YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenia’s innovation ecosystem is once again represented on the global stage with Qualia Therapeutics, an Armenian deep-tech startup, selected among the Top 250 startups worldwide in the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) 2025. As the National Organizer of EWC Armenia, the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) at the American University of Armenia has played a key role in identifying and preparing Armenian startups for international exposure.
Since launching in 2019, the Entrepreneurship World Cup has attracted more than 430,000 registrations from 200 countries, connecting founders with over $5 million in cash prizes and $266 million worth of in-kind support and services.
Over the past four years, EPIC has helped local teams advance from national competitions to global recognition. In 2021, Denovo Sciences became Armenia’s first national winner, ranking among the Top 25 global finalists. In 2022, HopShop reached the Top 100, earning mentorship and in-kind support from global partners. In 2024, Armenia made history when Nomiq was named the EWC Global Champion in the Idea Stage category, winning $50,000 in cash prizes and positioning Armenia firmly on the global map of entrepreneurship. This record of success underscores EPIC’s growing impact as a bridge between Armenia’s local startup ecosystem and the international innovation community.
This year, Qualia Therapeutics, co-founded by Nerses Khachatryan, was selected to join the EWC Top 250 cohort. The team is developing an advanced closed-loop neurostimulation system that uses real-time brain data and machine learning to assist in the recovery of neurological conditions such as stroke and depression.
The startup’s participation follows its recent success at Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Innovates South Caucasus 2025, where it earned second place, further validating the team’s scientific and entrepreneurial potential on the international stage.
“To be selected among the EWC Top 250 startups is both an honor and a responsibility,” said Khachatryan. “The program grants us access to world-class mentors and helps us refine how we communicate complex, science-based technology to global audiences. It’s an opportunity to show that deep-tech innovation from Armenia can compete internationally.”
Two hundred and fifty startups from 81 countries have qualified for the EWC 2025 virtual bootcamp, held in collaboration with Esade Ramon Llull University. The selected startups represent various stages of development: nine percent in the idea stage, 51 percent in the seed stage, and 40 percent in the growth stage.
The global finals will take place later this year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted by Monsha’at (the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority), in partnership with the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation and the Global Entrepreneurship Network.
The three-day bootcamp includes theoretical and practical sessions, 20 specialized workshops, and meetings with local and international investors. From the 250 startups, 100 finalists will advance to the global stage to compete for $1.5 million in prizes during the Biban Forum in Riyadh.
EPIC remains committed to connecting Armenian founders with global entrepreneurship opportunities through programs like the Entrepreneurship World Cup, GIST Innovates, and other international initiatives. Armenia’s consistent presence in the EWC Top 250 underscores the strength of its science-based innovation community and the effectiveness of EPIC’s ecosystem-building efforts.
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.