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Momentum Tech Conference, held in Karachi on 19th and 20th February, was host to a number of exciting talks and events. One of those events was a special episode of Idea Croron Ka planned solely for the conference.
More than 130 startups initially applied to be part of ICK Momentum, out of which 5 were selected to present their pitches to the attendees on final day of the conference. The startups were judged on the basis of their marketability, growth potential and ROI by a panel of esteemed judges including Asha Jadeja, angel investor based in Silicon Valley and founder of Rajeeve circle, Humayun Bashir, Chairman Pakistan Stock Exchange, IT and Information Sharing Security Committee, Hasnain Sheikh, CEO Inov8 Limited, Atyab Tahir, Head of Digital Transformation HBL, and Yahya Khan (TBF).
Following five ideas were shortlisted for the ICK Momentum episode:
1. Modulus Tech
Modulus Tech is looking to provide a quick to build and durable shelter home for those who are without a roof over their head. With only 3 hours required to build a home with 50 years of life expectancy, Modulus Tech aims to solve a big problem faced by migrants in countries like Syria and Iraq. Modulus Tech was also featured in TechJuice’s 25 under 25 series for the year 2018 for their humanitarian work.
They were awarded the first prize in ICK Momentum edition and will get a one-year scholarship to visit Silicon Valley, along with a cash prize of 200,000 Pakistani Rupees.
2. Maro Tandoors
Maro Tandoors took the food industry by storm when they introduced their range of special Naans. With varieties such as Nutella Naan and Pizza Naan, they have quickly become a household name in Lahore. Now they are planning to expand their operations to other cities too and were thus looking for funding through the platform of ICK. Maro Tandoor was awarded the first runner-up prize of 125,000 Pakistani Rupees.
3. PakVitae
PakVitae aims to solve the water crisis in Pakistan. According to Wateraid, more than 22 million people in Pakistan have no choice but to drink dirty water. Millions of children die each year due to lack of clean water.
Using an intelligently designed filter, which can fit inside a straw, PakVitae is hoping to mitigate this grave problem by providing a cheap and effective method of obtaining clean and safe to drink water. PakVitae was awarded the second runner up prize of 75,000 Pakistani Rupees.
4. Trash it
Trash it is a startup which is tackling two different problems at the same time — the huge amount of organic trash produced each year, and the ever-growing demand for fertilizers. Using a nifty little machine, Trash it disposes off the organic waste produced by people and converts it into fertilizer. This fertilizer is completely free from artificial chemicals and is suitable for most kind of soils.
5. Automate
Automate, with an unassuming and simple name, is aiming to automate existing appliances using smart switchboards. Instead of having to pay a huge amount of money from smart electronics, Automate provides an IoT based solution which centers around using existing switchboards and plugs to make those electronics smarter.
With a companion mobile app which tracks electricity usage and allows remote access to plugged in electronics, Automate is looking to become a serious contender in the up and coming IoT industry of Pakistan.
