Ucom Fellowship Incubation Program Concludes with Inspiring Closing Ceremony and Awards Event

Ucom and Impact Hub Yerevan are proud to announce the successful conclusion of the Ucom Fellowship Incubation Program, a transformative initiative designed to empower Armenia’s next generation of green innovators. The program’s closing ceremony, held on March 11 at Impact Hub Yerevan, celebrated the remarkable achievements of its participants.

The event brought together the program’s participants, mentors, and industry experts for an evening of inspiring pitches, networking, and recognition. The ceremony began with welcoming speeches from Gevorg Poghosyan, Executive Director of Impact Hub Yerevan, and Ralph Yirikian, General Director of Ucom, who reflected on the program’s journey and its role in fostering sustainable innovation in Armenia.

“The Ucom Fellowship Incubation Program has been a great example of what can be accomplished with a bit of innovation and collaboration. We are proud to see how these talented individuals have developed their ideas into impactful solutions that address pressing environmental and societal challenges,” said Impact Hub Yerevan’s CEO Gevorg Poghosyan. 

“We are so happy to be a part of this project, because we truly believe in sustainable approach in doing business. Ucom Fellowship Program gives green startups a chance to develop their ideas, make their prototypes and go to the market. This is exactly how we see our impact as a responsible green company, and I wish our teams all the best with their businesses in the future”, mentioned Ralph Yirikian, General Director of Ucom.

The highlight of the evening was the pitching session, where four participating projects presented their innovative solutions to a jury of experts. The participating teams included:

Solatube Armenia: Introducing sustainable daylighting systems to the Armenian market, reducing the need for artificial lighting, and promoting energy efficiency.

Flowtric: Developing mini turbine generators to harvest renewable electricity from water flow in pipes, offering a continuous source of clean energy.

Lamboo: Addressing the labor shortage on sheep farms by creating a computer vision-based system that monitors sheep behavior to predict the onset of labor, notifying farmers if a difficult birth is detected.

SmartPot: Developing an ESP32-based smart controller for water planting systems that monitors soil moisture and environmental conditions, significantly reducing water waste and promoting sustainable agriculture.

Following the pitches, the jury deliberated and announced the winner. Flowtric received the 500,000 AMD financial award, which will enable the team to scale their operations and maximize their positive social and environmental impact.

The event concluded with a networking session, providing participants and attendees with the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and explore future collaborations.

The Ucom Fellowship Incubation Program, launched in July 2024, has been a journey of growth, learning, and innovation. Participants benefited from tailored workshops, expert mentorship, and hands-on experience, culminating in this celebratory closing event.

As the program comes to an end, Ucom and Impact Hub Yerevan remain committed to supporting Armenia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and fostering sustainable innovation that drives positive change.