Following a day of intense pitching between 10 shortlisted startups, pixelbug, a marketing technology engine, was named UAE ‘Get in the Ring’ champion. The Global Entrepreneur Challenge was co-hosted by Afkar.me and in5 on October 11th as part of the organisations commitment to grow the region’s start-up ecosystem. The UAE champion will now battle against other hopeful Middle Eastern entrepreneurs at the regional final in Riyadh in early November,  ultimately winning the opportunity to pitch for an investment of up to €1,000,000 in the global final in Rotterdam.

pixelbug is a Dubai-based marketing technology company that helps businesses adapt new technologies to drive engagement with their stakeholders, across all industries. pixelbug’s latest augmented reality ‘edutainment’ app, colorbug, won the competition, which aims to revolutionalise the way kids aged three and above will interact with storytelling and colouring books.

On receiving the award, Dany el Eid and Elie Youssef, founders of pixelbug, said:

“pixelbug aims to make the world a more interactive place through the use of advanced technology and augmented reality techniques. We are delighted to have won today’s competition, and we are greatly looking forward to presenting our company at the regional final in Riyadh.

“’Get in the Ring’ has given us the opportunity to reach regional investors, and to interact and network with experts. We appreciate in5’s efforts in providing such an ecosystem for entrepreneurs, and we would like to thank the judges and everyone who took part in this competition; we won’t stop until we make it happen!”

Judge and Afkar.me founder Juan Jose De La Torre commented: “For the first UAE ‘Get in the Ring’, the quality of entries was very strong. I congratulate pixelbug who’s concept is innovative and creative, and who are changing the face of marketing in the UAE. By developing partnerships such as the one we have with in5, and bringing these competitions to the UAE, we continue to support the growth of the region’s entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem on its journey to become a global player.”

Judge and TiE President Prashant K. Gulati said: “There was a very positive and confident energy in the presentation room. All of the participants gave great presentations and it was difficult for us to decide who to crown the winner! We wish all of the startups the best of luck in their endeavors, and we advise them to keep on going because there is always work to be done.” 

Majed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone, said:

“’Get in the Ring’ provides an ideal platform for start-ups and entrepreneurs to meet experts and industry leaders, and to share knowledge and ideas. It is of the utmost importance that start-ups are given the proper infrastructure and support, and in5 continues to work extremely hard to ensure that start-ups and entrepreneurs are supported and nurtured from idea creation through to the launch of a product or service.

“The companies who took part in the competition and the innovation we saw here today is testament to Dubai’s vibrant entrepreneurial landscape, and it is important that people see today’s success stories to realise there are no barriers to entry into entrepreneurship. I would like to congratulate all of the competitors as well as pixelbug, and I wish them the best of luck in the regional finals in Riyadh.”

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