Top startup wins $500,000 in cash Winner selected from 175,000 entrants from 200 countriesFLITE Material Sciences came second, winning $250,000, with Genecis Bioindustries Inc. in third, winning $100,000
Riyadh, 19 October 2020 – The Global Finals of the 2020 Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) concluded today at the fifth edition of the Misk
Global Forum (MGF). The winner was TurtleTree Labs, from Singapore, who received a US$500,000 cash prize. TurtleTree Labs is the first biotech company to create milk sustainably using
cell-based technology.
FLITE Material Sciences from Canada came second, winning US$250,000. This startup uses lasers to change the surface of materials so they protect themselves from rust,
ice, fouling and pathogens without toxic chemical coatings.
In third place was Genecis Bioindustries Inc, from Canada, winning a prize of US$100,000. Genecis uses bacteria and synthetic biology tools to transform organic waste into high
value materials and chemicals.
The remaining startups from the final shortlist of five contestants were:BrightSign (Saudi Arabia) - developers of a sensory glove equipped with machine learning software to recognise any sign language and translate it
to any spoken language in different voicesRubitection (United States) - a medical device company commercializing the Rubitect™ Assessment System, which provides care givers with a low cost,
reliable, early detection tool for bedsores
In addition, cash prizes of US$50,000 were awarded to the top-scoring startups from the following categories:Idea stage: Vuetech Health Innovation, LLC (United States) - developed the first automated, intelligent video monitoring system, designed specifically to detect, predict and
prevent falls and other adverse patient events in healthcare facilitiesEarly stage: RubitectionGrowth stage: Key2enable Assistive Technology (United Arab Emirates) - empowers children with disabilities, their parents and caretakers with its assistive technology to accelerate their
communication and learning process.
BrightSign was the winner of the new social entrepreneurship category for this year's competition.
The winners were selected by an audience vote and panel of four international judges, comprising:Kevin O’Leary, Chairman, O'Shares ETFs, CanadaRitesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO (Group), OYO Hotels & Homes, IndiaJeff Hoffman, Chairman of the Board, Global Entrepreneurship Network, United StatesH.R.H. Prince Khalid bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, CEO & Founder, KBW Ventures, Saudi Arabia
Kevin O’Leary said of the second edition of the EWC: “This crop of deals this year is spectacular. I have to admit these
are extraordinary companies.”
Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of VaynerMedia, one of the speakers, said: “This is a remarkable thing to be associated with. All
World Cups are exciting to me, growing up a sports kid. The Entrepreneurship World Cup is the one that really gets my
juices going. I cannot wait until 15 years from now when those ten to fifteen businesses that everybody admires are
being talked about in the realm of them being started during this process."
The EWC Global Finals were the culmination of the competition's second year. The EWC is organised by the Misk Global
Forum (MGF), the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and The Global Education & Leadership Foundation (tGELF), along with a number of regional and strategic partners including OneValley, King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Entrepreneurs' Organization.
Over the course of 2020, 175,000 entrants from 200 countries were narrowed down through national and regional finals to
100 startups. Most of the events were held virtually, due to COVID-19.
During two days of the MGF annual gathering (18-19 October), the remaining 100 entrants competed through a series of
heats and elimination stages until only five remained. Each of the 100 startups will receive a package of in-kind
services valued at US$850,000.
All global participants gained access to free training materials from experienced mentors and US$25,000 worth of perks
from dozens of partners including Zoom, Amazon Web Services and Shopify. Already, more than US$3.5 million worth of
perks have been claimed by EWC 2020 contestants. Abdulrahman Al-Suhaymi, who leads the EWC and entrepreneurship programs
at Misk, said: “I congratulate each of the 100 finalists who have been competing so hard during the last two days, and
especially today's prize-winning contestants. All of this year's entrants have the potential to embark on incredible
journeys, supported by a global community of partners and collaborators."
Jonathan Ortmans, President of Global Entrepreneurship Network, said: “The pandemic of 2020 was tailor made for a global
response, but never got one. Entrepreneurs are natural leaders in times of disruption and the Entrepreneurship World Cup
is helping them start and scale at this critically important time. These startups have emerged as the best and brightest
from a group of 175,000 from 200 countries who will help us build back our jobs and economies even stronger."
Shiv Khemka, Executive Chairman of The Global Education & Leadership Foundation said: “The 2020 EWC Global Finals experience has been nothing less than inspirational. COVID-19
has forced all of us to adapt to unforeseen circumstances and more importantly has forced many entrepreneurs to pivot
and adapt their business models for this new normal. Despite the challenges, the majority of the finalists have
solutions that focus on social impact and sustainability. I firmly believe that socially conscious entrepreneurship will
change the planet, and the Global Finals is proof that there are great entrepreneurs with great ideas ready to be the
leaders of today and the leaders of a better tomorrow."
The EWC was supported by a range of global partners, including TechCrunch, WebCongress, Endeavor and organizations that
hosted the EWC National Finals.About the Entrepreneurship World CupOne of the world’s largest and most diverse pitch competitions and support programs for the next generation of
entrepreneurs – with startups at all stages from more than 200 countries.Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, EWC 2020 has attracted over 175,000 applications this year from 200 countries.
This is up from 102,000 entrepreneurs in 2019.US$1 million in cash prizes will be up for grabs at the EWC Global Finals in October. One Grand Prize Champion will
receive US$500,000, (US$250,000 for second place, US$100,000 for third place). Separately, a cash prize of US$50,000
will be awarded to one top scoring startup in the following categories: idea stage; early stage; and growth stage. The
top 100 global finalists will receive a package of in-kind services valued at US$850,000 each.All participants have immediate access to free training materials from experienced mentors and US$25,000 worth of perks
from dozens of partners like Zoom, Amazon Web Services and Shopify.National Finals took place from June – September 2020.The EWC is an initiative of the Misk Global Forum, Global Entrepreneurship Network and The Global Education & Leadership Foundation. A diverse collection of partners ran national competitions.Website: https://entrepreneurshipworldcup.comAbout the Misk Global Forum
The Misk Global Forum (MGF) is the flagship international platform of the Misk Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic
foundation established by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discover, develop and empower Saudi youth
to become active participants in the future economy. Since its launch in 2016, MGF has extended Misk’s mission to young
people across the globe. Through international events, research and global initiatives, MGF brings together emerging and
established leaders, innovators, and creators to explore, experience and experiment with ways to meet the challenge of
change. MGF focuses on three core areas across its activations: skills for the future economy; entrepreneurship and
employment; and active global citizenship. Website: https://miskglobalforum.com/About the Global Entrepreneurship Network
The Global Entrepreneurship Network operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it
easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration and
initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN
works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and
strengthen economic growth. Website: https://www.genglobal.orgAbout The Global Education & Leadership Foundation
The Global Education & Leadership Foundation (tGELF) is a non-profit that seeks to identify and nurture leadership skills in individuals who
are rooted in the values of ethics and altruism, and have a bias for action. tGELF was officially inaugurated in 2008 by
the then Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh. In the last decade, tGELF’s flagship school curriculum on ethical
leadership and entrepreneurship has expanded from just six schools in India to over 3000 schools across 14 countries
touching more than 3 million students. tGELF’s community of future leaders and change-makers have also undertaken
numerous high impact projects that have collectively impacted the lives of over 500 million people and raised over $6.38
bn dollars in commitments from governments, philanthropists, corporations and multilaterals for the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. Website: http://www.tgelf.org