Latvian Health Tech startup Longenesis wins top prize of $100,000 at the Supernova Challenge 2.0 for its innovative platform which facilitates secure data exchange between life-science companies, healthcare providers and patientsAI, fintech, and health tech among top sectors in the Supernova Challenge 2.0DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Supernova Challenge 2.0, the world’s largest early-stage startup pitch competition, concluded today at Expand North Star, showcasing groundbreaking innovations from across the globe. With a total prize pool of $200,000, the challenge saw a record-breaking participation, highlighting the UAE’s position as a global hub for tech entrepreneurship. Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Expand North Star, the world largest startup and investment event, marked its biggest and busiest edition this year. With a 40 percent increase in global participation for 2024, GITEX Global and Expand North Star welcomed over 1,800 startups and more than 1,200 investors. 

Record-breaking Participation from Leading Global Startups
The Supernova Challenge 2.0 witnessed an unprecedented surge in applications, with over 650 startups vying for the coveted Overall Supernova Champion title, after six months of semifinals from Europe, Asia, Africa, Middle East, and the Americas.
Underscoring its global appeal, the competition drew participants from an impressive 69 countries across the world, with UAE, India, and South Korea among the top nations.
The participating startups showcased a diverse range of development stages, with 39% in the Seed/Early stage, 24% at Series A, 18% in Pre-Seed, and 11% as bootstrapped ventures. Reflecting current industry trends, AI, SaaS, and Healthcare emerged as the three most represented sectors, highlighting the cutting-edge innovations that are propelling the global startup ecosystem and advancing the shift towards an AI-driven economy.
Intense Competition Culminates in Grand Finale
After live qualifying rounds in 16 countries, the competition intensified as 155 semi-finalists from 50 countries, predominantly representing AI, fintech, and health tech sectors battled through the final rounds.
On the final day of Expand North Star 2024, 20 finalists from diverse countries, including France, China, Bangladesh, Germany, Brazil, Latvia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Ireland, the UK, and India, presented their innovations to a distinguished jury of global investors and influential tech personalities.
The panel included Cristobal Alonso, Global CEO of Startup Wise Guys; Ibrahim Faruqi, Investor at Bessemer Venture Partners; Stephanie Nour, Partner at Nuwa Capital; Mattia Lecchi, Head of Immediate Accelerator at RS Productions; Mike Butcher, Editor at Large of TechCrunch; and Karim Konsowa, Portfolio Manager at Hub71.
Supernova Challenge 2.0 Winners: Health Tech Takes Centre Stage
In a thrilling display of innovation, Latvian Health Tech startup Longenesis wowed the judges at the recent competition, clinching the top prize of $100,000. This groundbreaking digital health company is revolutionizing 21st-century healthcare by accelerating the development of innovative treatments and enhancing patient engagement.
With partnerships spanning leading healthcare institutions, global life sciences companies, and national governments, Longenesis has positively impacted over 850,000 patients across the EU and MENA regions.
Filled with excitement from his win, Emil Syundyukov, Co-Founder and CEO of Longenesis, shared his vision for how this significant achievement will accelerate the company’s growth, saying: “It is all about unlocking the hidden value of data. By engaging broader populations and bringing them into the data conversation, we can help therapies reach those in need faster. This win is just the start for us. We’re here to raise geographical borders for healthcare research and scale up, especially in the Gulf region, which we see as a focal point for healthcare innovations.”
ProfilePrint from Singapore secured 2nd place, winning $60,000 for its groundbreaking AI-driven ingredient quality platform. Utilizing patented digital food identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) technology, ProfilePrint synthesizes complex molecular data into digital fingerprints, empowering agribusinesses to make data-driven decisions that enhance product quality and efficiency.
Meanwhile, NEXTPAYMENTS INC. from South Korea claimed the 3rd place prize of $35,000, led by CEO Jee Kwangchol, whose cutting-edge solutions offer personalized retail experiences through advanced AI kiosks and smart store technology.
More information is available at: www.gitex.com
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About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC):
A global business facilitator since 1979, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is home to the region’s leading purpose-built convention and exhibition centre. DWTC provides a platform for connecting people, products, innovation and ideas from around the world through a dynamic calendar of international trade exhibitions and its own roster of sector leading mega events. As a designated free zone, complemented by award-winning commercial real estate, DWTC plays an integral role in Dubai and the region’s growth story. Since its inauguration, DWTC has hosted over 6,000 events, with an estimated economic output of AED 248 billion, attracting over 38 million business visitors to Dubai.
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The Adecco Group’s 2024 Global Workforce of the Future survey of 35,000 workers captures early signs of efficiency gains from AI
Almost three quarters of users say they are more productive, while only a quarter say they have completed training on how to apply AI at work
ZURICH, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is saving workers an average of one hour each day, allowing more time to be devoted to creative tasks, to thinking more strategically or to helping achieve a better work-life balance, according to a major workplace survey published today.

 
The Adecco Group’s annual Global Workforce of the Future survey of 35,000 workers in 27 leading economies, found that the mean average saving for workers using AI was of 1 hour a day, although a fifth of users said the technology was saving them as many as 2 hours a day. 5% said it was saving them between 3 and 4 hours each day.
The time savings appear consistent across sectors. Workers in the energy, utilities and clean technology sectors reported the highest time savings of 75 minutes a day, while the lowest — in aerospace and defence – reported savings of 52 minutes a day. Workers in tech saved an average of 66 minutes a day, in financial services, 57 minutes and, in manufacturing, 62 minutes a day.
Adecco Group Chief Executive Officer, Denis Machuel, said: “There has been a huge amount of speculation about how AI is changing the world of work, which is why it is tremendously exciting to see these first potential signs of efficiency improvements. The time saved by workers seems to have been put to good use and is not just confined to one or two sectors but appears widespread across industries. These are early days, but AI appears to be delivering on its promise.”
The survey suggests that time saved is being used to add greater value, with 28% of users saying they use the extra time for more creative work, 26% say AI has allowed them to spend more time on strategic thinking, while 27% say AI has helped them achieve a better work/life balance. However, there are signs that the time saved thanks to AI is not always put to productive use, with 23% of users saying that they were tackling the same workload and 21% said they are spending more time on personal activities.
Other key findings and recommendations from Working through change: Adapting to an AI-driven world of work
As well as gauging the impact of AI, the study reveals further insights into how the world of work is changing.
Adopt a people-centric approach to technology, protecting employability, not jobsWorkers are increasingly concerned about an uncertain future, with economic conditions and job security being top priorities. While more employees are choosing to remain with their current employers, the impact of AI on job stability has been largely underestimated over the past year: 13% of workers said they have lost their job due to AI.
A significant percentage of workers, 40%, express concerns about long-term job security with 83% saying that they plan to stay with their current employer — the highest retention rate in three years. However, the perspective on the disruptive effects of AI becomes more balanced when looking at other aspects, for example, 51% of workers agree that AI skills expand their job opportunities and 46% agree that AI has given them more opportunities to learn skills and progress in their jobs.
Teach adaptability, not just skills, and not just to a select fewA select group of high-performing employees is outpacing their peers, largely due to strong support from their employers. To expand this segment of the workforce and develop future leaders, companies must prioritise the continuous improvement of skills. Currently, only 11% of workers are future-ready, that is, individuals who stand out for their adaptability, their willingness to be flexible with career plans, and for their proactive approach to acquiring new skills.
Within this group of future-ready workers, the survey found that 93% receive a personalised development plan, compared with 51% for the broader workforce. Furthermore, 95% of these future-ready employees take part in leadership training provided by their companies, compared to just 57% of the wider workforce.
Companies should promote internal mobilityWorkers may be losing faith in their employer’s commitment, especially as the desire for greater internal mobility increases while fewer employees choose to stay and be upskilled.
