Ooredoo, the region’s leading enabler of digital business innovation, yesterday announced the partnership contract renewal for 2020 with Plug and Play, the Silicon Valley-based world’s largest innovation ecosystem, which aims to connect major corporations, start-ups, and investors.
Since March 2019, Ooredoo and Plug and Play have evaluated more than 200 start-ups, and built seven Minimum Viable Projects. Currently, Ooredoo has two projects in production: the Ooredoo Virtual Store, and Digital Opportunities for People with Physical Disabilities for in partnership with the accessible travel start-up Wheel the World, said the company in a press release.
Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Our partnership with Plug and Play is delivering great insights and co-creation results – and turning our digital transformation journey into a reality. With the world’s newest technology and most innovative companies, we are quickly implementing new customer-centric products and services. We are also exchanging global best practices to both Qatar and our internal teams to support Qatar’s innovation-led economy of the future.”
In Qatar, Ooredoo is continuing to leverage new and emerging technologies from Plug and Play’s start-ups to pioneer innovations that can solve business and customer challenges.
For example, the Ooredoo Digital portfolio includes working with Caban on artificial intelligence and solar power reducing up to 75 percent of diesel opex spend, with Onfido on facial recognition and ID fraud detection for online purchases on the Ooredoo website, and with Startup Sentiance on geo-fencing and machine learning for targeted messaging campaigns.
MJ Cootsona, Partnerships Director, Plug and Play, said: “Ooredoo has been a valued addition to our diverse Internet of Things ecosystem, with engagement that is often double that of our global average. Ooredoo has introduced 25 start-ups in Qatar, and has also made major pushes in dealflows, proofs of concept, and commercialisation – catalysing Ooredoo’s innovation and Qatar’s diversified economic growth.”