Digital Boom

Category: Tech

  • WUZZUF debuts its newly revolutionized platform among top employers at ‘Unlock’ 18’

    WUZZUF debuts its newly revolutionized platform among top employers at ‘Unlock’ 18’

    WUZZUF, Egypt’s number one online recruitment platform is revealing its newly revamped platform during “Unlock’18”, an exclusive event that gathers top employers, government officials, media and influencers in the recruitment industry and job market in Egypt.

    The first of its kind in Egypt, Unlock’18 will reveal interesting market intelligence and insights about the job market, including major online recruitment trends and habits by employers and job seekers, market demand and supply, as well as top sought-after sectors and market shortages and gaps. The event will also discuss top challenges expressed by employers and job seekers and will include entertaining activities allowing attendees to engage and interact with the new product on a first-hand basis.

    Signaling the future of online recruitment in Egypt and the Middle East, Unlock’18 will announce the features of the new platform. The re-launch will showcase the core upgrades made to the website that was re-designed based on users’ feedback and their evolving needs.

    “WUZZUF’s new platform is the product of years of marketing research into the online recruitment habits and trends of Egyptian users. It has been designed based on a deep understanding of the intricate and evolving needs of our users, both employers and job seekers. The new features and designs make it extremely localized and tailored to the needs of Egyptian users. We know that not all markets are created equal, so we focus on the specifics of the Egyptian hiring culture and understanding the needs of our clients, without compromising on international standards”, commented Ameer Sherif, CEO and Co-founder of WUZZUF.

    Since its inception in 2012, WUZZUF has grown exponentially to a team of over 250 members, empowered over 170,000 job seekers to get hired. With over 3 million profile views and an average of 500,000 open vacancies advertised, WUZZUF is considered the online recruitment market leader in Egypt in terms of the number of jobs and active companies hiring. Over the years, WUZZUF helped to connect more than 1 million talented professionals with more than 15,000 companies effortlessly through its website.

    Ameer Sherif concluded: “The new WUZZUF will make professionals’ life easier; it will connect them to more career opportunities and empower them to grow in their careers. It will also empower companies to hire the right calibers in a faster and easier way. We improved, redesigned and re-engineered the product to bring major improvements based on our study of the employers/HR process of work to introduce a more seamless product experience that will make their hiring easier”. Ameer adds, “WUZZUF’s new platform is no longer a transactional job board, it’s the leading career destination for Egypt’s best professionals; it’s the place where they find the best career opportunities in Egypt. Moreover, it’s the leading hiring platform for Egypt’s best companies; it’s the place where they find the best candidates in Egypt”

  • Viber Releases New Video In Honor Of #DeleteFacebook

    Viber Releases New Video In Honor Of #DeleteFacebook

    In honor of the #DeleteFacebook campaign, Viber has released a video to detail exactly where it stands on this issue, compared to other messaging apps which violate users’ privacy:

    Viber claims that it takes privacy seriously than any other messaging platform. The company said in a press release that “Privacy is at the core of Viber’s values and believes that private messages should be kept, well, private.” It is making clear that Viber users receive privacy and security they desire and deserve with features such as:

    End-to-end encryption: Unlike other messaging apps that turn chats into valuable data, Viber uses end-to-end encryption. This means that Viber can’t read or hear what its users are saying. Without access to data, Viber cannot capitalize on this data to third parties.

    Delete messages for all: Users can delete messages they have sent to their friends from their phones at anytime.

    Self-destruct messages: Users can even send messages that disappear with self-destruct timers in Secret Chats.

    Viber is one of the world’s leading messaging apps with over 1 billion registered users.

  • Cyber attack hits Careem, compromises 14M users’ data

    Cyber attack hits Careem, compromises 14M users’ data

    A cyber attack on Careem Egypt’s databases early this year compromised personal data of 14 millions users and 558 thousand captains, said the ride-hailing service in an emailed statement Monday.

    Careem Egypt said the attack affects all accounts created prior to Jan. 14 this year when the company discovered the security breach. All accounts created after that date are considered safe.

