ADU teams win Innovation and CEO awards at INJAZ UAE

ADU Enterprise inspires university’s entrepreneurs to win 2 of 5 awards in Company Program

UAE, Abu Dhabi, 5th July 2015: In a major boost for aspiring entrepreneurs at the University of Abu Dhabi, ADU Enterprise has guided both the university’s female and male teams to win the CEO of the Year Award and Most Innovative Idea Award respectively, at the INJAZ UAE 2015 Company Program Competition.

The jury of successful Emirati entrepreneurs honored ADU’s female team of eight talented entrepreneurs for their Maid4you.ae company. This smart yet simple service revolutionizes the process of finding a maid by using an online maid CV to connect qualified domestic workers with employers. Meanwhile the team of eight male students came up with their brainchild: waitFREE -- an innovative solution to the problem of waiting in queues. The white-label mobile app platform cost-effectively enhances customer service for small, medium and large organizations.

This innovative idea will earn seed funding, 20 hours of professional mentoring and pre-incubation support over 4 to 6 months, in their quest to turn their start-ups into market leaders.

Maid4you’s CEO, Aysha AlHosani a student of ADU’s College of Business Administration elaborated: ”We have learned a great deal from the judges, mentors and the unique experience to meet and talk to many aspiring entrepreneurs. We are grateful for the opportunity to compete on a platform of proficient entrepreneurial skills. This is the turning point of our company and our future!"

Hamza Laalj, a student in ADU’s College of Engineering and CEO of WaitFree team recounted his journey of entrepreneurial growth: “Before, I had innovative ideas and technical skills but I was not able to turn them into business ideas to get profit in return. Through the whole journey of the Company Program competition, I gained new knowledge and experience ranging from establishing a company to managing a full team who work as one. Thanks to INJAZ UAE and ADU Enterprise, I can now turn my ideas into a business reality.”

This is the fourth successive year in which ADU Enterprise has supported the university’s rising entrepreneurs to compete in one of the UAE’s most prestigious entrepreneurship events, organized by INJAZ UAE under the wings of Junior Achievement Worldwide. Both ADU teams were among only 8 teams to make it to the finals from the original 15 hopefuls.

The benefits of this initiative are summed up by ADU team member and student of the College of Engineering Hazaa Al Awlaqi, who said: “I learned to be more committed to the assigned tasks, and I now have the ability to manage my time efficiently. The competition encouraged me to plan to start my own business in the near future.”