On July 1, within the framework of her two-day visit to Armenia, German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Ms. Svenja Schulze and her delegation visited the SAP Startup Factory By Bana.

The place of visit was not chosen randomly. SAP Startup Factory was founded in cooperation with the German SAP and Business Angel Network of Armenia with the support of BMZ through GIZ Armenia.

During the meeting, Ms. Madeleine Rauschenberger, country director of GIZ Armenia, and Mr. Wilhelm Hugo, EU4B ITTD team leader, presented to the minister and the guests the importance and features of the support provided to SAP Startup Factory.

SAP Startup Factory by BANA is extremely important for Armenia's technology ecosystem. The project provides unprecedented opportunities for Armenian startups to enter the world arena. During the implementation of the activity, it was decided that the SAP Startup factory by BANA could become a regional center for startups from the EU Eastern Partnership countries and Eastern Europe in general to integrate into the SAP platform.

During the meeting, TACTUN, GOTCHA and Prelaunch.com, which are the participants of the acceleration and incubation programme, also had the opportunity to present their startups, after which an active discussion took place about the products of the startups and their opportunities to enter the German market.

In order to get a broader understanding of the technological ecosystem in Armenia, after visiting the SAP Startup factory by BANA, the minister visited the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, which is an after school educational programme that puts teenagers in charge of their own learning. More than 20,000 teens in Armenia between the ages of 12 and 18 visit TUMO centers each week to learn the latest in technology and design. During the visit, the guests got acquainted with the educational programmes of Tumo, as well as the prospects of its expansion.

TUMO Berlin was already launched in January 2020, initiating TUMO’s long-term partnership with KfW. TUMO and the KfW Development Bank signed an agreement in February 2022 to establish a network of TUMO centers and boxes in Germany.

Currently, Tumo has a joint project with the EU4Business ITTD.

The meetings were held in a warm atmosphere, at the end of which the minister thanked for the choice of such interesting places and the pleasant reception, wishing everyone new achievements.