Expand North Star, the world’s greatest start-up event, launched its largest edition ever in Dubai Harbour. Hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event is taking place this week until the 18th of October.
The first day of the event (15th of October) showcased multiple live demonstrations by start-ups and panel discussions. Topics from AI and machine learning to entrepreneurship were discussed by experts, providing the participants with great insight and knowledge.
Breakthroughs in robotics
One of the first live stage demonstrations at the event was UCLA’s ARTEMIS, the world’s fastest humanoid robot. This adaptable robot walks on all terrains, using actuators that mimic biological muscles, unlike rigid robots.
Standing at 4 feet, 8 inches, and weighing 85 pounds, it can run and jump on challenging, unstable surfaces. The developers’ goal is to have their autonomous soccer-playing robot team outperform a human world championship team by 2050.
Dr. Dennis Hong, the visionary behind this groundbreaking innovation, explained that ARTEMIS’ balance on uneven terrain and its running ability is a revolutionary achievement for robots.
Empowering young entrepreneurs
In an effort to motivate student participation, the event also hosted YouthX Unipreneur, the region’s largest youth entrepreneurship program. Over 1,500 students from 40+ schools and universities pitched ideas to experts. In addition, the program featured 600 youth ambassadors and 50 engaging events.
Hassan Sabt, president of Dubai Youth Council, emphasized Expand North Star’s role in educating young investors and startups, fostering competition, idea exchange, and leadership development. Moreover, he noted the council’s commitment to empowering Emirati youth and strengthening connections toward national and global objectives.
“Our partnership with GITEX YouthX at Expand North Star is just the beginning of much bigger plans to assume more impactful measures on behalf of Emirati youth,” added Sabt.
Read: The Rise of the Machines: How Robotics is Transforming the Middle East
Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
With the rise of AI and machine learning, a focused panel discussion explored the applications of AI and machine learning in product development. The panel included product managers from renowned global companies like Bolt, Reddit, and Booking.com.
The panelists emphasized the importance of avoiding AI excitement. They cautioned against adopting technology without delivering added value, as this could lead to entrepreneurial failure.
They stressed that technology should address real-world problems. Additionally, the speakers highlighted the necessity for business owners to stay informed about evolving technologies that have impacted industries once deemed indestructible.
Unraveling the path of entrepreneurship
During his presentation on the Spotlight Stage, Gary Blowers, CEO of LVL Well-being, shared his startup fundraising journey. His company entered an accelerator program in July 2021. The aim was to secure funding within six months, but initial pitches to numerous investors yielded no results.
Additionally, Blowers emphasized that “Raising capital is a marathon, not a sprint”. He advised entrepreneurs not to become overly fixated on it at the expense of business growth. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of maintaining an updated data room and fostering open, honest communication.
Blowers also stressed the significance of prioritizing the well-being of founders and their teams, as the entrepreneurial journey can have a negative impact on mental health. He urged entrepreneurs to create a healthy work culture to successfully navigate the fundraising marathon.
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