UAE medicine app wins global start-up prize
An Emirati start-up’s app that ensures patients take the right medication on time was among the winners of a global prize supporting entrepreneurship.
Dwak, “your medicine” in Arabic, won the People’s Choice Award at the Pitch at the Palace event in London this week.
The event at St James’ Palace – also known as Pitch@Palace and founded by Prince Andrew, Duke of York – gives small start-ups the boost they need to become a viable business.
Dwak was set up by UAE University students and has secured a partnership with the Al Ain Pharmacy group.
Dwak’s team, led by graduate Mansour Al Kaabi, 25, and other winners were recognised at the end of a process, which included winning pitches at a regional event at Emirates Palace hotel, Abu Dhabi, in October.
Past winners have created more than 1,100 jobs, with a survival rate of 95 per cent and have been responsible for economic activity of more than £400 million (Dh1.96 billion).
Student Yahya Iqelan, 21, presented his idea for Dwak to one of his university instructors, Steve Kranz – who understands the need to take medicine on time. “Years ago Steve was near death in a hospital and now must rely on daily medicine to stay alive,” Mr Iqelan said.
They built a team with Mr Al Kaabi and Mr Iqelan’s sister Fatima, a pharmacy student.
After a series of contests that started with the university’s “Challenge for Innovation” competition, Dwak won wide recognition as a project that addressed a global need.
“Winning Pitch at the Palace UAE brought us public recognition of the problem Dwak is trying to solve – making sure people take their medicine properly,” said Mr Al Kaabi, an Emirati government employee.
“Winning in London shows we have a company with great potential across the world.”
The 13 teams that competed against Dwak included the humanitarian project nevHouse, which aims to end homelessness and build a greener world. It was crowned the winner of Pitch at the Palace Global.
The group takes the waste that people throw away and turns it into an affordable shelter. They make homes, classrooms and medical clinics from recycled material in just five days.
Another winner was Hireup, an online platform based in Australia that allows people with disabilities to find, hire and manage support workers.
Its services include finding help around the house, coaching for education and employment, transport or helping them run errands, therapy support and personal care.
“I am here to tell you about my brother Nick, and he is by far the most social, energetic person I ever met,” said Ben Armstrong, while pitching Hireup at the palace.
“But as we got towards the end of our schooling it was obvious our worlds would be different. As mine was opening up, his was closing down for no reason other than his disability. He had to rely on someone always to give him support.”
Normally they would have to pay an expensive fee to hire a support worker based on availability, rather than choice.
“Which means that daily care is carried out by a complete stranger, and that is not OK,” Mr Armstrong said. “But we do have a solution, called Hireup.”
So far, Hireup involves 20,000 users from all over Australia, where the clients can meet the specialists who provide the service and hire workers with whom they feel comfortable.
Other contestants from the UAE included Brailleye, a mobile device that converts any text into Braille for the blind by scanning it.