Winners of the CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 Announced
On April 26, the CAREC Secretariat hosted an award ceremony to announce the winners of the CAREC University Startup Generator 2023. The eight-week long innovation challenge was aimed at promoting collaboration and engagement among university students in the CAREC region and to strengthen the overall startup ecosystem.
A total of 168 teams representing 580 students from 10 CAREC countries participated in the program. These teams made substantial progress on research, brainstorming, and business plan development. On March 29, the selected 10 teams had an opportunity to present their ideas and projects during the Pitching Day.
The judges were highly impressed by the quality of the pitches. After careful consideration, the judges selected the following teams as the winners:
NIP team, represented by Mr. Huizhong Xue (China) from Central University of Finance and Economics and Ms. Yanting Chen (China) from Renmin University, awarded the first prize for their app “Know Bus,” which aims to provide clean and convenient ride-sharing options.
GSL team, represented by Mr. Fangzhou Qian (China), Ms. Saruul Sukh-Erdene (Mongolia), and Ms. Yingqi Zhao (China), all from Shanghai Sanda University, awarded the second prize for their project “AI Office Butler,” aiming to improve office productivity using artificial intelligence.
Goddard Discovery team, represented by Ms. Unzila Khan (Pakistan) and Mr. Muhammad Ali (Pakistan) from NED university of Engineering and Technology, and Ms. Nimra Naeem (Pakistan) from Lahore College For Women University, awarded the third prize for their project “AI-driven Assistant for Researchers,” aiming to help researchers in literature review and online collaboration.
A special prize was awarded to 4You team, represented by Ms. Arzu Garaeva (Azerbaijan) from Azerbaijan State University of Economics, Mr. Nadir Huseynov (Azerbaijan) from Mingachevir State University, and Mr. Vugar Aliyev (Azerbaijan) from Baku Higher Oil School, for their “Psychological and Fitness App for Children,” aiming to promote physical and mental wellness among children.
Lyaziza Sabyrova, Director, CWRC, congratulated the winners and all the participants for their hard work and dedication throughout the program. The CAREC University Startup Generator is an excellent initiative to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among university students in the CAREC region. CAREC Program and ADB will continue supporting universities to nurture entrepreneurship among students and enable growth of the startup ecosystem.
For more information on the CAREC University Startup Generator 2023, visit the program’s website.