayzat; and Raja Al Mazrouei, Executive Vice President of FinTech Hive at DIFC.

In his opening remarks during the ceremony, Faisal Belhoul, Board Member of Dubai Chambers, noted that this edition of the competition aimed to identify novel technology solutions in the fields of Trade, Opportunity, and Sustainability, adding that the UAE accounted for 71 per cent of submissions in the sixth cycle, followed by South Asia with 10 per cent, the Middle East with 7 per cent and Africa with just over 4 per cent.

“There is no better platform than Expo 2020 Dubai for our finalists to pitch business solutions that are challenging the status quo while transforming existing industries, as the mega event is showcasing cutting-edge innovations from around the world,” Belhoul said.

Prior to the awards ceremony, a total of 30 submissions were initially shortlisted before the finalists were selected. The finalists, which also included Hamples; Manhat; Hydro Wind Energy; PalletPal; One Moto; AIOTIZE Pvt Ltd; and Digital Energy - made their business pitches in the final round of the competition.

Over 2,000 startups from around the world have applied over the last six cycles of the Dubai Smartpreneur Competition. The sixth cycle, held earlier this year, attracted over 280 smart business solutions which fell under the categories of Trade, Opportunity and Sustainability.  

Launched as an initiative of Dubai Chamber of Commerce in 2016, Dubai Startup Hub is the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region. The hub has been designed to emphasis the value of public and private sector collaboration and embodies the aim of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship as a main driver of the economy of Dubai and the UAE.

Meanwhile, Dubai Chamber of Commerce has released a new video in its En Route to the Expo series, featuring Alan WilliamsUPS Vice President Expo 2020 Sponsorship & Operations, who shed light on the global company’s initiatives and activities related to the mega event, as well as his views on the future of logistics.

The video series aims to highlight the business community’s active role in Expo 2020 Dubai, showcase the effective tools the event employs to establish contact between local and international business communities, and underline the visions and expectations of industry leaders and decision makers from the UAE taking part in the event.

“‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ is the theme of Expo 2020 Dubai and I think for visitors coming to the Expo, it is a chance for them to really see that in action,” said Williams. “For UPS, [it is an ideal opportunity] to showcase the future of logistics, and to do that, we have partnered with entities who are part of the Expo family: Governments, participating countries, and other partners that we are working with through our exploration programme.”

“Right from the start, we wanted to align the UPS programme at Expo 2020 Dubai with the UAE Government’s plans for sustainability for the future,” he continued. “UPS has a goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050; everything we are doing showcases the future of logistics and is really planned to demonstrate how we can be a great partner to the country, but also our industry and the environment.”

Williams went on to cite a few examples, such as UPS’s electric vehicles, which are fully sustainable. They are powered through a solar charging system using the sun. This is the first time anywhere in the world that UPS has powered an electric vehicle using an off-grid, alternative power source. We are very happy and proud of that. We also use on Expo 2020 site eBikes and eQuads designed to operate in pedestrian-friendly environments and city centres. They have zero emissions, low noise, and they help reduce congestions in urban areas - UPS will continue to deploy them.

The UPS VP for Expo 2020 Sponsorship & Operations continued with another example, citing the work the company does with Dubai Chamber of Commerce. “For the recent 12th World Chambers Congress, which was held in partnership between the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Dubai Chamber of Commerce, in Dubai, UPS was the official logistics partner,” he said.