    “If you see anything unexpected, call your bank,” said Careem Egypt in the statement, cautioning users against potential fraud or misuse and advising them to keep an eye on any suspicious credit card activities.

    Protecting Yourself

    The statement added that both customers and captains should remain vigilant of unsolicited communications that ask for personal information, and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar emails.

    The company advised users and captains to update their passwords using a strong character combination, while avoiding the use of the same password with other accounts.

    Strengthening Security Measures

    Measures are underway to address the issue and prevent it from recurring, said Careem Egypt, adding that the company recruited leading cybersecurity experts to assist in tightening security.

    The company is also working with law enforcement agencies to protect the data and privacy of customers and captains.

    “While we have seen no evidence of fraud or misuse related to this incident, it is our responsibility to be open and honest with you, and to reaffirm our commitment to protecting your privacy and data,” said Careem Egypt.

    Editing by Sara El-Khalili

  • Facebook pauses new Messenger bots, improves users’ privacy, reactivates bug bounty program

    Facebook pauses new Messenger bots, improves users’ privacy, reactivates bug bounty program

    Following Cambridge Analytica data breach, Facebook has announced new changes and updates to its platform to reduce chances for future data breach.

    • Pause app review for new Messenger bots.
    • Access to user friends requires Extended Login Review.
    • Facebook will conduct an in-depth review of its platform.
    • Notify people if an app is removed for data misuse.
    • Encourage people to manage the apps they use.
    • Require heightened terms for business-to-business applications.
    • Reward people who find vulnerabilities.

    Facebook pauses new Messenger bots

    Facebook has paused new messenger bots review, means that there will be no new bots added to the platform until Facebook adjusts policies.

    Existing Messenger experiences will continue to function as is.

    One important update that it taking place immediately is that in order for a person to show up in one person’s friend list, both people must have decided to share their list of friends with a certain app and not disabled that permission during login. Also both friends must have been asked for user_friends during the login process.

    Facebook will investigate all apps that had access to large amounts of information before changing the platform in 2014 to reduce data access, and they will conduct a full audit of any app with suspicious activity.

    Moving forward, Facebook will ban developers that misused personally identifiable information as well as If Facebook removes an app for misusing data, everyone who used it will be notified.

    Facebook has already released a simpler way to show people what apps their accounts are connected to and control what data they’ve permitted those apps to use. In the coming month, facebook is going to make these choices more prominent and easier to manage.

    All developers that build applications for other businesses will need to comply with rigorous policies and terms, which facebook will share in the coming weeks.

    Facebook’s bug bounty program will expand so that normal users can also report if they find misuses of data by app developers. More details on the program in the coming weeks. (You can follow the program’s updates here)

    Ime Archibong, VP Platform Partnerships at Facebook said “We know these changes are not easy, but we believe these updates will help mitigate any breach of trust with the broader developer ecosystem. Facebook would like to thank you and the entire global developer community for working with us to create a better experience for people. We will continue to post updates as we have them over the next few weeks.”

    Does your business rely on facebook as a soul platform? If yes, do you think these changes will impact your business positively or negatively? Please share your thoughts with us @adigitalboom on Facebook or Twitter.

  • Court suspends UBER, Careem services in Egypt

    Court suspends UBER, Careem services in Egypt

    A court ruling in Egypt ordered the suspension of Uber (US-based) and Careem (Dubai-based) services, immediately leading to a win for local taxis.

    This ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed a year ago by 42 taxi drivers from Egypt who claimed that these firms were using private cars unlawfully in place of taxis. According to a spokesman on behalf of Uber, there have been numerous limitations worldwide. Uber was going to petition the presiding of the court, that is, within the 60 days set by the judicial.

    See Also: Careem, Uber, Easy Taxi to Legally Hit Jordan Roads

    The acting lawyer for the local drivers, Khaled al-Gammal said, “the court of law banned the two enterprises’ permits, barred their applications and put on hold private car use owned by UBER and Careem services.”

    In response to the ruling, an Uber official stated that they would ensure the Egyptians would still enjoy on-demand transportation benefits. In addition, they will work with the transportation sector to ease transportation in the country.

