On October 17, Impact Hub Yerevan hosted a pitch event and an award ceremony for the participants of this year’s Social Impact Award Armenia.

ArmInfo.The award ceremony was organized as part of Collaborate for Impact program, funded by the European Union in Armenia and implemented by the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA) in partnership with Impact Hub Yerevan.

Within its corporate social responsibility, AraratBank joined the SIA Awards, contributing EUR 6,000 for this purpose. The funds were allocated among four winning teams, EUR 1500 per team.

The top 10 startup teams of incubation stage pitched their business ideas incorporating social dimension, from plastic recycling to strawberry production, from creation of travel apps to production of clothing for disabled people.

Three of the four winning teams were announced Jury Award Winners, and the fourth, Refill, was selected through online Community Voting:

1. Adapteon: production of comfortable yet stylish clothes for people with disabilities.
2. Contests Lab: creation of fun educational games and content for children and teens, as well as their parents and teachers. 
3. Gyugh.org: creation of an SME-oriented agricultural information and educational platform.
4. Refill: creation of an app to help users find the nearest place to refill their water bottles free of charge, providing users with a valuable service while promoting sustainability and reducing plastic waste.

The winning teams received an exclusive invitation to participate in Social Impact Award Annual Summit, scheduled between November 27 and December 1 in Serbia.