L'Oréal TechQuest Winners From The UAE And KSA Now Eye Singapore Finale Of The L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program The four startups won the TechQuest challenge by L'Oréal Middle East and Astrolabs, which was the Middle East's regional semi-finals of the wider L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program.
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Four homegrown startups from the UAE and Saudi Arabia will potentially compete at the grand finale of the L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program, the French multinational's inaugural open innovation competition for the beauty sector in the South Asia Pacific, Middle East, and North Africa region set to take place in Singapore in October 2024.
These four companies -Exponential Solutions (10xDS), Ahad, Yango Robotics, and Aim Technologies- have come in the running for the competition after being declared the winners of L'Oréal TechQuest, a challenge staged in partnership with AstroLabs for homegrown startups in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to develop meaningful and positive beauty technology for L'Oréal Middle East.
L'Oréal TechQuest, which functioned as the regional semi-finals of the wider L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program, identified 535 startup companies, shortlisted 14, and finally chose four startups from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to progress to the next phase of the competition.
Exponential Solutions (10xDS) was recognized for its achievements in artificial intelligence (AI) in regulatory affairs, Ahad for its contributions to data fragmentation, Yango Robotics for its advancements in warehouse optimization, and Aim Technologies for its innovative work in AI for social listening.
Olfa Messaoudi, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at L'Oréal Middle East, speaking at the TechQuest final event. Source: L'Oréal Middle East
If chosen to take part in the L'Oréal Big Bang Beauty Tech Innovation Program Grand Finale, the four startups will get the opportunity to develop their beauty tech innovation pilots in one of five themes: consumer experience, content, media, new commerce and tech for good. Those who prove successful pilots in the region could also have the opportunity to work with L'Oréal globally.
In a statement about the program, Olfa Messaoudi, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer at L'Oréal Middle East, said, "L'Oréal's overarching purpose is to create beauty that moves the world, and embrace technology as a catalyst for transformation. The Group has a legacy of pushing the boundaries of beauty innovation, and continues to do so with avenues and initiatives that hone entrepreneurial and pioneering talent. With L'Oréal TechQuest, we want to explore their agility, creativity, and competitiveness to find beauty solutions that make a positive difference. Startups in the UAE and KSA have an opportunity to shape the future of beauty technology in a supportive and dynamic environment."
Roland Daher, CEO at AstroLabs, added, "We've always been about merging startups' agility with the infrastructure and depth of established corporations to unlock transformation in key industries on the rise. The L'Oreal TechQuest exemplifies this commitment, offering regional startups fast-track access and the opportunity to validate and accelerate entry into the wider L'Oréal ecosystem. Bridging this gap ensures a seamless flow of market innovations into real-world applications for industry giants like L'Oréal Middle East."
Related: Dreaming Big: Haifa Addas, Founder Of Dubai-Based Instaglam, A Beauty On-Demand Service