    UBER statement on Facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/uberegy/photos/pcb.1743355849041555/1743355669041573/?type=3&theater

    Careem statement on Facebook

    https://www.facebook.com/CareemEG/photos/a.1712800605615052.1073741828.1709414765953636/2098253520403090/?type=3&theater

    With 157,000 drivers employed and nearly four million Uber clients by 2017, Egypt has been Uber’s primary market in the Middle East since its launch in 2014. As stated by Abdellatif Waked, it is also fast-growing, its country’s general manager. Also, to regulate the charges for their rides and offer their car users affordable vehicles, several deals were made by the company to ensure low rates of inflation among its workers.

    Uber departed countries like Hungary and Denmark due to similar legal and regulatory setbacks and was deemed unfit to run taxi services in London in 2017 and stripped of its operating license.

    On the 3rd of last month, Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian footballer, was assigned as Uber’s brand ambassador. Salah remarks that UBER in Egypt has led to a transformation in movement. It resulted from a contract between MS Commercial and Uber Egypt being the initial player in sports to be the face of top Egypt’s ride-hailing technology.

  • Chef Manal Al Alem becomes the latest investor in Yumamia

    Chef Manal Al Alem becomes the latest investor in Yumamia

    Famous TV celebrity Chef Manal Al Alem has become the latest investor in the Cairo-based food tech startup Yumamia. The total funding for the company since its inception stands at $1.3 million.

    The startup has three principal investors: Chef Manal Al Alem, Faden Media, and Publicis Groupe. Chef Manal Al Alem comes from Jordan, but she is a household name throughout the Middle East.

    Faden Media is an Indoor Out-of-Home Media company in Saudi Arabia. Its core activities include in-mall advertising, events management, print media productions, and digital signage.

    The Publicis Groupe is a French firm that deals in advertising and public relations. It is the third-largest communications company worldwide.

    The Founding, Development, and Success of Yumamia

    Mahmoud El Maghraby and Belal El Borno founded this startup in 2014. More specifically, they developed a food delivery app. This app offers its clients healthy foods prepared with the best ingredients in the market. The dishes are affordable as well.

    The founders called this app Yumamia. However, the official launch of this app took place in January 2017. The company boasts of double-digit growth in monthly revenue since that launch.

    Financial analysts have noticed its remarkable progress as well. In 2017, Forbes Middle East ranked Yumamia at number 84 in its top 100 list of startups in the Arab World.

    In the same year, Forbes ranked Chef Manal Al Alem among the top ten most influential women on social media in the Middle East.

    Chef Manal Al Alem’s Role in the Startup

    Chef Manal Al Alem’s financial input will help Yumamia expand its core menu and increase the quality of its services.

    Moreover, Chef Manal Al Alem will play a critical role in promoting the startup throughout the Middle East because of her fame throughout this region. She will make suggestions to improve the menu because she has extensive experience in the world of culinary arts.

    Company executives are happy to have her on board. Belal El Borno, the CEO and co-founder of Yumamia stated that her startup investment is a validation of the work the staff and its founders have put into the company.

    Chef Manal Al Alem also said that she is happy with her decision to be part of the company because she believes technology will revolutionize the food & beverage industry.

  • Samsung acquires ‘Kngine’ Cairo-Based AI Startup

    Samsung acquires ‘Kngine’ Cairo-Based AI Startup

    Samsung Research America recently announced its acquisition of Kngine — an artificial intelligence startup from Egypt. The startup, which was co-founded by two brothers Ashraf and Haytham ElFadeel was started in 2009 and had initially raised $775,000 from Sawari Ventures, based in Cairo, Egypt to help it run its operations.

    Samsung Acquires 'Kngine' Cairo-Based AI Startup to Improve Bixby
    [Ashraf and Haytham ElFadeel] Source: Forbes Middle East
    Kngine had previously been described as an intelligent service that was capable of understanding questions, providing answers, as well as performing various actions. It is a service that could be applied in automating drive enterprise search, power voice interfaces, and customer service.

    For it to build its knowledge graph, Kngine crawls through customer service logs, the world wide web, enterprise documents, and FAQs.

