In a move set to boost the country’s tech sector, the Federal Government, through NITDA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to host the world’s largest technology fair, GITEX, for the first time in 2025.

The agreement was signed by Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General and CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International, the organisers of GITEX.

Speaking on the significance of signing the MOU, Inuwa said, “Bringing GITEX to Nigeria will introduce the experience of the best tech conference to our country.”

He further emphasised that this strategic initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Agenda to reform the economy to deliver sustained growth.

“President Tinubu is big and loud on trade and economic diversification, and you cannot trade in isolation. The President has mandated us to facilitate parts of this diversification,” said Inuwa.

The NITDA Boss recognises that in today’s interconnected world, no country can thrive in isolation. Economic prosperity is increasingly tied to the ability to engage with global markets and integrate into the international trade ecosystem.

In line with this vision, President Tinubu has given a clear mandate to MDAs to actively facilitate and support initiatives that contribute to economic diversification in line with this administration’s redefined priority areas. This includes fostering the development of new industries, promoting innovation, and creating an environment conducive to technological advancement.

“The President’s directive is clear: we must build bridges with the rest of the world and leverage these connections to boost our economic growth. Through initiatives like GITEX Nigeria, we are creating platforms for our tech ecosystem to shine, demonstrating that Nigeria is not only open for business but is also a hub of innovation and creativity,” he added.

Trixie LohMirmand expressed her excitement about the partnership, citing the impressive track record of Nigerian teams at GITEX pitch competitions. She said Nigeria has positioned itself as the fastest-growing country for developers in Africa, with vast potential for untapped talent.

“By bringing GITEX to Nigeria, we aim to explore the country’s potential in sectors like AI, digital health, and fintech. The initiative aims to not only showcase local advancements but also integrate the Nigerian tech scene with the wider GITEX network, providing Nigerian startups with a platform to connect with new markets,” she said.

While a date for GITEX Nigeria has not been announced yet, this agreement marks a significant step forward in positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global tech scene and affirming President Tinubu’s strong stance on economic diversification and international trade integration to drive a comprehensive strategy to transform Nigeria’s economy.

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TECHDIGEST-

• Dutch water purification startup Desolenator wins top prize of $100,000 at the Supernova Challenge at GITEX GLOBAL

• $1 million in investments given to nine startups in the Oman Tech Fund Pitch Battle

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 14 October 2022: Desolenator, a Dutch startup that develops solar powered water purification technology, was announced the winner of the Supernova Challenge at North Star, securing the top prize of $100,000, with 13 category winners each taking home $8,000 in prize money from the competition.

The Supernova Challenge is the biggest start-up pitch competition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and, with $200,000 in cash prizes, a major highlight of North Star. This year’s Supernova Challenge attracted over 600 applications from game-changing startups from over 41 countries, who battled it out for the region’s biggest prize and the coveted North Star Dubai Supernova Champion title.

26 finalists from countries including Brazil, Bahrain, USA, Romania South Korea, Canada, Latvia, France, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kenya and Oman pitched in front of a judging panel of global icons and tech influencers, including David Cohen (co-founder of Techstars), Mike Butcher (Editor-at-large at Techcrunch), Karim Konsowa (Associate, Dubai Future District Fund), O.G Arabian Prince (co-founder of N.W.A), Natalie Colby (Managing Partner of Norrsken22), and Susan Marie (EVP of Strategy, Arizona Commerce Authority).

READ ALSO: NITDA, Nigerian Delegation, Start-Ups Get Deals, Praises as GITEX 2022 Ends

Alexei Levene, co-founder of Desolenator, accepted the grand prize money of $100,000, saying: “Winning this incredible prize really demonstrates how sustainability – and the world’s water crisis in particular – is now front and centre of global and regional agendas. This award also highlights how Dubai, and the UAE are taking a leadership position on the most intractable sustainability issues facing the world. We are delighted to win the North Star Supernova challenge and this prize money will contribute towards our work to tackle the global water crisis around the world.”

The winner of the Top MENA Start-up Award was Galactech from Oman, an entertainment e-sports company. Galactech CEO Houcem Maiza said: “GITEX GLOBAL is the biggest tech event in the world – so this is an incredible showcase for our company – but winning best MENA start-up is particularly important to us as this is our market.”

