Erbil, KRI (June 9, 2023) - The HITEX exhibition in Erbil concluded its fourth day, marking an exciting milestone for the Rwanga Foundation's partnership with Ideas Beyond Borders. The two organizations have joined forces under the Invest My Idea project to provide financial support to 12 promising business startups within the HITEX Future Stars program, with the aim of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

Rwanga Foundation's Invest My Idea project, designed to foster business ideas and support startups through an innovative online platform, took center stage as one of the foundation's flagship initiatives within the prestigious HITEX 2023 exhibition. As part of the HITEX Future Stars program, 32 businesses were granted exclusive booths to showcase their ventures and actively engage with prospective customers and potential investors during the 4-day event. These businesses were carefully chosen from a pool of over a hundred registered participants, each vying for an opportunity to secure funding during the exhibition's fourth day. After a careful evaluation and selection process, the following 12 startups emerged as the recipients of invaluable financial support provided by Ideas Beyond Borders:

·       Asan Zhyan: The project comprises a collection of devices, all of which are designed in Kurdistan and bear the Kurdish seal. Through this project, individuals can exercise control over household appliances via three distinct modalities.

·       Psoola: Psoola aims to establish a user-friendly platform for ticket sales across a diverse range of events, including concerts, sports events, theater performances, movies, festivals, and carnivals.

·       Wane Application: Wane represents a pioneering online learning platform committed to providing skill development courses tailored to empower individuals in unlocking their full potential and excelling in their respective careers.

·       Falaq: Falaq operates as a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace, forging connections between pharmacies, local drugstores, and pharmaceutical companies.

·       Gona String Art: It is about making paintings using nails and thread besides creating paintings that are designed in a new and different way.

·       Virtual Reality Walkthrough Application: Virtual reality (VR) walkthroughs furnish users with immersive experiences that enable them to explore virtual environments in a realistic and interactive manner.

·       Agora Vision: an abundant treasure of the Kurdish library.

·       GiftBag App: Surprises you with selecting a gift, and delivers it to your beloved ones.

·       Meena: Meena serves as a platform that facilitates the seamless transportation of goods from merchants to markets.

·       KurdGPT: KurdGPT represents a Kurdish chatbot, a comprehensive and informative conversational artificial intelligence (AI) model.

·       Kevir Studio: Kevir Studio stands as an independent game development startup located in Duhok, devoted to the creation of internationally acclaimed video games.

·       M.therapy: M.therapy provides simple, effective online counseling through to those going through challenging times and dealing with problems in their daily lives.

The financial support for these startups was generously provided by Ideas Beyond Borders, an esteemed organization dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally. The collaboration between Rwanga Foundation and Ideas Beyond Borders showcases their shared commitment to supporting promising ventures and nurturing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Iraq.