    This knowledge graph comes into use when a question is asked. Before answering the question, the search engine first takes time to understand it, break it down to come up with sub-questions, and then crawls through its knowledge graph to find the right answers.

    The answers are then ranked before being presented based on their accuracy.

    Samsung and Vodafone Ventures

    Prior to acquiring the search engine in whole, Samsung had made an initial investment in the startup through one of its subsidiaries Samsung Next. The investment was made as a joint venture with Vodafone Egypt Ventures.

    Improve Bixby

    In acquiring this startup, Samsung hopes to strengthen its AI mobile solutions, particularly Bixby which was launched alongside the Galaxy range of phones (S8 and S8+) in March 2017.

    Bixby, which was acquired from Viv Labs, a few years ago has been unable to compete with Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. This has mostly been blamed on its inferior language support.

    Additionally, it lacked a voice support function by the time it was being launched, which made it impossible for it to compete with the other digital assistants in the market.

    Samsung is committed to making Bixby work and has shown this commitment by hiring Larry Heck (he worked on Cortana from Microsoft and Google Assistant in their development stages).

    With its acquisition of Kngine, Bixby is expected to offer deeper and better integrations, and should with time become more robust, enabling it to compete on a similar level with the other digital assistants.

  • Egyptians donate 24.6 million through mobile in 2017

    Egyptians donate 24.6 million through mobile in 2017

    Mobile users sent around 4.9 million donation text messages to charity, generating EGP 24,625,700 million for 52 local organizations in 2017, said TA Telecom, a Cairo-based mobile service and analytics provider that runs Egypt’s main mobile donations platform (MegaKheir).

    Key metrics in 2017

    • 52 charitable organizations now collect donations through mobile in Egypt
    • EGP 9.8M are donated in Ramadan 2017; around 40% of total annual donations
    • EGP 24.6M were donated via mobile in 2017
    • 3.7M users donate via mobile in Egypt

    Donations dropped by around 4 percent in 2017 compared to 2016, with users sending 5.1 million text messages through MegaKheir, raising EGP 25,769,140 million to lead charities such as the 57357 Children Cancer Hospital, Dar El-Orman, Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation, Ahl Masr Foundation, and the Egyptian Food Bank, among others.

    The number of donors dropped by 10.8 percent from 861,940 in 2016 to 768,486 in 2017, while average donor spending increased by 6.7 percent from EGP 6 in 2016 to EGP 6.4 in 2017.

    The Muslim holy month of Ramadan marks the peak of annual mobile donations, which reached EGP 10,124,530 in 2017, slightly up by 0.3 percent from 2016’s EGP 10,094,465 million, making around 41 percent of total annual donations.

    Donations per sector

    Around 77 percent of donations were poured into the health sector, with users donating EGP 19 million to charitable hospitals and NGOs working on disease treatment and prevention, representing 42 percent of all charities raising funds through MegaKheir’s platform.

    EGP 27,000, or 0.11 percent of total donations, went to NGOs raising funds for educational projects, representing 12 percent of all non-profits on the platform.

    EGP 2.5 million, or 11.2 percent, went to developmental charitable organizations representing 30 percent of all charities currently raising funds through mobile.

    Aggregate mobile donations

    donations in EgyptAround EGP 104 million in donations were raised over the past 8 years through MegaKheir, a blend of the Greek word Mega (great) and the Arabic word Kheir (good), which currently generates more than 95 percent of Egypt’s mobile donations.

    TA Telecom launched MegaKheir as a charity arm in August 2010, marking the country’s first mobile donations platform.

    Around 3.7 million mobile users have donated through MegaKheir since its inception either through text messages in increments of EGP 5 to a designated short-code or through the mobile application, with every donation deducted from users’ mobile credit or charged to their monthly bill.

    The status of mobile donations in Egypt

    “The culture of giving is still strong in Egypt. People are giving to charity even when they are making ends meet. Fewer people donated last year, but those who did gave more. Those who are capable of donating were more conscious of the impact of tougher economic conditions and have done more to support others,” said Sherif Radi, Chief Operating Officer of TA Telecom.

