Umniah’s The Tank Sponsored Hack the Crisis Jordan Hackathon

June 3, 2020 – Amman, Jordan: The Tank, Umniah’s business incubator, in its efforts to support the country’s entrepreneurial business ecosystem, announced its sponsorship of Hack the Crisis Jordan Hackathon. The hackathon, which was held between May 8 and May 21, was organized by Trip to Innovation (TTI) in cooperation with the World Food Program, was intended to contribute to the national dialogue surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and solutions to the challenges it has presented within the national economy. Hack the Crisis is an international movement that supports creative solutions by individuals and startups to help society adapt to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, working to manage and mitigate its negative effects in both the short and long terms. Entrepreneurs and startups from different backgrounds were called upon to come up with outstanding solutions that will help Jordan by developing implementable technical and non-medical solutions and ideas to effect real change in people’s lives, including services, websites, applications, systems and technical equipment. The Hackathon, which took place over the course of two weeks, was divided into four stages, with the 30 qualifying ideas moving on to the final rounds. Developers were able to attend individual online mentorship sessions, as well as four online seminars in areas including to entrepreneurship in times of crisis, renewable energy technology in times of crisis, creativity in food security, and promotion skills. Nineteen mentors and coaches assisted the participants, and four trainers organized and presented the sessions. The Hackathon attracted entrepreneurial solutions in four categories, including food security, food availability, and ways to ensure an accessible and nutritious food system. Food security is generally considered a complex problem related to ensuring the availability of sufficient food produced sustainably, reinforcing economic access to healthy food at affordable prices, as well as increasing nutrition knowledge and understanding so that people have the information they need to make informed and healthy decisions. The hackathon also included innovative solutions for providing auxiliary logistical services including delivery or networking, as well as methods needed to secure necessary daily supplies such as commodities, medications, and food to families, companies, and vital sectors. The supply chain and delivery systems are considered fundamental, particularly in emergency situations. Finding logistical and supply solutions that are faster, more effective, and safe is the key for many industries, particularly in health and food. The third track addressed entrepreneurial solutions to combat and control the coronavirus, including ways to create and develop non-medical solutions that help curb or monitor contraction and increasing awareness in the use of technology. The panel of judges, which included Umniah CSR & Innovation Manager Nicole Shahin, selected two winners from each group. In the Food category, the Leftovers Food Initiative won first prize, and Shattel won the second. For the Logistical Service category, Money Cleanser won first prize and the Salonko2 won the second prize. In the third category, the first prize was won by Smart Detect and the second position was taken by Just View. First place winners received a cash prize of JD 1,500. The first winning team will receive full incubation services at The Tank to support the implementation and launch of their project. Other winners received Handsets and lines from Umniah. Shahin congratulated the winners of the hackathon, saying that the ideas presented during the competition were wholly compatible with The Tank’s mission of empowering entrepreneurs and startups, and helping them find innovative and creative solutions for the challenges facing the Kingdom, with a particular focus in the short term on the coronavirus pandemic. Shahin went on to add that the first-place winner will be able to fully utilize the incubation services of The Tank, which is widely recognized as a leader in the region, and that will offer them an integrated process that allows them to implement their project in a highly professional environment. -End-