ITU’s Innovation Factory to host startup pitch event this Friday

AI for Good’s Innovation Factory from ITU, the specialized agency from the United Nations that’s responsible for information and communication technologies, has announced it will be hosting its startup pitch event this Friday. The event, to be held from 4pm-5:15pm Geneva, Switzerland Time, will showcase solutions from start-ups, scale-ups and ventures that are using AI for good.

Innovation Factory is a platform to showcase international entrepreneurs with AI-powered ventures that are tackling our planet’s largest challenges.

This week’s session will include discussions with mentors on topics related to social impact entrepreneurship, followed by live pitching from six AI startups whose solutions will accelerate progress in meeting the UN’s 17 goals for sustainable development by 2030.

Mentors at this week’s event include:

Sasha Cahill, serial technology entrepreneur, speaker, and startup mentor. Sasha is focused on bringing AI-enabled technology to the Healthcare market.

Neil Sahota, an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations AI subject matter expert, and Professor at UC Irvine. Neil works to inspire clients and business partners to foster innovation and develop next generation products/solutions powered by AI.

Zhi Zhen Qin, who works​ in the interface between digital health innovations (deep learning neural network, molecular diagnostics, drones, etc) and public health, particularly in the context of human tuberculosis. Qin is trained in epidemiology and biostatistics and is fluent in R & Python.

Stephen K. Ibaraki​, an industry analyst, writer and consultant in the IT industry, and the former president of the Canadian Information Processing Society. Currently Ibaraki is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, futurist and speaker. He is also a founding member of the UN ITU AI for Good Global Summit, founding chair of the Financial Services Roundtable Tech Advisory Council, and founding chair of the International Federation for Information Processing Global Industry Council.

Vera Futorjanski​ is part of the Expert Group on Digital Platforms and Ecosystems for the World Economic Forum. She is also a Board Member and a Senior Advisor for LEAD Ventures, the office of His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Al Qasimi, where she oversees all Venture Capital and investment related activities of the Group.

Most recently, she was Director of Innovation for the global Venture Capital firm 500 Startups in charge of corporate innovation and ecosystem building in the Middle East and Russia.

ITU’s Innovation Factory will host two series of events throughout 2020:

• Innovation Factory Live Pitching Sessions​, an online series showcasing a diverse and set of emerging entrepreneurs with promising AI ventures to tackle our world’s greatest challenges.
• Innovation Factory Webinars,​which are 60-90 minute expert talks focused on specific topics related to business development and innovation in the AI, sustainability and social impact space.

The aim of these talks is to provide leading insights, guidance and case studies that attendees can benefit from as they consider these ventures.