    Civil society heroes

    “Egypt’s well-being relies heavily on the work of civil society heroes who are working on multiple fronts around the clock to help in combating Hepatitis C, treating cancer and other diseases, eliminating poverty, or eradicating illiteracy. Tech companies have a pivotal role to play in empowering NGOs through building innovative, faster, and cheaper fundraising tools,” Radi added.

    Mobile donations in Egypt continue to hold

    “The slight drop in donations is not that significant given the price increase, which affected NGOs working on health, education, poverty, disability, and people in debt. It only costs EGP 5 to donate to charity through mobile. Still, people are aware that this simple amount is causing a ripple effect, generating millions for Egyptian charities who are in desperate need of such help,” said Maissera Ellaithy, who heads MegaKheir at TA Telecom.

  • Gemalto high speed passport readers come into operation at Cairo International Airport

    Gemalto high speed passport readers come into operation at Cairo International Airport

    Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is supplying Cairo International, the second busiest airport in Africa, with automated document readers that will enable faster border crossings for millions of travelers, whilst ensuring rigorous security checking of passports and other identity credentials.

    Cairo International Airport currently welcomes 15 million passengers every year. With global air travel continuing to grow, authorities are under intense pressure to reduce queues at border control and strengthen protection against threats such as illegal immigration.

    Addressing both of these challenges, the Gemalto document reader AT9000 MK2 rapidly authenticates ICAO-compliant passports as well as other official documents such ID cards, visas and driver’s licenses.  A simple scanning of documents at virtually any orientation enables quick operation by staff. The reader automatically detects and checks document security features, including those visible under UV and IR light. Anti-glare technology minimizes the interference that can be caused by materials such as shiny laminates.

    “Cairo International Airport is Egypt’s most important gateway for business visitors, tourists and citizens returning home,” Magdy Ishak, Chairman of Cairo Airport Co. “Investment in Gemalto’s highly efficient document readers demonstrates our commitment to both enhancing the traveler experience and protecting Egypt against ID fraud.”

    “Border control is an important first impression that a country makes on its overseas visitors,” said Mohamad Eit, Regional Manager for Identity Management System in Middle East for Gemalto. “The automated document readers will put Cairo International airport at the leading edge of fast, accurate authentication of travel documents, helping authorities strike the right balance between a warm welcome for legitimate passengers and water-tight defence against security threats.”

  • Top 12 blockchain startup ICOs in Feb 2018

    Top 12 blockchain startup ICOs in Feb 2018

    Which startups raising funds through ICOs are most likely to succeed? Using Aingel’s AI based Deal Flow Analyzer, we generate an Inception Score™ that helps investors identify the next game-changing companies in the blockchain space.

    Here are the top 12 blockchain startups our algorithm picked out of 69 ICOs launching this month:

    1. GiftCoin

    Inception Score™: 99%

    ICO Date: 1 Feb – 1 March 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 5

    Headquarters: UK

    What is it about?

    GiftCoin is a cryptocurrency for charitable causes. It promises donors delivery of funds to the exact causes they have chosen while offering charities more transparency, funds and greater impact.

    Who’s behind it?

    Alex Howard is charity founder and visionary. He founded The Optimum Health Clinic in 2004, a UK charity with patients in 40 countries. He also founded Conscious Life, a self-development online platform. He holds a BSc in Psychology from Swansea University.

    Tim Bichara is co-founder and technology consultant. An entrepreneur and CPO, he co-founded Q App, a FinTech startup that was acquired by Yoyo wallet in 2016. He was recognized in 2015 by Times as one of the top 10 disrupters to watch. He earned his BA from the University of London.

    Jonathan Beddoes is co-founder and advisor. He is an entrepreneur and investor who started his career at 15 by launching a web hosting company. He founded Monetisation, a software platform; Techtopia, a tech incubator; and Safer Technologies, a security software company acquired by Avast Software. He studied Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Vlerick Business School. He also holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Manchester.

