Global Entrepreneurship Network Honors Innovative New Startups

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) today unveiled its annual list of the GEW 50 – finalists in its Startup Open competition to find some of the most promising new startups in the world.

Nearly 70 percent of the finalists originate from outside of the United States, representing 20 countries and a broad spectrum of industries. GEW 50 entrepreneurs lead ventures in biotechnology, agribusiness, energy, finance, health and wellness and more.

“With this group of promising new startups, you see individuals and cofounder teams who are ready to make the leap to the global stage, ” said Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. “These and other new and young firms like them are driving innovation, solving real-world challenges and driving economic growth in all corners of the world – not just in Silicon Valley.”

Last year’s winner, a team of environmental engineers from Haifa, Israel, exemplify the creativity and promise of Startup Open finalists. The team created BreezoMeter, an application that measures real-time air quality and provides health recommendations to its users. The app currently maps air quality levels through Israel and the United States. Since winning the Startup Open, BreezoMeter has been invited to the White House by U.S. President Barack Obama for an event to recognize emerging entrepreneurs, presented its work to United Nations delegates in Geneva, pitched on-stage at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi and impressed delegates at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress.

More than 800 startups from 39 countries entered the competition and were judged on their concept and growth projections for their businesses as well as their knowledge of their industries. Each of the competing startups was required to have a “startup moment” between GEW 2014 and GEW 2015. A “startup moment” is anything that can be interpreted as the company is “open for business,” such as becoming incorporated, completing a first sale or securing outside funding.

The Startup Open winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Medellin, Colombia, where they will attend the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) in March 2016. The GEC brings together entrepreneurs, investors, global leaders and startup champions from more than 150 countries to explore the best ways to build and strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems. As part of the experience, the Startup Open winner will have the opportunity to showcase his or her startup on a global scale and meet with potential collaborators, mentors and others to help the startup grow.

The countries represented by the 2015 GEW 50 are: Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, India, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Sweden, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

For a complete list of the GEW 50, visit www.startupopen.com/gew50.

Startup Open is organized by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

About Global Entrepreneurship Network

The Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN)  operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business. By fostering deeper cross border collaboration through initiatives engaging entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth. For details on the programs and initiatives that make up GEN, visit genglobal.org and follow @unleashingideas on Twitter.