Four OCIF winning startups from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq represented Orange Corners at this year’s AIM Congress in Abu Dhabi, held from April 7–9.
Meet the startups:
- Kevir Entertainment: a game development studio from Kurdistan, integrating the rich heritage of Mesopotamia into video games and visual solutions. Their impressive client list includes Columbia University, Invader Studios and USAID.
- Ovanya: the first company in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq that provides AI & Data Science related solutions. They’re developing the first Kurdish text recognition, and are aiming to provide further AI related service and applications.
- Wedonet: an online platform connecting freelancers with local and international businesses, offering services in graphic design, video production, animation, programming and more. They’ve worked with major organisations such as the UN, ABC News and Deutsche Welle.
- Raje3: Their See Your Doctor app makes it easy for reviewers to find doctors and private clinics, and to communicate with them for bookings or questions.
Over three days, our startups connected with investors, scheduled multiple high-impact meetings and opened doors to new international customers and partners. The absolute highlight? All took the stage in the Startups & Unicorns Pitching Competition, after qualifying through a competitive preliminary round!
Wedonet won Third Runner-Up in the Series A category, earning a spot in the online Keihanna Global Acceleration Programme — plus an invitation to return to AIM 2026 with a full sponsorship!
Other highlights:
- A meeting with H.E. Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
- Visits from the Iraqi Ambassador to Abu Dhabi, Dr. Mudhafar Mustafa Al-Jibouri, and Minister of Industry & Minerals, Mr. Khalid Battal Al-Najem
- A special session at the Netherlands Embassy with Marc Leon Mazairac, Deputy Head of Mission
A massive congratulations to our startups and thanks to our OCIF implementing partner GroFin for making this possible.