    Ben Evans is co-founder and CTO. He is a technologist and blockchain enthusiast with previous work experience at Morgan Stanley, where he oversaw the 2004 Google IPO. He was also lead architect at Deutsche Bank prior to co-founding JClarity. He wrote a number of books on Java Development. He holds an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University.

    Christopher Cain is co-founder, IT consultant and entrepreneur. He specializes in designing and implementing decentralized P2P networks, as well as consulting on blockchain platforms in the cryptocurrency space. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Lamar University.

    2. RightMesh

    Inception Score™: 92%

    ICO Date: 13 – 27 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 3

    Headquarters: Canada

    What is it about?

    RightMesh is creating an ecosystem that aspires to make the world more connected by empowering next generation digital entrepreneurs. It provides a software solution that can be integrated into all applications without the need of additional infrastructure or hardware, bringing connectivity to populations who don’t have internet access.

    Who’s behind it?

    Chris Jensen is co-founder and COO, with a banking, corporate development and operations background and experience at several startups. He holds a BSc in Economics and History from Queen Mary University of London.

    John Lyotier is co-founder and CEO. He has more than two decades of experience in marketing during which he launched, designed, and jump-started companies and new products. He holds a BA in English and Art History from the University of British Columbia.

    Rakib Islam is co-founder and CTO. He is an expert is software architecture development. He is also a member of the Bangladesh Association for Software and Information Services. He holds an MSc in Computer Science and Applications from Pune University, India.

    3. Hearthy

    Inception Score™: 90%

    ICO Date: 5 – 25 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2015

    Number of Founders: 3

    Headquarters: Spain

    What is it about?

    Hearthy aspires to create a decentralized, patient-centered ecosystem that provides access to improved and affordable healthcare for people regardless of income. Hearthy’s solution focuses on cutting out middlemen to decrease the costs incurred during the access-to-health process, reduce waiting time, and provide quicker access to reliable personal health records through its open source platform.

    Who’s behind it?

    Javier Blanco is CEO and co-founder. In his 11 years of experience in building digital products, he founded Glue Digital, which serves around 25 million users, and worked with Fortune 500s such as Carrefour, KFC and AXA. He holds a degree in audiovisual communication from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and a Master’s degree in video digital direction from Trazos.

    Juan Sebastián Valencia is experienced in the area of medical care innovation, with a focus on helping doctors spend less time analyzing big amounts of data and more time on therapy with patients. He is a project manager in AI for MédecinDirect, and chief medical informatics officer at  Carians. He holds an MD from the Université Paris Descartes, where he also studied Emergency Medicine.

    Shafi Ahmed is co-founder of Hearthy and Medical Chief Officer at Medical Realities. He is a member of several esteemed medical associations. He is a medical advisor to Beani Bazar Cancer Hospital Project in Bangladesh. He holds a PhD from Queen Mary University of London with a specialization in colorectal cancer, and a BSc in Medicine from King’s College London.

    4. Acomobase

    Inception Score™: 89%

    ICO Date: 1 – 28 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 5

    Headquarters: Cyprus

    What is it about?

    Acomobase is a blockchain-based and AI-powered decentralized marketplace that offers accommodation using smart contract tokens to connect users with hosts. Its new token, ACO, can be exchanged on the platform between hosts and users, offering a direct P2P international payment that eliminates the middleman.

    Who’s behind it?

    Alexandros Malioukis is community manager and psychologist. He is a Greece-based therapist with work experience at mental health institutions and a clinical background in a variety of mental disorders. He holds a BSc in Psychology from Ethnikon kai Kapodistriakon Panepistimion Athinon.

    Alketas Malioukis is CEO and co-founder. He is experienced in web analytics, business development, social media and content strategy. He holds an MSc in Marketing and Communications with New Technologies from The Athens University of Economics and Business, and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

    Iulia Lazea is co-founder and business development head. She is experienced in international management consulting with a focus on financial, Oil & Gas, transportation and pharmaceutical industries. She holds a Master’s degree from Universität zu Köln with a specialization in corporate development, organization, HR and asset management. She also holds a BBA from the Academia de Studii Economice din București.

    Jiří Svoboda is finance officer and co-founder. He is head of reporting at Kiwi.com, and he perviously held several positions at EY. He studied Accounting and Financial Management at Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze.

