START ME UP!

Daily 'Start-up Show' will see over 50 firms displaying and pitching latest innovative, game-changing technologies at 4th Gulf Information Security and Conference and Internet of Things Expo from May 21-23

Dubai, UAE – 18 May 2017

The region’s brightest minds and pioneers of disruptive start-up technology will descend on next week’s 4th Gulf Information Security Conference (GISEC) and Internet of Things Expo (IoTx) 2017 – running May 21-23 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) - to demonstrate how their innovations have the potential to shape society for decades to come.

With the recently released Arab Youth Survey 2017 revealing start-ups are on the rise across the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), young Arab entrepreneurs are leveraging the region’s healthy investment climate to start their own businesses. According to Magnitt, a network of regional start-ups, start-ups across the Middle East attracted USD889 million in funding in 2016.

GISEC and IoTx 2017, which will run concurrently at DWTC, will feature a dedicated ‘Start-Up Zone’ featuring more than 50 fledgling companies displaying cutting-edge technologies to an anticipated audience of 10,000 industry professionals, while ‘The Start-up Show’ – a daily series of GISEC Innovation Sessions – will see start-ups take over a dedicated space on the exhibition floor to pitch their concepts and products to potential investors and multinationals.

“Technology is playing a greater role in our lives and the Middle East is home to some of the brightest minds in the global sector – the opportunities for entrepreneurial innovators are endless. The dedicated ‘Start-Up Pavilion’ at GISEC provides a specialist arena for forward-thinking pioneers to showcase their ideas, interact and engage with a focused audience, and network with industry leaders who can help drive their ambition,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC.

From transportation, logistics and healthcare, to apps that make personal organisation easier, the start-ups on show will cover technologies spanning a wide spectrum of industrial sectors. Key exhibitors include Acacus, Aiia Solutions, Evento Solution LLC, miCity, MTX and Mind Rockets.

Mind Rockets, an award-winning Jordanian start-up, recently joined a roundtable meeting with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during F8, and has won acclaim at the prestigious Seedstars Summit in Switzerland as well as Korea’s K-Start-up Grand Challenge. Mind Rockets will display game-changing technology for the international Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) community having developed a set of free apps named "Mimix 3D" and "Al Turjoman" that allow users to communicate in real-time with the Deaf and HOH using animated avatars, and translate speech and text to both American and Arabic sign language.

“About 80 percent of the global Deaf and HOH community do not read or write; so sign language is their main form of communication,” said Mahmoud Darawsheh, CEO at Mind Rockets Inc.

“The Start-up Pavilion at GISEC is the perfect environment for Mind Rockets to engage with industry leaders and educate visitors on how our smart solutions can be integrated to different businesses and organisations to increase accessibility for a worldwide hearing impaired community of 360 million people.” Mohammad Kilany, Chairman at Mind Rockets Inc. added

Elsewhere, AllLinked, which develops solutions that store users’ business and personal contact information in one electronic card, is making the short trip to GISEC from its base in Saudi Arabia. AllLinked’s unique products allow friends, family, professional colleagues, business associates and customers to connect more easily via a single electronic card, says AllLinked Co-Founder Abdulrahman Murebah.

“This solution signals the end of carrying around stacks of business cards and asking people for their details, whether phone, email or social media accounts. Those registered on AllLinked will have all their details in one place, including personal, business addresses, even corporate offers,” said Murebah. “Currently there is no app that provides everything in one place and AllLinked provides a fully-integrated solution that is true regional first.”

GISEC 2017 will host more than 500 international delegates and 75-plus high-profile speakers from entities including GCHQ, the UK Government’s Communications Headquarters, the US Cyber Consequences Unit, HSBC, EasyJet, Wells Fargo and GSK among others. More than 6,000 visitors are expected across the three-day events.

Key sponsors include DARKMATTER as the Cyber Security Innovation Partner, Digirobotics as the Smart Manufacturing Partner, Gulf Business Machines as the Official Security Solution Sponsor, Cisco and Spire Solutions as the Platinum Sponsors and Infowatch as the Panel Sponsor.

Powered by GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK, the region’s leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) event, GISEC 2017 is strictly open to the security and intelligence community, including government departments, business and enterprise. Visitor attendance to the exhibition halls is free of charge, although attendees must purchase tickets to attend the events’ conferences. For more information, please visit www.gisec.ae.      

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About Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC)
Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC) is the Middle East’s most anticipated IT security knowledge platform for 2017. The three-day exhibition and conference will be held on 21-23 May 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. www.gisec.ae

About the Internet of Things Expo (IoTX)
Entering its third year, IoTX is a dedicated platform conceived to increase UAE and regional governments and firms’ capacity to transform their business models and leverage monetisation opportunities from the ever-increasing array of smart devices, machines and products in our globally-connected, tech-led societies. IoTX will be held on 21 – 23 May 2017. www.iotx.ae

About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC): 
As the organiser of GISEC and IOTx 2017, Dubai World Trade Centre offers more than 35 years’ experience delivering world-class events in the Middle East, providing local, regional and international exhibitors with unmatched expertise and in-depth market knowledge. Our team organises 20 of the region’s largest and most successful international and regional shows, providing an ideal platform for business development across the Middle East. Our commitment to ongoing innovation within the exhibition industry has supported the rapid growth and development of a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer shows, and delivered consistent satisfaction to exhibitors and visitors. DWTC works with the leading trade bodies and industry associations to ensure that all exhibitions deliver full value and are built upon the real needs of their specific sector. www.dwtc.com

For more information:
Naina Chaudhary
MCS/Action
T: +971 4 390 2960
naina.c@actionprgroup.com

© Press Release 2017