May 4, 2017 : Dubai, UAEE – SettleMint (www.settlemint.io), a Belgian blockchain startup, along with its  Middle East partner Ateon (www.ateon.net), is selected as TOP TWENTY STARTUPS WORLDWIDE  for the ‘SDO Blockchain Challenge’ (https://www.1776.vc/sdo-blockchain-challenge). This contest aims to find the best blockchain talent in the world and its first edition will take place on May 29^th and 30^th 2017, in Dubai.

As a blockchain company, SettleMint and its partners focus on bridging the gap between the businesses world and blockchain, as a technology. SettleMint offers a middleware that eliminates blockchain complexities. Also, they are actively engaged in closing the ‘Skills Gap’ by virtue of various “education” and “certifications programs” for markets worldwide.

The Happiest City on Earth

The vision of Smart Dubai Office (http://www.smartdubai.ae/) is to make Dubai the happiest city on earth.  Smart Dubai Office oversees and facilitates Dubai’s city-wide smart transformation with ambitions of delivering efficient, seamless, safe and impactful city experiences for residents and visitors. Smart Dubai aims to be a pioneer in the adoption of emerging technologies such as blockchain, which is identifiable as having great potential to transform city services to completely smart.

With Dubai’s strong vision of becoming a blockchain-powered city by 2020, Smart Dubai Office and global incubator 1776 (https://www.1776.vc/) have partnered together for the SDO Blockchain Challenge (http://www.smartdubai.ae/story0205b.php).  This contest supports the creation of a blockchain industry through empowering startups and businesses to discover the most innovative blockchain startup ideas from all around the globe to implement in Dubai’s 2020 blockchain vision.

All finalists of the challenge will travel to Dubai to participate in a two-day program including a pitch competition to an audience of investors, experts, private and public institutions. At the end, three winners will be chosen among the finalists to receive first, second and third place prize money ranging from 10.000 to 20.000 dollars along with the opportunity to implement their product or service in Dubai.

On May 30th, the winners of the SDO Blockchain Challenge will be announced.

SettleMint is part of accelerator Start it @kbc, which supports innovative and scalable entrepreneurship.

Ateon is a privately held company incorporated in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.