    Zenos Pavlakou is co-founder, smart contract developer and blockchain consultant. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Sussex.

    5. Narrative

    Inception Score™: 89%

    Total Funding: USD $12,225,000

    ICO Date: 15 Feb – 22 March 2018; pre-sale from 7 – 14 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 4

    Headquarters: Gibraltar

    What is it about?

    Narrative is a blockchain-powered content platform and social media network that gives users autonomy and distributes 85 percent of all revenues to active participants who demonstrate positive impact on the quality of content. Narrative uses both cryptocurrency and fiat to reward user-generated content.

    Who’s behind it?

    Ted O’Neill is co-founder, with more than two decades of experience in creating user-generated content platforms. He is also the founder and CEO of Social Strata, where he has been developing community platforms since the late nineties. He is a viral marketing, UI design and development pioneer. He also created BBCode. He studied at William & Mary University.

    Rosemary O’Neill is co-founder of Social Strata, with more than two decades of experience as a writer, speaker and entrepreneur who specializes in online community building, digital marketing and corporate communications. She holds a BA in Political Science from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

    Brian Lenz is co-founder and CTO. He is a software engineer and architect with more than 17 years of experience in SaaS, covering software development, security, infrastructure and systems. He is also the VP and CTO of Social Strata. He holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from the University of Washington.

    Michael Farris is co-founder, with a track record in the information technology and services industry. He founded Geofy Inc., and he previously held the position of director of learning technologies at Red River College. He holds a PhD in Philosophy and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto, and a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of Toronto – University of Trinity College.

    6. PolySwarm

    Inception Score™: 89%

    ICO Date: 6 Feb – 8 March 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 5

    Headquarters: US

    What is it about?

    PolySwarm is a decentralized marketplace that rewards global security experts for identifying malware and building anti-malware engines in a timely manner. It encourages competition between security experts and incentivizes rapid innovation in the cyber threat intelligence space.

    Who’s behind it?

    Steve Bassi is CEO, developer and co-founder. He founded Narf Industries, an R&D firm that specializes in information security. He has over two decades of experience in information security development. He held key roles in a number of government and industry projects, which included R&D in blockchain-based identity management. He holds an MSc in Computer Science with a specialization in Information Security from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a BSc in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University.

    Paul Makowski is CTO, developer and co-founder, with more than a decade of experience in program analysis, modern software exploitation and cryptography. He reverse engineered malware disinfection tools at Narf for Fortune 100 companies. Prior to that, he led information security research and development at CERT/CC and McAfee. He holds a BSc in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University, and an MSc in Information Technology and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

    Ben Schmidt is director of product security, developer and co-founder, with more than 10 years of experience in information security. He led automated program analysis research, secure software development and cryptography, among others. He holds BSc and MSc degrees in Computer Science from the University of Tulsa.

    Nick Davis is COO, developer and co-founder. He has a track record in leading digital forensics, malware reverse engineering and threat analysis. He also co-founded Narf. He holds MSc and BSc degrees in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School, and the University of Minnesota -Twin Cities, respectively.

    Maxwell Koo is co-founder and senior backend developer with nine years of experience in secure software engineering, digital forensics and vulnerability analysis. He holds a double BSc degree in Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

    7. Havven

    Inception Score™: 87%

    Total Funding: USD  $250,000

    ICO Date: 28 Feb – 6 March 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 1

    Headquarters: Australia

    What is it about?

    Havven is a decentralized blockchain based payment network that aspires to solve the volatility issue of cryptocurrencies by allowing holders of its tokens to issue a secondary US dollar-denominated token. By connecting collateral holders with users who need low volatility, Havven enables a stability market that is driven by incentives; collaterals are compensated when users transact in stablecoin.

    Who’s behind it?

    Kain Warwick is founder of Havven and CEO of Blueshyft, one of Australia’s biggest cryptocurrency payment platforms with a transaction volume worth tens of millions. He previously founded Ai and Pouncer. He has a BSc in Genetics from The University of New South Wales, Australia.

