Make it in the Emirates: MoIAT reveals startup pitch competition winners

Make it in the Emirates: MoIAT reveals startup pitch competition winners

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has revealed the three startups that won the inaugural Make it in the Emirates startup pitch competition, part of the ministry’s efforts to support the development and commercialisation of technology in the UAE. The first, second and third place winners received Dhs100,000, Dhs70,000 and Dhs50,000, respectively, to scale up and grow their businesses. Twenty-four startups were shortlisted to participate in the competition by a panel of industry experts from a pool of almost 400 submissions, 60 per cent of which were from overseas. “As a hub for innovation, science and technology, the UAE provides the ideal platform for technology start-ups to pilot new concepts and scale breakthrough solutions that address challenges such as climate change as well as support economic growth,” said Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology. The first winner was VFlow Tech, a Singaporean startup that provides innovative, reliable and large-scale storage solutions using flow batteries to unlock the full power of renewables. The second winner was The Food Engine, a UAE-based startup that has developed an automated vertical aeroponic farming system that uses 90 per cent less water than traditional agriculture. The third