Israeli startup QD-SOL won on Tuesday in the annual competition of the Aviram Awards in collaboration with Forbes. The event took place this year at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort in Marrakech, Morocco, in the presence of former US President Bill Clinton, the founder and president of the Aviram Foundation, Ziv Aviram and many business professionals and senior officials from the Moroccan government.
The startup QD-SOL, which secured the top spot in the consecutive annual competition, has been awarded a prize of half a million dollars along with professional guidance from Ziv Aviram and media coverage from the renowned international magazine Forbes.
The company is actively combating climate change through the development of green quantum hydrogen production technology. This groundbreaking technology harnesses solar energy to directly generate green hydrogen from water without relying on electricity, presenting a sustainable solution for both industry and the environment.
"I am delighted to announce the winner of the competition, QD-SOL from Israeli, who has presented a groundbreaking concept that offers a substantial solution to the climate crisis," Aviram declared during the announcement. "QD-SOL was chosen among hundreds of entrepreneurs who developed ideas from different perspectives and demonstrated a remarkable dedication to utilizing technology for positive global change. I am excited to successfully conclude another year of the competition and to continue advancing the objectives of the Aviram Foundation in the Middle East and worldwide.
"We want to reach the market as quickly as possible, to capture the largest market share," said the happy winners at the end. "How soon will this happen? We believe between a year and a half, to two years."
The second place went to the Carbon Blue company, which will receive a prize of 100 thousand dollars, while the start-up Deepecho from Morocco, which came in third place, will receive a prize of 50 thousand dollars.
At the final event, former US President Bill Clinton made an appearance alongside senior officials from the Clinton Global Foundation.
The former president expressed his appreciation for the collaboration with the Aviram Foundation and commended the ambitious goals championed by the Aviram Awards competition in recent years.
Clinton stated, "The realm of philanthropy must continue to provide opportunities for young individuals to contemplate their future. The Middle East, for instance, is a region that will soon face severe repercussions due to the climate crisis. I firmly believe that assuming responsibility and inspiring entrepreneurial action through technology will pave the way for the development and leadership of industries that require fresh perspectives.
"In an era where many people tend to focus on our differences rather than out commonalities, the Aviram Awards competition exemplifies the discovery of shared ground between entrepreneurs and their drive to take action. The business sector must consistently question whether its endeavors benefit society and persist in generating social impact across various domains such as climate and education."
The event was closed by the Israeli singer, Rita, who is a friend of another Israeli singer, Lela Tamar, with an impressive performance that included songs in Hebrew and Moroccan.
Forbes and the Aviram Foundation award @ltd_qd the $500k grand prize during the #AviramAwards in Morocco. QD-SOL LTD aims to combat climate change through revolutionary green hydrogen production. pic.twitter.com/lGNetD2LtT
— Forbes (@Forbes) May 17, 2023
The competition assessed entrepreneurs based on the potential embedded within their ventures, encompassing technology, innovation, social impact and the ability to create positive change in reality.
As parent of the event, the entrepreneurs underwent evaluation by an esteemed international panel of judges from diverse fields.
The panel consisted of Ziv Aviram; Randall Lane, the Editor-in-Chief of Forbes International Magazine; Yassin Lagziwai, the Director of Chief Entrepreneurship at Bangir University; Lamiya Benhaluf, the CEO of MITC, the prominent Technopark chain in Morocco; and Melda Akin, the founder and CEO of D14.AI Saudi West.
The even also witnessed the presence of senior official form the Royal Palace of Morocco including Andrey Azoulai, the highest-ranking advisor to the King of Morocco, along with ministers, business leaders and senior officials from both the local and international high-tech community.
Aviram Awards competition
The grand finale of the "Aviram Awards" competition, organized for the second consecutive year by the Aviram Foundation, founded by entrepreneur Ziv Aviram and his family in collaboration with the international magazine Forbes, took place. The final event marked the culmination of the competition, where five entrepreneurs were chosen out of a pool of 780 startups from across the Middle East.
Throughout the competition, the entrepreneurs underwent a mentoring process led by top international experts. They participated in a semi-final seminar and dedicated preparation to showcase their ventures aimed at making a positive impact on reality. Ultimately, they took the stage and presented their groundbreaking ideas to shape a better future.
During the inaugural event held in Dubai in 2022, Dr. Ari Gergir, the founder of the Israeli company Red-C Biotech, emerged as the winner, securing the first-place position. Red-C Biotech specializes in the production of universal blood cells.
The second-place position was claimed by Akyas, a Jordanian company led by Bara Wahba. Akyas focuses on developing advanced sanitation systems that generate fertilizer. Taking the third-place position was BeeWise, an Israeli company led by Sa'ar Safra. BeeWise pioneers the production of beehives utilizing artificial intelligence, contributing to the conservation of bees.