The Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), an initiative launched by the UAE Ministry of Finance to support innovation in the UAE, today announced that two of its members; Farmin and Kanari AI were crowned winners of the 2021 GITEX Future Stars’ Supernova Challenge.

Farmin, an Artificial Intelligence-powered platform that delivers critical insight for smart cities, won the award for the Best Emirati. Meanwhile, Kanari AI was named the Best AI innovator for its cutting-edge Arabic speech and voice technology solutions. The winners were announced by an expert panel after 3 rounds of pitching, with the final taking place on-ground at Gitex Future Stars, Dubai World Trade Centre on 20th October 2021.

Speaking of the wins, Fatima Al Naqbi, Chief Innovation Officer at the Ministry of Finance said: “We are incredibly proud of Farmin and Kanari AI for winning the GITEX Supernova Challenge. Both innovators have developed incredible technology and have demonstrated their winning talent and dynamism during the course of this competition.

She added: “At MBRIF, we support promising entrepreneurs and innovators by providing them with access to tailored mentorship, networking, market access and affordable funding to achieve sustainable growth and impact. Both Farmin and Kanari AI were selected as winners because of their huge positive impact on society, solving real-world problems.”

Farmin and Kanari AI made their way to the top from over 700 entries that were received this year. The entrepreneurs hailed from diverse sectors AI, Fintech, Blockchain, E-commerce, Education, Healthcare, Environmental & Social Impact, Immersive Tech, Smart Cities/IoT, Software, Tourism & Hospitality, Tourism & Hospitality, Space Tech, Sports Tech & Creative Economy.