Local tech startup Rumine Corporation has emerged as the winner of the Brunei Round of She Loves Tech.
It will also be the first Bruneian startup on the Global Round of She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition 2022, the world’s largest accelerator platform and startup competition for women and tech.
The first-ever Brunei Round of She Loves Tech saw eight finalists participating in its five-day Bootcamp and Pitch Day that took place at Brunei Innovation Lab in Anggerek Desa.
The Global Round of the competition is set to take place in Singapore later this year.
The winner is a technology company that enables any business or industry to create their own customised Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR) and Applied Games.
The other participating startups were from diverse sectors ranging from an AI-integrated insurance platform to a community plastic recycling centre. Some of the other participants include Thryffy Technologies, Alora Collection, Mavensdotlive, and Tebalik Plastik, among others.
Shortlisted startups across the globe, including Rumine Corporation, then participate in the Global Finals where they will be able to pitch to investors directly and win up to US$100,000 of investment and cash prizes, and co-investment opportunities from its affiliate funds.
Co-Founder of Rumine Corporation Sarinah Ziziumiza in a statement shared that She Loves Tech in Brunei has been an amazing experience.
“We are blessed and honoured to be given the opportunities to meet and connect with various creative and brilliant women entrepreneurs and industry experts in their goals to make a better future for Brunei, and we are excited to represent Brunei on the Global Stage!,” she said.
This is the first year She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition has taken place in Brunei, enabled by Pinnacle, the Learning and Development business of Golden Equator, with the support of many local partners.
These partners were Ecosystem Partner – Brunei Innovation Lab; Exclusive Industry Partner – Imagine Sdn Bhd; and other key partners including GDG Brunei Darussalam, Women Techmakers Brunei, and Tyne Solutions.
The judges for the Pitch Day were Associate Vice President and General Manager of Brunei Innovation Lab Freddie Ting; Senior Manager of Digital Capacity Development at Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI) Hjh Farihah Haji Md Said; and Head of Business Development and Partnership for Enterprise Business at Imagine Shenny Tang.
In her statement, Hjh Farihah said that competition and bootcamp provided Bruneian startups with good exposure and networking with the global community.
“I’m glad to see a platform for women technopreneurs to be heard and hope to see more women empowered in tech businesses with the support of their male counterparts,” she said.
Pinnacle is the Learning and Development business of Golden Equator who has been active in the local entrepreneurship scene since 2018, working with Darussalam Enterprise (DARe), Brunei’s national SME agency.
Together with DARe, Golden Equator has facilitated 10 entrepreneurship bootcamps which have given help to more than 200 startups and microbusinesses in the country by equipping them with core business and financial skill sets, helping them raise more than US$1 million in investment, contributing to more than 20 tech products built, and generated more than 450 jobs locally.
Managing Partner of International Markets at Golden Equator Group Adam Flinter said that the organisation was thrilled to see women-led and women-impact startups taking the opportunity to grow, not only in their businesses but also as entrepreneurs.
“Our finalists are a testament to the growing entrepreneurs, especially female and tech entrepreneurs, in Brunei. We look forward to Rumine Corporation representing Brunei and the local community on the world stage in the upcoming She Loves Tech Global Summit later this year,” he said.
She Loves Tech is a global platform committed to closing the funding gap for women entrepreneurs, since its inception in 2015.
Operating in more than 70 countries, it is a globally recognised institution leading the world’s largest startup competition for female entrepreneurs and female-focused technology.
She Loves Tech aims to facilitate greater visibility, funding opportunities, and community among women to unlock over US$1 billion in funding by 2030 for women-led and women-focused businesses.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
