SAIA 2022 accelerator programme attracted over 1,650 entries from 45 countries
7 startups from Egypt, India, Poland, and the UAE have been selected for the 3rd Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA) programme that offers global startups an opportunity to join the SRTI Park ecosystem, embedding them in a thriving ecosystem brimming with possibilities and complete with relevant industry linkages.
Announcing this year’s finalists, the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP) said it was tough to select from the huge number of entries that offered solutions to more sustainable living.
This year’s SAIA programme finalists are:
- REBOOZ (UAE), which has developed a patent-granted hydrogen technology for combustion engine rejuvenation which reduces emissions as per government regulations for a sustainable future.
- Inovatica AGV (Poland), which produces autonomous forklifts that were developed by two graduates of Lodz University of Technology, Poland.
- Unitruder (UAE), which creates fully personalized footwear for masses while delivering full benefits of sustainable digital manufacturing using 3D technology.
- Efika (Egypt) which designs and manufactures solar robots that clean solar plants in a faster and cheaper way.
- Fuse (UAE), which drives e-mobility by making it accessible to all by retrofitting existing vehicles from petrol to electric.
- Dreamaerospace (India), which has developed a green propulsion system that provides customized solutions to each peculiar setback, helping make space exploration safer.
- 3DMechX (UAE), which specializes in additive and subtractive manufacturing technology through smart use of 3D printing.
Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the SRTI Park, commented: “We were delighted with the flood of outstanding innovations from different parts of the globe, and we congratulate the selected finalists and all the participants. The seven we selected are just a sample of what startups are capable of doing. The SAIA finalists will benefit from networking opportunities, low-cost office space, funding, professional training and contact with other entrepreneurs. Above that, SAIA has a strong focus on empowering startups and driving inclusive innovation within the advanced industry economy.”
Additional to providing the most attractive environment for startups, SRTIP will be holding an Investor Day on November 8, 2022, to showcase the finalists’ innovations to prospective investors and corporates with the goal of providing access to follow-on funding through its investor network.
The startups will be engaged in a number of activities to help them advance their innovations to the next level. The mentoring workshops will feed into the entrepreneurial initiatives which in turn will support rapid technology development.
The program has developed significant offerings and competencies over the past two cohorts to deliver a value chain of support to its beneficiaries. SAIA will play an important role in helping these fledgling businesses ascertain whether there really is a market for the product or service on offer. SAIA will help validate assumptions quickly and cost effectively, and if needed, help the start-ups pivot to meet a market need. They will also receive assistance to test and launch minimal viable products, so as to solicit early feedback, analyze and correct forecasting of their business’s trajectory.
SAIA will support and facilitate partnerships and collaborations by leveraging its relationship with industry partners. Mentors and Advisors for the selected startups for this cohort have been drawn from its corporate partners Google, Intel, Amazon AWS, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Advanced Industry, as well as Sheraa, Ruwad, Shell Energy, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), General Motors, Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), Legal Circle, Kaplan, and more to come.
SAIA participants will also be supported by other SRTI Park programs, with the added benefit of having identified suitable development capabilities to enhance and scale their businesses.
SRTI Park celebrates these startups that are contributing to the economy through the positive impact their novel innovations have on the quality of life, transforming our communities and strengthening the economy.
The SAIA 2022 programme attracted applicants from India, the UAE, Brazil, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Netherlands, Russia, the United States, Bangladesh, Poland, Germany, and a number of Arab countries such as Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, etc.