    8. Medicalchain

    Inception Score™: 87%

    ICO Date: 1 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 2

    Headquarters: UK

    What is it about?

    Medicalchain is developing a blockchain-based electronic health records platform, allowing users to give health professionals access to their personal data. Medicalchain will also be used for building applications and services that enhance the user experience.

    Who’s behind it?

    Abdullah Albeyatti is co-founder and CEO. He also co-founded Discharge Summary, an application that hospitals use to generate accurate patient medical reports, which is the first seed of Medicalchain. He studied medicine at Imperial College London. He previously developed solutions to help NHS overcome some inefficiencies.

    Mohammed Tayeb is co-founder and COO, with entrepreneurial and investment experience in the technology sector. He worked with Morethan.com as head of development. He is also a partner at Hearn Capital. He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Oxford, and a BSc in e-Commerce from Brunel University.

    9. FarmaTrust

    Inception Score™: 84%

    ICO Date: 8 Feb – 8 March 2018

    Founded: 2015

    Number of Founders: 1

    Headquarters: UK

    What is it about?

    FarmaTrust is an Ethereum blockchain-based security tracking system for patients and pharmaceuticals that ensures counterfeit drugs are blocked from the supply chain.

    Who’s behind it?

    Raja Sharif is founder and CEO, with a career track in managing several international technology and media projects. He managed strategy implementation at Al Jazeera Media Network and AJ+. He was also senior legal council at British Telecom. He holds an LLM in International Trade, Finance and Banking from the University of Nottingham, and an LLB from The University of Hull.

    10. TheKey

    Inception Score™: 83%

    ICO Date: 1 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 1

    Headquarters: Singapore

    What is it about?

    TheKey is an identity verification tool powered by big data, AI and blockchain technology. TheKey aims at delivering an online identity verification tool that is cost-efficient and suitable for all legal relations (e.g., copyright and data exchange).

    Who’s behind it?

    Catherine Li is CEO and founder, with a diverse experience in several areas including medical informatics and big data. She founded the Dynamic Multi-dimension Identification technology, and she was named among the Most Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs in China in 2017. She holds an MSc in Computer Science from McGill University.

    11. ExsulCoin

    Inception Score™: 82%

    ICO Date: 12 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 1

    Headquarters: US

    What is it about?

    ExsulCoin is building a blockchain-based crowdfunding platform to support refugee-led projects. The ExsulCoin cryptocurrency allows holders to recommend, vote for, and fund ideas. Platform users also earn ExsulCoin after finishing required tasks such as delivering medical supplies, which contributes to the development of a refugee-empowering  ecosystem that is financially inclusive.

    Who’s behind it?

    James Song is founder and CEO of ExsulCoin and Exsul, an AI-driven educational app for refugees which is being tested at a Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh. He is a senior advisor for Faircap Partners equity firm. He pioneered using self-hypnosis in the treatment of HIV patients in Uganda during his Fulbright Scholarship. He holds an MSc in Neuroscience from the University College of London, and a BSc in Psychology from Harvard. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

    12. SnagRide

    Inception Score™: 80%

    ICO Date: 7 Feb 2018

    Founded: 2017

    Number of Founders: 1

    Headquarters: US

    What is it about?

    SnagRide is a decentralized AI-based ride sharing app, which offers affordable programs for mid and long distance rides using the Ethereum blockchain. The platform connects drivers and passengers who are traveling between cities.

    Who’s behind it?

    Terry Chan is CEO and founder, with a decade of experience in the e-commerce industry. He is skilled in analytics, data mining, software quality assurance and automation. He holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego.

    How do we score companies?

    The Inception Score is based on a Monte Carlo wrapped machine learning algorithm developed at NYU where we analyzed more than 6,000 startup founders based on their educational background, work history, startup experience and personality (deduced using AI from their digital footprint analysis).

    We input this data into our patent-pending algorithm, which then generates multiple seed-stage investment portfolios of startups predicted to be successful. The percentage represents the number of times each startup is selected in 1,000 iterations of portfolio generation. With backtesting, overall accuracy is 95% and true positive rate is 70%.

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