On their way to Morocco: 15 startups selected for the semifinals of the Aviram Awards
On their way to Morocco: 15 startups selected for the semifinals of the Aviram Awards
AI-based ultrasound aiming to reduce mortality rates, management platforms for organic waste in large cities, and a device warning of an impending stroke are all among the inspirational startups from Morocco, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Israel that were selected to participate in the semifinal stage of the competition, which will be held in Morocco this upcoming May
Youssef Bouyakhf from Morocco, Hila Ben Fazi from Israel, and Haythem Riahi from the United Arab Emirates are entrepreneurs from countries in the MENA region that founded startups with the potential to create a significant change. Bouyakhf, Ben Fazi, and Riahi will be joined by 12 other bright entrepreneurs at the semifinal event of the Aviram Awards competition.
The 15 startups that were selected as semifinalists work daily to change lives for the better - with the help of innovation and technology. As part of the Aviram Awards competition, aiming to supply entrepreneurs with tools and support, the 15 semifinalists met for the first time and went through workshops from a variety of fields – pitching an idea, storytelling, and a personal meeting with senior international mentors who prepared them for the final stage of the competition - and their next steps in the world of entrepreneurship.
Yosef Bouyakhf is the CEO and founder of Deepecho which uses AI to assist minimally trained ultrasound technicians in advanced video ultrasound diagnosis. Their product detects birth defects and allows a response to premature birth that includes low birth weight.
Hila Ben Fazi is the CEO and co-founder of Avertto which saves lives through innovative technologies that monitor blood flow to the brain, identifies and monitors changes in large blood vessel blockages and provides AI-based alerts to enable rapid stroke treatment.
Haitham Riahi is the CEO of Circa Biotech which focuses on conversion of food waste into animal feed through the industrial agriculture of black fly larvae. The process transforms the food waste before consumption into protein-rich animal feed while producing nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer. It is a sustainable solution, requiring small land and water, with low emissions, with plans to process 200 tons of food waste daily and produce 22,000 tons of animal feed annually.
Among the semifinalists are also Philippe Deconique from Morocco, chairman and founder of Agua De Sol, which has developed a product that turns moisture into fresh water; Dr. Noor Zauri from the Saudi Arabia, CEO and co-founder of Polymeron, which develops and recycles environmentally friendly materials; Majed Mashrawi from the Saudi Arabia, CEO and founder of Sun Box, a venture that enables the cleaning of solar panels using artificial intelligence; Dana Levin from Israel, CEO of E-FISHient Protein, which develops alternative fish protein; Aberer Alotibi from Jordan, CEO of sustainable world software technology company that is developing an innovative approach for early detection of the red palm weevil through a combination of remote sensing images and artificial intelligence; Ran Amar from Israel, CEO of Rewind, which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by transferring plant residues to the Black Sea; Aziz Kaden from Israel, CEO and founder of Myndlyft, which offers a brain training product as a modern solution for mental health, performance improvement and well-being; Dan Daviri from Israel, CEO of Carbon Blue, which provides a solution for removing carbon dioxide from the sea; Miri Berger from Israel, CEO of Degrees 6, which developed an algorithm-based product that studies the unique movement of each person and builds a control protocol for it (for example, Parkinson's patients); Sharon Pima from Israel, CEO of QD-SOL, which develops revolutionary green quantum hydrogen production technology; Sharon Barak from Israel, founder and Chief Technology Officer of Solutum, a startup that develops a green alternative plastic that dissolves at certain temperatures without toxic substances, and Lior Wein from Israel, CEO of Mica, which provides artificial intelligence technology that will help analyze, optimize and save lives by reducing decoding errors and detecting breast cancer in tests.
Last December, the Aviram Foundation, founded by the entrepreneur Ziv Aviram and his family, launched the Aviram Awards competition for the second year together with the international Forbes. Aviram Awards is an annual competition aiming to identify, mentor and support ventures in the MENA region. The winning startup, one based on an innovative breakthrough that makes a contribution to humanity, will win a cash prize $500,000, professional support from Ziv Aviram who has rich experience in the world of entrepreneurship and social impact over the years, as well as media support from the world's leading magazine Forbes. The second-place winner will be awarded a prize of $100,000, and a prize of $50,000 will be awarded to the third-place winner. The highlight of the competition will be in the final event which will be held in May 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco, where five entrepreneurs from across the MENA region will stand together on one stage.
In March 2022, the first Aviram Awards winner was selected in a final event in Dubai. The event was attended by representatives of the Royal Palace of Dubai and top business and worldwide leaders in the innovation field, and included a special appearance by President Bill Clinton. Dr. Ari Gargir, CEO and founder of RedC Biotech, a company that develops artificial red blood cells, was named as the big winner. Following his win, Dr. Gargir received close mentoring by Ziv Aviram, gaining practical tools for the further development of the company.
Ziv Aviram: "We are honored to celebrate innovation and peace in our region for the second year. It is truly inspiring to witness the significant increase in participants this year, with more startups, coming from a long list of MENA countries. This is a true indication for the desire of young entrepreneurs to have a social mission at the core of their business mission. This year, the semifinal event focused on providing practical tools for the various startups, hoping that these tools will be used in their professional and entrepreneurial future, and not only in the context of the competition. We are looking forward to our five finalists arriving in Morocco, creating new opportunities and bridges for the State of Israel and the entire region."
Randall Lane, Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine: "Forbes has a long history of celebrating the power of entrepreneurship to solve critical societal and environmental challenges and the semifinalists selected are doing exactly that,” said Lane. “Through the Aviram Awards competition, we are spotlighting a new generation of startups in the MENA region and are excited to provide these young innovators with insights and mentorship as they create cutting-edge technologies to move the world forward."
