“Startup Days” has concluded with an awards ceremony for the winners.
The “Startup Days” event is being held at the Incubation Center of the Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU) for students of SABAH groups. The event is organized in partnership with the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and Startup Azerbaijan. Its second day continued with intensive and productive activity.
As on the previous day, AzTU Rector Vilayat Valiyev, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Subhan Namazov, and representatives of the SABAH groups also attended the event on the second day.
From the morning hours, the 7 teams selected on the first day continued working on their projects with the support of experts and mentors. The first half of the day was devoted to project development and prototype preparation. The teams were given detailed information about preparing a prototype, teamwork, and the structure of the presentation. They were also briefed on the key points to pay attention to when speaking before the jury. In addition, the order of the teams’ presentations was determined by a draw.
In the second half of the day, the teams showcased their projects in 5-minute presentations before the jury. The jury consisted of the following people:
- Ravana Goyushlu, Head of the Startup and Incubation Center at Odlar Yurdu University
- Aysel Sadikhova, Chief Specialist at the Startup and Technology Transfer Office of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU)
- Vusal Suleymanli, Chief Specialist at the Investment and Scaling Department of IDDA
- Orkhan Ahmadov, representative of Startup Azerbaijan
The projects were evaluated based on the criteria of innovation, relevance, technical justification, teamwork, and implementation potential.
The winners were determined based on the evaluation results:
1st place — the “Oyunchu” team. The project is a platform that unites game management and communication in a single ecosystem. Team members: Elgun Shukurov, Nurgul Maharramova, Aysel Mansurlu, Osman Sadigov, Nargiz Nagi, Zahra Azizova, Elbay Gasimov.
2nd place — the “Codigo” team. The project is a learning platform for beginners in coding. Team members: Ali Nuri, Nurali Gasimli, Bayler Bayramov, Gunay Imanzade, Elmir Aghaverdiyev.
3rd place — the “Road Sim” team. The project is a training platform for new drivers. Team members: Nihad Ismayilzade, Leyla Ismayilova, Ravan Tahmazli, Arzu Israfilova, Etibar Aslanov.
This year’s “Startup Days” had one more distinguishing feature compared to other events: the participant who defended their project most actively and confidently was individually rewarded. Iqbal Mirzayev, a first-year student of AzTU’s SABAH groups and a member of the “Act 2 Lang” team, was given a special award for successfully defending his project.
The event concluded with a final awards ceremony. Members of the winning teams were presented with valuable gifts, diplomas, and certificates. The awards were presented by AzTU’s leadership, Osman Gunduz, President of the Azerbaijan Internet Forum, Azad Musayev, coordinator of the AzTU Incubation Center, and mentors.
It should be noted that the main goal of “Startup Days” is to contribute to the development of the startup ecosystem in the country. The event is also aimed at developing young people’s innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills, and at supporting them in shaping new projects and integrating into the real business environment.
