EPIC Spring 2020 Batch Startups Build Their Ventures

3 min read

Moving Forward Despite Adversity

YEREVAN, Armenia – As would be expected from ambitious entrepreneurs, the Spring batch teams of the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) are moving forward in executing their startup ideas – all despite the very challenging situation that the world is facing these days. On March 11, 2020, EPIC organized a kick-off event of the EPIC Spring 2020 Incubator Program. The newly admitted startup teams introduced their creative venture ideas to the AUA community and entrepreneurs from Armenia. The teams had the chance to promote their ideas, expand their network, meet with potential mentors and advisors, and get preliminary feedback on their venture initiatives. 

As usual, the admitted startups of the EPIC Spring 2020 batch went through a competitive selection process. After submitting their applications and being interviewed, the short-listed teams presented their ideas to an independent jury. Less than a third of the applicants were selected to enter the startup incubator program.

The EPIC Incubator is a 12-week idea-stage startup incubation program that helps early-stage teams with idea validation and business model creation. During the program, resident teams learn the lean startup framework, participate in workshops, and receive expert advice and mentorship from experienced professionals, AUA faculty, and seasoned entrepreneurs. EPIC has made a focused effort to engage AUA alumni from around the world (some of AUA’s first graduates have now been in the business world for over 25 years) as advisors and mentors in the program. In addition, last year EPIC had successfully piloted remote mentoring by accomplished business people and entrepreneurs from the diaspora.

Seven Startups of the EPIC Spring 2020 Incubator Program 

mossil is a public health startup that helps businesses maintain workplace sustainability by developing innovative technologies for planting moss on unusual surfaces, such as vertical surfaces and portable items. The product developed by the startup provides fresh air, humidifies the space and neutralizes surrounding microbes, while also stimulating human immune system functions. This startup uses IoT technology for autonomous maintenance and indoor environment management. 

ReView is a platform to help organizations be more customer-centric and meet customer needs through market research. The platform allows companies to access a network of diverse panels and focus groups to generate valid data on customer insights about products or services. With ReView, companies will have more confidence in investing in new areas of growth and development.

Styliish is a smartphone application that will help individuals choose clothing combinations. With machine learning algorithms, the app will suggest clothes to wear and will display a 3D model of a person modeling the clothes.

Corking startup venture aims to build a sustainable system to recycle wine corks. The team is designing a production line that will transform wine corks into eco-friendly, daily usable products such as coasters, cork furniture, cork wallets, mobile phone cases, and other products.

narinj is a FinTech startup that provides payment solutions to groups of individuals who want to share purchases equitably with a few clicks.

MetaStyle is an AI-powered, web-based service that will transfer, modify, and enhance writing style while maintaining content integrity. It can be used in messaging as a plugin or in longer texts as a virtual writing-style editor.

O-Waste is developing a mobile platform to provide food producers with residual revenue while helping reduce food waste. As a 2-sided business model, it provides customers with the opportunity to enjoy fresh, affordable meals.

The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform of the American University of Armenia (AUA) for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors, and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship in students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.