Top Iranian Startups to Look Out for in CeBIT 2017

The 22nd round of the International Exhibition of Electronics, Computer and E-Commerce (Elecomp 2016) was held Dec. 15-18 in Tehran. One major attraction was the sector named Elecom Stars that introduced new Internet-based businesses and budding startups.

 It brought together 250 firms, young entrepreneurs and major business accelerators in Iran.

The startups were categorized in different themes such as advertising, marketing, security, entertainment, big data, cloud computing, human resources, e-commerce, education, finance, travel and tourism among others.   

Elecom Stars also featured a space where investors could meet with startup owners and discuss potential future cooperation.

According to the public relations office of the Iranian ICT Guild Organization, 135 of the startups pitched their business ideas to a jury comprising 38 members. Each startup had two minutes to explain their ideas and the jurors asked questions in four extra minutes.

After assessing all business ideas the jurors announced the top ten startups on December 24, the local tech website itiran.com reported.

With the financial support from the Iranian ICT Guild Organization, the top three startups will attend CeBIT 2017 in March; the other seven can also participate if they want but will not receive financial help from the guild.

If any of the top three Iranian startups choose not to attend, they will be replaced with the next startup in the top ten ranking.

CeBIT, the global event for digital business, is a trade fair held annually in Hanover, Germany.

CeBIT also hosts a conference program for professionals, defines the latest trends, presents talks by high-caliber speakers and forward-looking panel discussions, while showcasing product innovations from all over the world.

The top ten Iran startups selected by the jurors include:  

 Ki Kojas The name of this startup translates into “Who’s Where?” It is an open-source information database that catalogues different urban services in detail.

The services listed on the website are diverse and include banks, restaurants, bakeries, parks, museums, cinemas and educational institutes.

Users can also contribute to the directory by ranking different services, writing reviews or uploading photos.   

 RecommenderThe second top startup chosen by Elecom Stars jurors is a service that helps businesses by offering marketing and business optimization solutions.    

 Pushe This startup targets mobile-phone application developers. Using Pushe, application developers can send push notifications to users of the apps they have developed themselves.

Mehrabaneh Meaning “The Kind One” in Persian, Mehrabaneh is a local charity startup that aims to redefine how people fund worthy causes. It promotes crowd-funding of charitable projects such as setting up a library in a deprived area. 

Projects are defined on the website and a budget recommended. Donors can contribute to the project with a few clicks.

Boghcheh The name of this startup means little parcel in Persian. Using  Boghcheh you can order any type of fresh Iranian bread, such as Barbari and Sangak, to be delivered to your door.

Instachap This startup targets Instagram users; by logging on to the website Instagrammers can select the photos they have stored in their feeds and have it printed in different formats. Instagram is among the top social media websites used in Iran.

Evand Playing on the word “event” Evand, allows users to create and sell tickets and publicize public events such as concerts and conferences. All these processes are done online.

3D Fast This service is an online shop which can be used for those who need something to be 3D printed.  

Nivo Referred to as a personal wallet, Nivo acts as your financial assistant. By installing the application on a mobile phone, users can manage their income, expenses and savings. If you have borrowed money from someone or lent anybody some money you can also keep track of that.    

Tele Teb Tele Teb focuses on improving the health of its users. Among other things, it eases the process of finding a reliable doctor. Up to now it has focused on hair, skin and beauty but will soon be expanding to other areas of personal health.