Digitain launched the second batch of the M1TQ program as part of its DigiTown project. This time it was held in a format of intensive development of startup ideas; with a combination of hackathon and acceleration. The partner of the program was chosen to be the Estonian Garage48, which has 12 years of experience in the field.

The main goal of the M1TQ program is to foster innovation in Armenia’s technology sector as well as the startup ecosystem. Thus, the Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia, Davit Sahakyan, was also among the guests of the event. Mr. Sahakyan began his speech by congratulating the participants and encouraging them, “Try to gain as much as you can, whether it be knowledge, experience, or network.”

There were more than 350 applicants for the program, approximately 200 of them attended the hackathon and presented 50 startup ideas. 30 of these ideas passed to the next stage. The teams were formed around them and worked for 48 hours to come up with working prototypes of their ideas. The hackathon was summed up on Sunday evening when the participants presented their prototypes to the jury, which chose the top 14 to advance to the 12-week acceleration phase of the program. At the end of the event, the teams also received various gifts from the project partners.

It’s important to note that during the hackathon, the teams were guided by both local and foreign mentors with international experience. Additionally, Digitain ensured that all of the conditions were in place for the participants to stay and work in the hackathon area for the entire 48-hour period.

The CEO of Garage48, Mari Hanikat, mentioned, “Armenia has great technological potential. We are excited to discover the local startup ecosystem as well as develop and grow together. Digitain’s M1TQ program is a fantastic initiative, and we are glad to be a part of it and share our experience.” 

“With the help of M1TQ, we aim to discover the innovative minds of Armenia by giving everyone the opportunity to implement their startup ideas. This 12-week acceleration program is designed to support startups to acquire relevant knowledge and develop their ideas in order to present them to potential investors and venture capitalists during Demo Day,”  Mariam Pashinyan, the Project Manager of M1TQ, gave a brief overview of the program’s goals and objectives.

It’s worth highlighting that Digitain, as an IT company, considers itself accountable for developing the Armenian startup ecosystem. Within this framework, the DigiTown project was designed, the first component of which is the M1TQ program. By the way, the best ideas of this program can be executed under the auspices of Digitain as well. 

To conclude, Digitain aims to make Armenia an attractive technological center for the whole world.