The Virtual Road Assistant (AVIRU) was declared the winner of the eAwards Peru 2023, organized by NTT DATA in collaboration with NTT DATA FOUNDATION.
This recognition is due to its innovative electronic device that provides real-time voice alerts to heavy vehicle drivers to reduce speeding on dangerous curves by up to 90%.
AVIRU serves as valuable support for drivers by regulating speed through prominent visual indicators and preventing accidents and penalties for speeding.
This leads to a significant reduction in fines, lower vehicle insurance premiums, and a decrease in penalties in contracts and permits for not complying with safety standards in transportation.
“Since 2022, we have been participating in the NTT DATA competition. We hadn’t formulated the business and market idea properly. That’s why this year we decided to incubate with JAKU Emprende UNSA from Arequipa, where many specialists helped us generate an appropriate proposal, and today we can see the result as a team at the eAwards,” explained Bruno Castillo, AVIRU representative.
For this achievement, AVIRU received USD$10,000, access to an acceleration program, and the opportunity to compete in the international final of the Global eAwards 2023 in Madrid, where they will compete for a EUR$100,000 prize and access to an exclusive acceleration program.
For the creators of AVIRU, the competition is still ongoing, and they are already focused on what awaits them in the international phase, where they will face representatives from 14 countries in Europe and Latin America.
“We have been observing the winners from various countries of the NTT DATA FOUNDATION Award, and we know that the competition is very tough, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to back down.
“We will improve the proposal, the way we explain it, and we will use the mentoring offered to us by NTT DATA to make Peru proud in the international final in Spain,” Castillo affirmed.
The Global eAwards 2023 initiative by NTT DATA FOUNDATION aims to foster talent through technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation in 15 countries worldwide.
In this edition, more than 80 proposals were received, from which five finalist projects were selected, four from different provinces.
The projects that made it to the final include AVIRU, AQKU, FirmEasy, Medik Helper, and Yakukil.
Each team presented their proposals to a jury composed of Antonio Arévalo Sánchez, Innovation Specialist at Mibanco; César Campos Vallarino, Head of Digital Technology at NTT DATA; Patty Canales, Vice President of Technology and Commercial Operations at Banco Pichincha; and Percy Inga, CRM Program Manager at RIMAC Seguros.
In parallel with the upcoming celebration of the international awards in Madrid on October 26, the third consecutive edition of the NTT DATA INNOVATION WEEK will take place.
During this event, the winning entrepreneurs from the 15 finalist countries, including the winner from Peru, will gather.
In this meeting, NTT DATA FOUNDATION will provide various tools, methodologies, and connections with investors and experts to address the specific needs of their ideas, projects, and startups.
Peru is one of the countries in Latin America that has yet to manage to join the select group of unicorns, as no Peruvian-origin startup has reached the USD$1 billion valuation. On the other hand, Brazil has the most unicorns within the Top 10 in the region.
