Azercell backs qualification round for competition among start-ups
Local qualification round for Seedstars World competition among Azerbaijani start-ups starts again. The event supported by Azercell and organized by Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center will go on till June 12.
Winners of the qualification round will get an opportunity to represent our country in world-known competition and compete for $ 500,000 in investment.
Imran Baghirov, Strategic Adjacencies and Customer Channels Department Director at Azercell and general manager of Barama Business Incubator, competition organizer and Seedstars ambassador, has a great hope for the next qualification round. "Seedstars is the global and large community which opens great opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, industry specialists and other interested parties.
Tomi Piriyev and Maxim Piriyev became the winners of Seedstars Baku last year with Dronee project. Dronee, being a drone, is a customizable aircraft vehicle carrying a hardware platform.
Developers can easily use the drone for own purposes by choosing relevant hardware and applications and entering the codes". He added that Seedstars World received online applications from over 65 countries in the first stage. Local representatives of Seedstars World (Barama Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center) act as distributors in this stage. Applicants are required to fill in the online application within 20 minutes.
10-12 start-ups qualified to the second round present their start-up projects before the jury and field specialists. The event brings together investors, company representatives, as well as university and ecosystem members. The winner of local competition travels to Switzerland to represent his/her country in global Seedstars World competition. More importantly, the winning project competes with global start-ups for investment.
Those wishing to join the competition may register at the link: http://www.seedstarsworld.com/event/seedstars-baku-2016/
The winner of local competition shall compete to become the best start-up in Switzerland. The winner of the 2nd place shall be awarded with Huawei device, while the 3rd place winner shall get presents from Barama. Seedstars World is the global competition to identify talented youth in emerging and fast-growing start-up market. The competition aims to provide support for entrepreneurs in emerging countries.
While Seedstars World covered 36 countries last year, in 2016 there are 60 countries participating in this competition. It drew the attention of entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley (center for hi-tech companies in California, US) and Western Europe. Previous participants of the competition were able to create over 360 jobs and attract some USD 20 million as investment.
Having MEST, Google for entrepreneurs and Microsoft as its partners, Seedstars World provides platform for innovative start-ups and supports regional business. Azercell Teecom LLC, leading mobile operator in Azerbaijan, collaborates with Swiss company of Seedstars in the World Start-up Competition. Imran Baghirov, head of Strategic Partnership and Customer Channel Management Department, recently appointed a Seedstars World ambassador.
In addition, newly established direction called STARS provides an opportunity for start-ups in travel and financial technology to show their ideas.
Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996 and since the first years sustains a leading position in the market. Azercell introduced number of technological innovations in Azerbaijan: GSM technology, advance payment mobile services, M2M,MobilBank, GPRS/EDGE (mobile internet), 24/7 Customer Care, full-time operating Azercell Express offices, mobile e-service "ASAN imza" (ASAN signature) and others. With 48,2% share of Azerbaijan's mobile market Azercell's network covers 99,8% of the country's population. In 2015, the number of Azercell's subscribers reached 4,5 million people.
In 2011 Azercell deployed 3G and in 2012 the fourth generation network - LTE in Azerbaijan. The Company is the leader of Azerbaijan's mobile communication industry and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector. Azercell is a part of Telia Company Group of Companies serving 186 million subscribers in 17 countries worldwide with 27,000 employees.
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