BELARUS claimed five spots and Egypt four in the final 10 teams that will be bidding to have their innovative ideas developed into commercially viable businesses under a Turn8 seed accelerator initiative launched by global marine terminal operator DP World and powered by innovation 360.

The 10 teams of two are being supported with funding, mentoring and training in Dubai in exchange for a stake in any resulting business under Turn8, a programme that offers cradle-to-commercialisation support for innovative start-ups.

The 10th spot was claimed by a team from Ukraine.

The final projects range from consumer sentiment trackers and counterfeit goods detectors to a digital math tutor for children and an app to record dreams.

The announcement of the final 10 marks the completion of the year-long Turn8 programme’s first roadshow phase that involved an online campaign and visits to selected countries with active start-up cultures, including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, the Ukraine, Belarus, Singapore, Malaysia and the USA

The final 10:

• Ta3rifah, Egypt, a mobile platform that helps build trust between businesses and their customers.

• POLITAiMO, Ukraine, which  applies the game-changing model of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) drone technology to deliver a new customer-content experience.

• Asly, Egypt, which is on a mission to develop a new, more secure and cost-effective system to pick genuine products from fakes.

• Crowd Analyser, Egypt, which  enables brands to better understand consumer sentiment in the Arabic-speaking and Franco-Arabic market segments.

• DreamNotes, Belarus, a mobile application that enables people to record and share their dreams online before they fade from memory.

• KinTrans, Egypt, which is working on software that translates sign language of the deaf into audible words using Microsoft software.

• LocaMath, Belarus, which uses math-based games and animation to make mathematics exciting and motivating for children.

• STARWAY, Belarus, which optimises the process of travel tours and booking for artists and their tour managers, including celebrity show promoters.

• Wisehound, Belarus, a tool for generating synonymous text quickly and inexpensively for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) applications.

• Travel Matching, Belarus, aims to make travelling more comfortable and fun by helping travellers connect with fellow-travellers during their journeys.

Mohammed Sharaf, group chief executive officer, DP World, said: “DP World is a firm believer in innovation and technology to help power business. Through Turn8, we aim to promote a start-up and innovation culture in the wider community building on the UAE’s traditions of entrepreneurial flair. This also fits with its vision to become a regional hub for innovation and to create a fully-fledged innovation centre in Dubai. I am excited by these projects and look forward to seeing them developed to their full potential.”

IDEAS SEARCH FRUITFUL

Yousif Almutawa, chief information officer, DP World, said: “DP World has launched Turn8 to encourage innovative entrepreneurship. Our search for ideas uncovered some exciting new local and international proposals, 10 of which are now short-listed for our support. We congratulate the selected teams and wish them success in their endeavours.”

Kamal Hassan, founder and CEO, innovation360, said: “Our finalists are young minds with ingenious ideas that can be refined and brought to market through the Turn8 seed accelerator. We have now entered the crucial stage of incubating and nurturing them through this developmental phase. At innovation360 we look forward to an exciting and rewarding time ahead and thank DP World for the opportunity to power this initiative.”

According to the promoters of Turn8, people who can participate in the initiative may fall in any of the following categories: creative geniuses with an idea for innovative business and technology, policy makers working to build an entrepreneurial infrastructure, wisdom dealers (mentors) sharing their business expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs, smart sellers (service providers) supporting teams with their service and product offerings, investors/opportunity hunters seeking ROI from vetted startups, innovative businesses seeking innovation breakthroughs through competitions, sponsorships and intrapreneurship and DP World staff who wish to exercise their entrepreneurialism.