Saudi-based Sadeem won $100,000 for ‘Best Global Startup’

DUBAI / Emirates Business

At GITEX Future Stars, Saudi-based startup Sadeem won USD$100,000 for Best Global Startup. A wireless platform, Sadeem is the world’s first multi-patented flood and traffic information system with active networks to save lives and money in realtime.
“This win means a lot, and is a culmination of six years of work. This is due to the efforts of the whole team, our commitment to add value to the cities of the world, and our ability to create a solution for environmental challenges in today’s world,” said Mustafa Mousa alongside co-founder Esteban Canepa.
The UAE marketplace app for buying and selling products, Melltoo won the award for Best Female Startup, supported by NAMA women’s empowerment. TravelDog, the virtual travel agent company took home the award for Best African Startup for its web and mobile platform. The Best Arab Startup award went to Mind Rockets, who are building assistive technologies for the hearing impaired. Cherpa, an online platform for youth to learn about robotics through interactive teaching, was recognised as the Best Youth Startup. The Best Disruptive Startup was awarded to Modeo who are transforming furniture assembly through a do-it-yourself application which allows users to design and order modular parts that are easy to assemble, and disassemble.
Vijay Tirathrai, Managing Director Techstars Dubai, and a judge of the competition said: “I love the energy of the emerging markets in this region, especially the thirst for learning and innovation demonstrated by young people living here. I was very impressed by the whole spectrum of start-ups who participated in today’s GITEX Supernova competition, which was not an easy one to judge. The ideas presented were from a variety of different industries and gave a very good flavour of the landscape in the region.”
I am very confident we made some really good choices today across all categories. Having an entrepreneurial culture will help provide greater socio-economic opportunities for the region and our overall aim in judging this competition is to help inspire other aspiring young people to set up their own companies.”
Santosh Varghese, General Manager, Middle East and Africa, Storage Products and Solutions at Toshiba Gulf FZE, representing the sponsoring company said: “Toshiba is a leading innovation company , we want to spread this culture of innovation aligned to the Dubai government’s vision. Events like GITEX Future Stars will have a multiplier effect and leads to more start-ups coming from the region. Toshiba Gulf FZE looks after markets across the Middle East and Africa, and that is why we wanted to sponsor the best Arab start-up and best Africa start-up categories.”
“Congratulations to Sadeem for winning the top prize at the Supernova Challenge, as well as to all the other winners and participants who demonstrated their most innovative and disruptive solutions, with a focus on transforming the future of the world we live in. Every participant in the competition displayed a commitment to solve challenges with frontier technology and we are honoured that they chose GITEX Future Stars as a platform to showcase their solutions. At this show, we are not just bringing in entrepreneurs, but also investors, Grammy award winners, marketing gurus, and various networking opportunities,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, organisers of GITEX Technology Week and GITEX Future Stars.