EWC Armenia 2022: National Leadership Committee’s Inaugural Meeting at EPIC

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On May 11, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA), in the capacity of national organizer of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), initiated the inaugural meeting with the National Leadership Committee (NLC) to kick-start preparations for EWC Armenia 2022 to be held this summer.

EWC is a global competition to identify the world’s most promising startups. It holds the world’s largest and most diverse pitch competitions and support programs for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2019, EWC has supported more than 300,000 participants from 200 countries, awarded $2 million in cash prizes, and provided in-kind support and services valued at $150 million.

The National Leadership Committee started the inaugural meeting with a comprehensive review of the achievements and successes of last year’s EWC campaign. Presentations were made by Prof. Michael Kouchakdjian, director of EPIC and Nejdeh Hovanessian, assistant director of EPIC and national coordinator of EWC covering the lessons learned from 2021. Subsequently, the inaugural meeting delineated the tasks and responsibilities of the NLC and the key milestones pertaining to the upcoming EWC Armenia 2022. 

Nejdeh Hovanessian emphasized, “The National Leadership Committee acts as the strategic decision-making body for EWC Armenia: a structure that represents the inclusive spirit of this initiative. This means that although EPIC is the national organizer of EWC Armenia, a diverse team comprising dominant actors in the Armenian entrepreneurial ecosystem — from both public and private sectors — are involved in the EWC organization and collectively lead the execution of this world event.”

The National Leadership Committee comprises key representatives from the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, GIZ Armenia, Startup Armenia Foundation, TUMO Labs, National Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NCIE), and Team Telecom Armenia.

In the 2021 competition, EWC received 100,000 registrations from 200 countries. One thousand startups from six continents pitched at the National Finals organized and judged by local organizations engaged in entrepreneurial activity. The top 100 startups advanced to the virtual component of the Global Finals, and the top 25 traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the final stage of the competition.

Armenia’s National Winners were Zoomerang and Denovo Sciences. The latter was among the Top 25 EWC Global Finalists. It competed with startups from 20 other countries, some having very mature ecosystems, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China, and India. Separately, EPIC was recognized for its role as national organizer under two categories of the Global Compass Award for its success in organizing the inaugural competition in Armenia. 

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.