Phnom Penh
17 February 2025
On 17 February 2025, from 8 AM at Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Techo Startup Center and Prestige Alliance co-organized the Final Judging and Award Ceremony of the “GCIP Cambodia Accelerator Program Cohort 2”. The ceremony is respectfully presided over by H.E. Dr. Kong Marry, Secretary of State, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Chairman of the Project Steering Committee alongside the GCIP Global team, representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, Khmer Enterprise, Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology, Development Partners, entrepreneurial support organizations, Corporations, Investors, Incubators, NGOs, Service Providers, Universities, and the finalists. There were approximately 100 participants who attended physically. There were approximately 100 participants who attended physically and more than 3K viewers from the live stream on the Techo Startup Center Facebook page.
All the honorable guests and participants joined in the event to mark the completion of the GCIP Cambodia Accelerator Program Cohort 2, which was launched in July 2024. The event featured two main sessions: 1) The Final Judging: a session in which all the 7 semi-finalists conduct a pitch presentation in front of 5 judges aiming to determine the 3 most potential teams to receive grants based on 8 judging criteria by the GCIP Cambodia Acceleration Guidebook. 2) The Award Ceremony: celebrates the remarkable achievements of the three winners and finalists of cohort 2.
GCIP Cambodia Accelerator Program Cohort 2 commenced on 20 September 2024 with Eight Startups and SMEs shortlisted through a rigorous selection process and three Startups advanced from the Pre-Accelerator round. The shortlisted teams have gone through various activities such as webinars, mentorship, and one-on-one consultation sessions with experts where the team can identify their needs for product and customer understanding, and thus, an additional Pre-seed fund for product validation. As we progressed to the program's final stage only seven out of ten teams advanced to pitch in the Final Judging, in front of an independent panel of five judges with diverse experience in innovation, marketing, cleantech, finance, and business. After the judges’ deliberation, the top three greatest potential teams below were selected to receive the grant prizes, totaling USD 50,000:
The Ceremony embarked with a reporting speech by H.E. Dr. Taing Nguonly, Executive Director of Techo Startup Center and Secretariat of the Project Steering Committee, highlighted the program’s proceeding and objectives. Followed by Mr. Kevin Braithwaite, Vice President of Network Global Innovations (NGIN), who shared his impressive and positive experiences regarding the in-country support provided to startups and SMEs during the National Academy in September 2024. After the two-minute pitch showcase by the finalists, Mr. MCKUUR Gerwynn, Project Manager and Representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO, Vienna), delivered impressive remarks highlighting his positive impressions and appreciation for the commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Cambodia. Along with the heartfelt messages emphasizing everyone's dedication to sustainable industrialization for a greener and more resilient future, he congratulated the finalists and the winners, encouraging them to maintain their entrepreneurial spirit, pursue continuous learning, and expand their networks within the global scalability landscape. The ceremony was presided over by H.E. Dr. Kong Marry, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Chairman of the Project Steering Committee. During his keynote speech, H.E. Dr. Kong Marry acknowledged the increased participation of women and women-led enterprises compared to the last cohort. He also highlighted the significance of collective solidarity among cleantech entrepreneurs in fulfilling Cambodia's commitment to environmental sustainability through green developments that contribute to the circular economy with the implementation of clean and efficient energy policies. Additionally, His Excellency offered insights into the further support available from the Entrepreneurship Development Fund (EDF), encouraging the teams to explore opportunities including investment opportunities, financial and non-financial assistance for entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and startups engaged in innovative activities that contribute to economic value in Cambodia.
As a result, the ceremony proceeded smoothly and achieved the expected outcomes, with fairness and impartiality witnessed by all participants.
GCIP Cambodia Accelerator Program is a seven-month intensive program taking on several startups and SMEs whose work focuses on solutions that help the environment to leverage their business skills and increase the acceleration uptake to ensure the long sustainable growth of cleantech pools in Cambodia.
GCIP Cambodia Accelerator Program Cohort 2 is funded by the United Nations for Industrial Development Organizations (UNIDO-Vienna) and Global Environment Facility (GEF), organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Techo Startup Center, and co-organized by Prestige Consulting, with support from the Network for Global Innovation, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, Khmer Enterprise and Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology.
