Armenia-hosted World Congress on Information Technology will feature a program “Lightning Rounds” – a program that will give an opportunity to 15 startup companies to preset their innovation ideas at the plenary session.

Emma Arakelyan, WCIT 2019 Content Committee Member, said this is the first time that this kind of program is being offered during the Congress.

“The aim is to engage the startups to show their solutions, to invite scientists and companies that have new solutions to offer,” Arakelyan said in an interview with Armenian News-NEWS.am. “Armenian Congress will offer a unique program called “Lightning Rounds”. We want to bring global solutions, which will impact the world. One of the criteria is that the idea presented by a startup has to be global, to make the world a better place to live. It's a unique opportunity for startups to be selected and to be presented to 3-4 thousand people.”

The startups can join the program through the website , and everybody is eligible to apply.

“Announcement was made a couple of weeks ago. A person or a company can apply. We are looking for great ideas that will have a global impact.  Four to five judges will select 15 startups and they will have a 3-minute presentation during the summit,” she added.

The winner will be announced during WCIT, and there will be also a prize issued by the Armenian high-tech community.

“The jury will contain both investors, people who really have big experience globally to be part of innovation selections, and people who are not in technology but they invest heavily and they want to make difference in the world, to invest and support good ideas and promising innovation,” WCIT 2019 Content Committee Member emphasized.

Arakelyan, who is CEO and Co-Founder for Orion Worldwide Innovations, LLC, believes hosting WCIT is a big privilege and a special win for Armenia, while “Lightning Rounds” program is an opportunity that does not happen all the time.

“You will have unique 90+ countries presence, and the event will be broadcasted globally. So, even  if your company is not selected you will be spoken about. It is an opportunity that any company should seize,” she resumed.

WCIT 2019 will be held in Yerevan on October 6-9, 2019. The Congress is hosted by Armenia with the support and under the high patronage of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) was established by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). Its main organizing body is the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE).