News
Artifish wins ‘Enterprise of the Year’ award
Oslo, 26 June 2019The European Enterprise Challenge hosted this year by JA Norway/Ungt Entreprenørskap awarded Artifish the “Enterprise of the Year’ prize.
The JA Europe Enterprise Challenge brings together the best European student companies and gives them the opportunity to compete against each other for the prestigious prize of “Enterprise of the Year”.
The companies, led by students aged 19 to 30, are created as part of the JA Start Up Programme, a year-long programme that offers young entrepreneurs the experience to run their own company, giving them an insight into how their talents could be used to set up in business for themselves in their future careers.
This year, 15 teams from 14 countries gathered in Oslo to present their start-ups to an international jury, after winning their respective national competition and going through a stage pitching, jury interviews and a stand exhibition.
The jury, composed of business representatives and experts in entrepreneurship, assessed all start-ups and evaluated their value proposition from a financial, social or cultural point of views as well as their potential to grow.
The main Award was offered to the team from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Aalesund, who impressed the jury with their start-up’s innovative solution to one of the biggest challenges the aquaculture industry is facing today. Their Educational Digital Intelligence (EDDI) tool allows to train more efficient and safer cleaner fish and in turn a more environmentally and financially sustainable industry.
“I don’t think we have realised yet what has just happened to us! The entire experience of the JA Start-up Programme has been very rich: we have learnt so much about leadership and team work and about ourselves in general. I encourage all students to embark on this adventure!” Said Simen Seter from Artifish.
Every year, the JA Start Up Programme involves over 17,000 students from 300 centres of higher learning, giving them the opportunity to experience running a business from top to bottom. Supporting European goals of improving youth employability and entrepreneurship, the programme fosters key competences to ensure that students are prepared for tomorrow’s jobs and challenges. They gain key understanding in self-employment, business creation, risk-taking and coping with adversity, all with the support of experienced business volunteers.
“This year’s winners of the Enterprise Challenge have created a new and environmentally sound solution to one of the most pressing problems in the global fish-farming industry today. My fellow jury members and I are very encouraged by Artifish’s successful laboratory result and look forward to real life implementation. We wish a long and successful life to Artifish!” Said Chair Judge Bård Stranheim, Senior Advisor at Innovation Norway – Entrepreneurs and Startups.
“I would like to warmly congratulate all the teams who have competed in this year’s European Enterprise Challenge, at the national level and here in Oslo for the European finale. Every year, we are amazed by the creativity and innovation young students across Europe demonstrate in the development of their start-up projects. These first hands on experiences about entrepreneurship will be key for their future career. Europe needs to further invest in entrepreneurship education so that every young person has at least one practical entrepreneurial experience before they finish school or university. JA has been delivering entrepreneurship programmes for the last 100 years and is looking forward to continuing to switch on the entrepreneurial potential of thousands of young Europeans,” said Caroline Jenner, CEO of JA Europe.
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Jury members
- Bård Stranheim (Chair Judge), Senior Advisor, Innovation Norway – Entrepreneurs and Startups
- Emilios Kyriacou, Citi Country Officer Greece, Cyprus & Malta, Corporate Bank Head Greece
- Clare Beavan, Foundation Manager, People Investment
- Oliver Sorby, Corporate Responsibility, Europe at Staples Solutions
- Sylvie Laffarge, Director Philanthropies Europe, Microsoft
- Bunny Nooryani, Director of Marketing and Communications at Lindorff
JA Europe Enterprise Challenge Award
- Winner: Artifish, Norway
- 1st runner-up: X Vision, Romania
- 2nd runner-up: Micro Change, Denmark
Signature Awards
Avanade Digital Innovation Award
The Avanade Digital Innovation Signature Award recognises the young entrepreneurs who were best able to put their digital skills into practice to conceive an innovative business idea or concept. In addition to having an excellent business plan the start-ups was judged on their ability to demonstrate the most creative use of digital innovations such as, mobility, collaboration tools, cloud-based technology, machine learning, artificial intelligent, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, in their products or services.
Winner: Bevine, Bulgaria
EIT RawMaterials Circular Economy Award
The EIT RawMaterials Circular Economy Signature Award recognises the young entrepreneurs who best strive for a more integrated circular economy. The projects were judged on their innovation and their project’s potential to help transform society.
Winner: Cuitu, Finland
Ferd Value for Society Award
The “Ferd Value for Society Award” aims to recognise young leaders and visionaries who are building responsible business models and are thriving to create a social change through innovation and transformation. They have a driving passion to make things better and they are focused on creating social value.
Winner: Artifish, Norway
Nordea Financial Sustainability Award
The Nordea financial sustainability award recognises the start-up that has shown excellence in creating financial value across its operations. The start-up has shown evidence of sound strategic and financial planning, have a solid administration and finance/accounting, and can demonstrate they have generated income.
Winner: Solmeyea, Greece
JA Alumni Leadership Award
The Alumni Leadership Award is awarded to individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills, which impact their team and the JA company. With this award, JA Alumni Europe wishes to recognise and honour the personal strength of the individuals in a successful team. Furthermore, the award aims to bring renewed attention and visibility to the alumni network and the importance of sustaining the passion for entrepreneurship, and staying connected, even after a JA Europe programme has come to an end.
Winners:
- Tim Krier from Luxembourg
- Simen Sæther from Norway
- Henrik Emblem Lund from Norway
- Evi Oivanen from Finland
- Pedro García from Spain
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For more information, please contact:
Sophie Norman, JA Europe
