A Year of Innovation and Impact
Celebrating 2024's Achievements in Global Innovation
Welcome to the 2024 GIST Year-In-Impact
As we reflect on another remarkable year, the GIST Initiative is proud to celebrate 2024 as a testament to the transformative power of America’s commitment to fostering global innovation. Through bold ideas, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to progress, we spent the year reaffirming our role working to empower the future of science and technology entrepreneurship worldwide.
This year, GIST programs brought together innovators from across the globe to engage with the best of American entrepreneurial expertise, ingenuity, and mentorship. From bridging divides in the South Caucasus to building ecosystems in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia, these initiatives highlighted the unique ability of U.S. leadership to inspire collaboration and unlock the potential of diverse innovators.
By offering access to world-class mentors, cutting-edge resources, and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems like those in Atlanta, Washington D.C., and beyond, GIST programs underscored America’s enduring commitment to building a global network of changemakers. At the heart of this effort is the belief that innovation and entrepreneurship are the keys to solving humanity’s greatest challenges—and that these solutions are strongest when rooted in the principles of ingenuity, resilience, and opportunity.
Whether through transformative in-country experiences or U.S.-based exchanges, GIST has helped bridge borders and empower the next generation of science and technology leaders. Together, we are building a future where American leadership and global collaboration drive groundbreaking advancements, tackle shared challenges, and create opportunities for all.
Here’s to a year of bold ideas, impactful partnerships, and a continued commitment to shaping a brighter tomorrow.
Learn more about our impact across this exciting year!
GIST Global Business Incubation
Atlanta, Georgia & Washington D.C. | May-June 2024
This year’s GIST Global Business Incubation brought together 15 entrepreneurs from across GIST economies for an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the U.S. innovation ecosystem. Participants spent two weeks in residence at Georgia Tech University, where they connected with Atlanta’s thriving entrepreneurial community and explored opportunities for collaboration with American businesses.
The program culminated in Washington D.C., where participants showcased their innovations at Demo Day in front of industry leaders, policymakers, and investors. This was followed by three days at the Select USA Investment Summit, a platform that provided unparalleled exposure to potential partners and funding opportunities. The combination of practical training, networking, and real-world experience empowered these entrepreneurs to forge new paths for growth, both locally and internationally.
GIST Innovates South Caucasus
Tbilisi, Georgia | April - June 2024
Bringing together 40 participants from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, GIST Innovates South Caucasus exemplified the power of innovation to transcend borders. This eight-week pre-accelerator program, modeled on the Lean Startup methodology, provided participants with a rigorous framework to transform ideas into viable businesses. Entrepreneurs began their journey with intensive in-person training in Tbilisi, followed by six weeks of virtual mentorship, culminating in a Demo Day pitch competition attended by investors and ecosystem partners.
Throughout the program, participants conducted over 40 customer interviews, received 10+ hours of tailored mentorship, and refined their product offerings for maximum market impact. Perhaps most importantly, the program created a rare collaborative environment where innovators from historically divided nations worked side by side, building not just businesses but trust and networks for future cooperation.
Skopje, North Macedonia | June 2024
The Balkans took center stage this year with an intensive 10-week pre-accelerator program in Skopje, North Macedonia, gathering 21 participants from North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Entrepreneurs began with in-person sessions, gaining tools and strategies to advance their ventures, followed by nine weeks of virtual mentorship.
The program’s crowning achievement was the selection of six standout startups for an exclusive trip to the United States. There, they participated in Arizona State University’s Venture Devils Demo Day, showcasing their innovations to a global audience of investors and ecosystem leaders. This experience not only amplified their visibility but also provided invaluable feedback and connections to scale their ventures beyond the region.
GIST Innovates The Balkans
GIST Investor Readiness Startup Training
Nadi, Fiji | June 2024
Innovation bloomed across the Pacific Islands as 12 startups from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Papua New Guinea gathered in Nadi for this intensive program. With a focus on strengthening the regional science and technology ecosystem, the program equipped young entrepreneurs with critical skills in business development and investor readiness.
The training also highlighted the unique challenges and opportunities of the Pacific context, offering tailored guidance on accessing capital and building scalable solutions. Participants competed for $10,000 in awards, celebrating their progress and potential. A collaborative spirit defined the program, as regional entrepreneurs and investors worked together to lay the groundwork for a thriving innovation network in the Pacific Islands.
Learn more about the program’s impact here.
Singapore | November 2024
Southeast Asia’s innovation potential took the spotlight during the GIST ASEAN Pitch Competition in Singapore. Over three days, 20 promising entrepreneurs from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore participated in immersive training, networking, and mentorship sessions tailored to the unique demands of the ASEAN region.
The program culminated in a pitch competition where entrepreneurs showcased their ideas to a panel of regional investors. This panel, alongside U.S. Department of State officials like Holly Waeger Monster, Director of the Office for Science and Technology Cooperation, offered invaluable insights into navigating the startup landscape in Southeast Asia. By fostering cross-border collaboration and equipping participants with practical tools for success, the program reinforced the region’s position as a rising innovation hub.
GIST ASEAN Pitch Competition
GIST Innovation Hubs
This year, GIST provided critical support to 33 innovation hubs (IHubs) worldwide, enabling these vital centers to expand their reach and services. From mentorship programs to startup competitions, these hubs played an integral role in nurturing early-stage entrepreneurs and connecting them to resources and opportunities within their local ecosystems.
Ecosystem Events
With two primary events (Web Summit and Slush) and 35 additional conferences held globally, GIST ecosystem-building initiatives engaged nearly 100 innovators this year. These events are designed to bring a wide variety of stakeholders together to discuss key topics such as renewable energy, health tech, and digital transformation, fostering collaboration and sparking new ideas. Participation in conferences is a key aspect of the scale-up process for early-stage startups as they begin to grow their networks, meet with investors, and expand into new markets.
Masterclasses and Science Dialogues
Through a series of Masterclasses and Science Dialogues, GIST facilitated knowledge-sharing on topics ranging from sustainable agriculture to artificial intelligence to understanding the incubation experience. These sessions featured expert speakers and interactive discussions, inspiring participants to push the boundaries of what’s possible in their respective fields.
Learn more about this program here.
Where Impact Leads, The Future is Bright
Looking ahead to the coming year we're excited by the upcoming opportunities that GIST has to bring to the global community of science and technology innovators. 2025 is going to bring some amazing new developments for GIST. We're bringing a cohort of some of the top science and technology startup founders from the ASEAN region to the U.S. for our Business Incubation program. The group will be housed at Portland State University's Center for Innovation and then wrap up their stay with a visit to Washington D.C. Next, we'll be holding back-to-back Innovates programs in the South Caucasus and then The Balkans. We'll follow up those in-country trainings by running one of our signature pitch competitions at the end of the summer, this time in Asia. We've got lots of opportunities to look forward to in the new year!
