Baghdad, Iraq – Eco Life, a startup that manufactures and provides environmentally friendly products, captured first prize at the national finals of the Entrepreneurship World Cup competition held recently in Baghdad, Iraq.
Abdulrahman Kareem, Founder of Eco Life, captured FIRST PRIZE and advanced to the next round of the global competition against national winners from 200 countries.
"We are constantly challenged to develop society, and so we compete in this. EWC has given us a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and the value we offer”, said Kareem. “Winning in national competition means we are willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.”
Eco Life creates, develops, and sells eco-friendly lifestyle products made of green, clean, durable, and exceptional materials in the pursuit of a zero-waste environment, with three product lines: organic skin care, plastic alternatives, and eco-friendly packaging solutions.
In preparation for the EWC Global Finals, Abdulrahman Kareem will participate in a Bootcamp which features virtual training and mentoring sessions targeted to their company’s current stage and growth trajectory.
Eco Life emerged victorious from a pool of 8 contestants who applied – each receiving access to free virtual training services and up to $25,000 in perks to help them take their venture to the next level.
As a Global Finalist, Eco Life will compete for a share of USD 1 million in cash prizes. The top 100 Global Finalists will receive $100,000 worth of in-kind services and support from service providers such as AWS, Freshworks, Oracle, Hubspot, Stripe and Segment.
Global finalists also gain automatic entry into the GEN Starters Club, an invitation-only community of talented founders from around the world.
Other finalists in the EWC Iraq National Finals included:
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Hawsr from Baghdad, a startup that provides 3D viewer tools to clients to share and communicate construction projects. Hawsr is simple to use and provides direct access through smart devices and computers through simple and user- friendly steps.
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SAYDO from Erbil, a startup that connects buyers and suppliers of FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) buyers and suppliers on a single platform, allowing buyers to access products from suppliers and suppliers to increase sales.
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Wasla from Mosul, a startup that provides reliable transportation for university students within the city of Mosul with a high level of comfort and safety, was founded to address the issue of university students' transportation, particularly women.
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Hi Influencer from Baghdad, a startup that connects companies with social media influencers and provides influencer marketing services to Iraqi companies and institutions, to create unique influencer marketing campaigns that deliver their values to the right audience via their influencers.
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Eduba from Baghdad, a startup that is an EdTech super app that allows every stakeholder in the ecosystem of kindergarten, preschool, and k-12 schools, including administrators, students, educators, teachers, owners, and parents, to keep track of the institution's relevant processes.
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AutoCare from Baghdad, a startup that has a mobile application to book car wash and maintenance services for individuals and institutions. AutoCare focuses on solving women's problems with their cars and aspires to create a workstation with suitable waiting areas such as a cafe and a space for kids in the near future.
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Teami from Baghdad, a startup that serves the medical profession. Their goal is to make innovation and technology a part of the workforce's daily lives in order to make their work more precise and efficient.
Judges for the competition were:
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Ahmed Tabaqchali, Iraqi Economic Expert
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Ahmed K. Mohammed, Managing Director, Finneva - DIFC ● Zahi Hilal, Investment Manager, Iraq Venture Partners
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Ranya Bakr, Country Manager, Viamo
The EWC Iraq National Finals were organized by The Station Foundation for Entrepreneurship and sponsored by Ashur International Bank, SAFR and Iraq Venture Partners.
Since launching in 2019, the competition has attracted 400,000 registrations from 200 countries and connected founders with over US$3M in cash prizes and another US$256M worth of perks and free support and services.
Global Finalists will face off against one another in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March 2023.
EWC is an initiative led by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and Monsha’at, with support from a collection of national and global partners including One Valley, The Global Education and Leadership Foundation (tGELF), Entrepreneurs’ Organization, KAUST and Startup Genome.