Pune-based startup selected for 'Omraan' urban tech startup contest

Indian start-up Let's Ride shortlisted amongst top 8 across the world

Pune-based start-up Let’s Ride, a mini social platform for ridesharing, has been shortlisted by Omraan, a global start-up competition that incubates idea solving urban problems.

Omraan today announced the first round of shortlisted applicants that has eight start-ups from across the world, each with an idea to make cities better thorough technology. The winner will get $30,000 of seed funding and a 100-day acceleration programme in Amman, Jordan.

Let’s Ride addresses road congestion and commuting problems with an aim to reduce the number of vehicles on roads at peak hours. The idea is to connect people from the same area for ridesharing through a web and mobile application. The company is founded by Rajkumar Mundel and Praveen Mane.

Omraan was launched in 2014 by the New Cities Foundation – an   international non-profit – and Oasis500, an early stage and seed investment company in Amman, Jordan, with an aim to nurture the most creative and forward-thinking technology start-ups from across the globe, and develop their ideas into concrete projects in Middle Eastern cities, for the benefit of cities worldwide.

“Omraan is our ambitious goal to attract and develop the best and brightest tech start-ups from around the world to the Middle East. We are happy that we are now one step closer to achieving our goal and to make exciting new discoveries and create the smart cities of the future,” said Yousef Hamidaddin, CEO of Oasis500.

The New Cities Foundation and Oasis500 put out a call to global tech startups in March 2014. Any startups can enter the Omraan contest online by providing an idea for a technological solution to an urban problem. Each applicant is required to demonstrate innovative use of technologies including mobile, web, cloud, ecommerce, gaming, entertainment, enterprise software, digital news, digital advertising or social networks.

John Rossant, Chairman of the New Cities Foundation, said: “This first Omraan shortlist captures the wide array of urban challenges that can be tackled if bright minds come together to use technology in smart and new ways. It’s fantastic to see shortlisted candidates from such a range of nations, and we look forward to see which startups will make it to Amman to make their ideas a reality.”  The other seven start-ups that have made it to the list come from Spain, Jamaica, Brazil, Jordan, Poland and Ireland.