One of the Supernova judges, David Cohen, CEO and Co-founder of Techstars, said North Star Dubai and the Supernova Challenge are now essential highlights on the international tech calendar. “I love the fact that so many companies from around the world are here in Dubai and that the quality has been consistently so high. It has been an honour to judge such an amazing set of companies and a lot of fun.”

Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President, Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, said: “North Star Dubai and the Supernova Challenge offer a unique opportunity for international start-ups to take transformational steps in the growth journey. The Supernova Challenge continues to attract the leading innovators of the future, all of whom choose North Star Dubai as a platform for engaging with global investors and bringing their ideas to the Middle East region. The ideas showcased at North Star Dubai and the Supernova Challenge have the potential to make a significant impact on the digital economy.”

Oman Tech Fund Pitch Battle

At the Oman Technology Fund Pitch Battle, sponsored by Oman Technology Fund and the ITHCA Group, nine start-ups were selected from a shortlist of 30 finalists to win a total of up to $1 million in investments following their successful pitch to a panel of experts.

Three companies received investment cheques for $150,000 each. These were: online service provider Nashid; watercraft company Seavo and tele-therapy platform, SgharToon.

The companies each receiving investment cheques of $50,000 were: travel platform, Godoba; sports and recreation booking company Tamreen; peer-to-peer tutoring platform, Unitors; car spare parts platform, X Garage; 3D printing company, Binaa Express and real estate management company Mulk.

‘Move the World’ Innovation Cup

At the ‘Move the World’ Innovation Cup, sponsored by AHOY, three winners were selected by a jury of local, regional and international experts, investors and entrepreneurs to share credit worth $175,000. The Trailblazers’ Award was presented to CLROBUR from South Korea, the Future Innovators Award was won by Visual Camp also from South Korea and the Most Promising Start-up Team Award was presented to Biel Digital Glasses from Spain.

The Supernova Challenge category winners were:

• Overall Industry Pioneer Award in partnership with Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy: Biosolvit from Brazil, a biomass company that develops new materials from renewable sources.

• Fast Female Founder Award in Partnership with Sharjah Business Women’s Council: Playbook from Bahrain, a learning platform and membership network for women.

• Sustainability & ESG Innovator: Carbon Limit from the USA, a company focused on decarbonising the concrete industry.

• Fintech Innovator: Allink from South Korea, a tag-based payment and information transfer solution company.

• Blockchain Frontier Leader: WAM from Romania, a play-to-earn social gaming platform.

• X-Verse Builder (Meta, Web 3.0):  LlamaZOO from Canada, a platform that transforms data into new formats using 3D visualisation and XR technology.

• MarTech Innovator: CopyMonkey from Latvia, a company that uses AI to create SEO-optimised product descriptions for e-commerce businesses.

• Creative Economy Innovator: Popmii from France, a company that enables the creation of personalized 3D content.

• AI Innovator: Earable from Vietnam, a neuroscience company that creates brain-enhancing technology.

• Mobility & Smart Cities Innovator: this new category, was won by ShapShap from Nigeria, which provides on-demand delivery services.

• Top Africa Fast Award: featuring 20 entrants from across the continent, this new category was won by Melanin Kapital from Kenya, a company focused on providing green finance for SMEs in Africa.

• Top MENA Start-up Award: Galactech from Oman, an entertainment e-sports company.

• Youth Entrepreneur Award: There were two winners. Kanz Art from the UAE took the first place and $5,000 prize for its platform for artists while the second place went to virtual re ality company Wewer from India who won $3,000.

Expand North Star

Earlier this week, GITEX GLOBAL announced the expansion of North Star into Expand North Star, diversifying and capitalising on the rising international interest in the UAE start-up ecosystem. Hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and set to take place from 10-12 May 2023 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Expand North Star shall present a new creative format to extend its engagements with venture capitalists, unicorns, scale-ups, start-ups, and key stakeholders in the tech ecosystem.

For more information visit : www.gitex.com and www.northstardubai.com.

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