EPIC Hosts Graduation Pitch Day for Fall 2022 Incubation Program

2 min read

YEREVAN, Armenia — On January 31, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) of the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted the graduation startup pitch day in the Small Auditorium of the University. This event has been organized for graduates of EPIC’s Incubation Program since 2017, giving teams the opportunity to present their startups to mentors, AUA faculty and students, advisors, investors, and successful entrepreneurs from Armenia’s startup ecosystem. 

Anna Khachatryan, EPIC operations and community manager, kicked-off the event with her brief opening, followed by the startup presentations, award ceremony and a reception. The latter provided the perfect setting for the startup teams to mingle, network, discuss next steps in their startup journey, and explore funding opportunities. A couple of startups were subsequently invited to participate in an international venture competition in India later in February.

SignLang, Encentra.in, Contract Extractor, ManyPack, BeeGraphy, Dolph.ai, Oor, and ATAM were the eight startups presenting their ventures to a diverse audience. The event was live-streamed via YouTube to reach EPIC’s global network. The Q&As were facilitated using the PigeonHoleLive tool, which allowed the audience to ask questions about the product or services presented by the startups. 

This year’s startups covered a range of applications. Among them, SignLang is a mobile app that uses a phone camera and AI to translate sign language into readable text in real-time. Dolph.ai is an AI-driven platform that automates the analysis of prevalent reputation trends associated with businesses and competitors through quantitative and qualitative insights. The algorithm can recommend enhanced reputation-driven content and customer engagement․ OOR is a platform to customize personal experiences, travel, and other activities. To check out all the startups, please visit our website. 

“This was a celebration of eight teams who were able to work hard, persevere, and successfully reach the end of the intensive EPIC program,” said Khachatryan. “We began the program with 13 teams and completed different modules, including customer interviews, market and competitor research, and growth planning. Now, the teams will move on and continue to advance their ventures. EPIC will always support them. We wish them much luck and success.”

EPIC Incubation is a 15-week program during which idea-stage startups learn proven tools to validate startup ideas, identify customers (and competitors), test their ideas, get introduced to local and international markets, and enter the startup ecosystem. Since 2017, over 100 startups with more than 260 entrepreneurs have completed the program.

The program has been designed specifically for those who have an innovative idea and intend to turn it into a business. It is open to anyone who has a startup idea. EPIC  welcomes startup teams from outside AUA as well and is consistently looking for participants with good ideas, coachability, persistence, drive, and a willingness to get out of their comfort zones.

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.