Think of a startup ecosystem in the Middle East and your mind may drift to glitzy Dubai, which according to Pitchbook is one of the world’s top startup cities with a deal count of $5.7bn last year.
But further up the region, Jordan, which is home to 27 of the World Economic Forum’s top 100 Arabian startups and accelerators such as Oasis500, is also full of opportunities for European investors and corporates.
Showcasing some of the Jordan’s ones to watch, in an industry ripe for innovation, the second instalment of Groupe ADP’s Airport Innovation Days took place on November 6 in the country’s capital city, Amman.
“There is a big opportunity for startups in Amman because during the last few years, we have seen that we have many challenges for the operation in our airports and many needs,” says Nicholas Deviller, CEO of Airport International Group (AIG), the Groupe ADP subsidiary which hosted the event and operates out of Queen Alia Airport, the largest airport in Jordan.
Alban Negret, head of innovation for Groupe ADP, says these challenges and needs make airports a “natural playground” for startups.
“We think of airports as a city, as a commercial model, as an aerospace playground, it’s a natural place for a startup to develop themselves and get some credentials as well and expand further in similar environments or similar verticals,” he says.
While Queen Alia Airport isn’t as big as some of its counterparts, Deviller and Negret say its size makes it a better testing bed for ideas and its location makes it favourable when navigating regulation.
“We’re not as big as Dubai airport but to develop new concepts, to develop new business, to develop POCs when it comes to startups I would say it’s much easier, because of the size,” says Deviller.
Here are some of the startups betting on Jordan as a place to scale.
Opportunities in Jordan
A big challenge for airports around the world is water consumption and disposal. They need to consider the water entering the airport and whether they can reduce its demand, and the water leaving the airport and whether it’s safe for the surrounding environment. In the Middle East, these challenges are exacerbated by rising temperatures and expanding populations.
We want 25m passengers worldwide to have access to clean and safe water.
According to Unicef, Jordan is the second most water-scarce country in the world. This makes it the perfect place to test out much-needed technology.
ADADK, the first-place winner of the Airport Innovation Day in Amman, has developed a system based on wireless sensors and augmented reality which can detect water leaks and contamination.
The startup, which has received a $2m investment so far, been part of the EU’s EIT Climate-KIC and has 30 full-time employees, says it has helped households, farmers and building owners across Jordan, Rwanda, Germany and the US to detect water leaks and contamination with more than 50k devices and apps.
“ADADK is a smart water solution to detect all types of water leakage and equality contamination in real time,” says Bayan Al-Abdullat, founder and CEO of ADADK, adding that with its prize the company, which has an office in Germany, will install devices at Queen Alia Airport.
“Jordan is booming,” adds Al-Abdullat. “We want 25m passengers worldwide to have access to clean and safe water.”
Taking off
Another startup which is betting on Jordan to scale its tech is the second prize winner of the Airport Innovation Day, Romania-based startup LYNEPorts, which was founded by a Jordanian woman and provides advanced software solutions for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Without new technology, we won’t be able to have net zero emissions by 2050.
“I represent Jordan. I am a Jordanian female and I think the innovation that Jordan has needs to be represented,” says Rasha Alshami, founder and CEO of LYNEports. “We are a European based company but bringing LYNEports to Jordan is something that is definitely important.”
LYNEPort’s algorithms can pinpoint optimal locations for vertiports by analysing geographic and regulatory data, and make 3D visualisations of vertiport operations, enabling stakeholders to evaluate designs prior to physical implementation. By aiding airports in accommodating new air mobility technologies which are electrified, Alshami says her company can help them to decarbonise.
“The goal of our startup is to lift off the weight from the road and put it more on to the sky,” says Alshami. “There’s a lot of congestion, there is a lot of traffic that is happening as of today and we need to focus on new types of mobility that we can bring into our cities and even into our airports.”
Deviller says that reducing the carbon footprint of airports is the “main challenge” in operating them.
“Without new technology, we won’t be able to have net zero emissions by 2050, it’s going to be almost impossible,” he says.
Improving the passenger experience
While decarbonisation remains top of mind for airport operators, so does accommodating an increasing number of passengers — and how to keep them happy and safe.
I wanted more people to experience the joy of sending postcards and revive this service in Jordan.
“Aviation, our business, should almost double in the coming 15 to 20 years,” says Deviller. “So without the support of this new technology it will be impossible for us to increase our capacity.”
Two years ago, Mohammed Amro sent his first postcard from the smallest country in the world, Vatican City. Now, at the end of every trip he takes, he sends a customised postcard with small photos and drawings to his family and friends.
“I wanted more people to experience the joy of sending postcards and revive this service in Jordan,” he says of the inspiration behind his startup — the winner of the third prize — Salam from Jordan.
Salam from Jordan is a self-service kiosk which can be placed after passport control which allows customers to print postcards and send them right before boarding their flight.
“This service is intended to enhance the passenger experience by enabling departing and layover passengers to send personalised greetings at an affordable price,” adds Amro. “Airport Innovation Days was the perfect platform for this idea to take off.”
Amro says the Airport Innovation Day allowed him to connect with peers and present his company to professionals from the aviation industry. He’ll also be presenting his idea next month at the Airport Innovation Day in Paris and is “optimistic about fostering partnerships” at the event.
Groupe ADP’s Airport Innovation Days continue with the final competition in Paris, France, on December 4. For more information click here.
Read the orginal article: https://sifted.eu/articles/aviation-startups-scaling-jordan-brnd/
