After coming out on top in a grueling two-day hackathon event that ended Saturday, five teams composed of young entrepreneurs will join the final phase of SmartStart’s Young Innovator Programme.
SmartStart is organised by mobile telecommunications company Smart Axiata, with the collaboration of Raintree Cambodia, a boutique office building in the capital, and co-working space Impact Hub Phnom Penh, among others.
After impressing judges with their business models, product ideas and teamwork during the programme’s second phase, the winning teams will each receive a $4,000 cash prize and access to a six-month incubator programme to transform their business ideas into reality.
The winning ideas included a platform that connects travellers with local artists and a mobile application to help people find parking space.
Sokunthaneth Chhoy, team leader for SomJot, the team that pitched the idea for the parking application, said reaching this stage was already something to be very proud of.
“I am delighted that our digital business concept impressed the judges today. It has been a great privilege to join such an impressive tech innovation programme.
“I would like to thank Smart and Impact Hub for creating learning opportunities for Cambodian university students like us. I look forward to continue our SmartStart journey.”
The five winning teams will now move on to the final phase of the programme, turning their ideas into actual businesses or products. Besides ongoing mentoring from Impact Hub as well as Smart Axiata, the teams will gain access to an ecosystem of resources, inspiration and collaboration opportunities.
“All the judges today were really impressed with the quality of all the presentations and the desire of these students to transform their initial concepts into a prototype. I urge all the participants to continue pursuing their concepts and contribute towards the booming technovation ecosystem in Cambodia,” said Zoe Ng, managing director of Raintree Cambodia.