Currently, 76% of workers believe companies should prioritise training existing employees for different roles within the organisation before hiring externally, an increase of 12 percentage points since 2023. However, only 9% plan to stay with their company to be reskilled, a 7-point drop since last year.
Mental health and wellbeing remain essential in a world of rapid changeLooking after employee mental health should be a priority, and companies must address concerns that AI may favour certain groups of workers by demonstrating a commitment to inclusion and sustainable working practices. In the past 12 months, 40% of workers have felt burnout from working too hard, a number that jumps to 62% among those who are concerned about the impact of AI and have been negatively affected by it.
Fewer than half of employees express confidence in their leaders’ AI skills and knowledge (46%). Over three quarters value the human expertise of a recruiter (76%) who can see potential in them beyond their skills and experience, up from 64% last year.
A full copy of the report can be downloaded here [link].
About the Global Workforce of the Future researchFor the fifth consecutive year, the Adecco Group surveyed over 35,000 workers from 27 countries across 20 industries, presenting a global view of critical workforce trends to support decision-makers in the private and public sector as they navigate the fast-changing world of work.
About the Adecco GroupThe Adecco Group is the world’s leading talent company. Our purpose is making the future work for everyone. Through our three global business units – Adecco, Akkodis and LHH – across 60 countries, we enable sustainable and lifelong employability for individuals, deliver digital and engineering solutions to power the Smart Industry transformation and empower organisations to optimise their workforces. The Adecco Group leads by example and is committed to an inclusive culture, fostering sustainable employability, and supporting resilient economies and communities. The Adecco Group AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).
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LONDON, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Glimpse Analytics, a pioneer in digital insights for the physical world, and Retail Aware, a leader in sensor-based analytics, today announced they are joining forces to form a new retail analytics powerhouse. Moving forward, the combined entity will operate under the Glimpse brand, reflecting the enhanced capabilities and unified vision of both companies.

Together, they will leverage their combined expertise in customer behavior, location data, and advanced analytics to offer an unmatched suite of solutions that empower retailers, brands and transport operators.
“This acquisition marks a pivotal moment,” said John Price, CEO of Glimpse Analytics. “By uniting Glimpse’s best-in-class customer intelligence with Retail Aware’s sensor-based analytics capabilities, we are creating an industry-leading platform that delivers deeper, real-time insights to optimize performance and personalize customer experiences.”
Unparalleled Customer Insights
The newly formed company will offer a robust set of solutions across three key sectors: Retail Intelligence, Brand Performance, and Connected Transport:
Retail Intelligence: From delivering deep customer intelligence to automating operations and reducing loss, Glimpse powers the future of retail.Brand Performance: Fueling brand marketing with real-time asset tracking, performance and ROI measurement, and actionable customer insights.Connected Transport: From passenger counting to revenue protection and safety solutions, Glimpse drives the future of transport.Driving Business Growth
By leveraging these enhanced customer insights, retailers can:
Boost sales and conversion rates by fine-tuning marketing and merchandizing strategies based on detailed customer data.Improve operational efficiency by optimizing store layouts, staffing, and inventory using real-time customer behavior insights.Elevate the customer experience through personalized interactions across all channels.”We are thrilled to join forces with Glimpse Analytics,” said Keith Fix, Founder of Retail Aware. “This transaction positions us to deliver even more value to our retail partners, helping them achieve their business objectives with actionable insights that redefine what’s possible in real-world analytics.”
About Glimpse Analytics
Glimpse Analytics offers a suite of advanced technologies, including computer vision, proprietary sensors, and machine learning, to provide businesses with unmatched customer intelligence. Their platform delivers real-time data on customer behavior and marketing performance, helping retailers improve decision-making and ROI.
About Retail Aware
Retail Aware is a pioneer in shopper behavior and product analytics, transforming physical spaces into data-driven environments. Their platform utilizes patented sensor technology to analyze shopper movement, dwell times, and product movement to provide actionable insights that drive sales, optimize operations, and enhance the customer experience for brands and retailers across the globe.
Find out more at www.glimpseanalytics.com 
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