Attracting funds from philanthropic ventures is one of the most important conditions for the development of startups. Of course, this doesn’t secure successful development and progress but can considerably reduce the risks and create more opportunities for implementation of ideas. Successful Armenian startups have not missed the chance and used venture funds for their development.

The rapid development of game industry inevitably results in “churning out” of numerous products. The output of sequels and prequels of popular computer games doesn’t improve their quality. Despite this fact, there are a number of developers striving to produce something worthwhile. In general, these are independent teams, who develop a product from the ground up and deliver a masterpiece after a long period of time.

On April 22-23, Armenia hosted the fifth International Space Apps Challenge organized by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The contest which took place at the international conference center of Byurakan observatory will help unite efforts of IT specialists for solutions of global tasks and raise awareness about space exploration.

The April escalation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict saw a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) enabled by Azerbaijan. Although many of the drones were shot down, the Armenian side suffered human losses: one of the Israeli-made UAVs hit a bus of volunteers, killing 7 people. Armenian IT companies have already expressed readiness to cooperate with the Ministry of Defense for joint development of modern surveillance and safety systems.

For the first time since the 1994 ceasefire agreement, unprecedented military actions were unleashed on the contact line between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan on April 2, 2016. The Azerbaijani army attempted a blitzkrieg, making use of virtually all its military arsenal. In the course of the clashes, Baku, among other things, employed unmanned drones many of which were destroyed by the Karabakh armed forces. The battles didn’t go without casualties; an Israeli kamikaze drone, IAI Harop struck a bus carrying volunteers, leaving 7 killed.

Technology & Science Dynamics (TSD) hosted by Yerevan-based Mergelyan Computer Research and Development Institute has launched production of the first Armenian tablets and smartphones. In the framework of the “One child, one computer” governmental program, the company presented its ArmTab TSD Wide A1004T educational tablet, the first of the devices to be produced.

With little time left till the start of the tourist season, it would be useful to learn about mobile platforms which can considerably ease a traveler’s life. Innovative technologies have become irreplaceable companion of any groover, especially when traveling. With the help of various applications, one can find the way or a needed place in a strange locality.

With the development of communication technologies, platforms offering video streaming services become more popular. One of the biggest U.S. companies, Netflix, vows to totally change the traditions of watching movies. It’s no more necessary to visit a movie theater and stand in queues in order to comfortably watch a film, as mobile technologies allow carrying the world cinematography in your pocket. To keep up with the global trends, a small Armenian startup developed its own analog of Netflix, incorporating an almost complete collection of Armenian films.

All those Armenian companies striving to be recognized internationally cannot avoid competition with major tech firms. The success of these teams depends directly on the creativity and originality of their ideas. Revealing the shortcomings of various famous services, they offer their own products.

A great number of sights in small Armenia is quite a problem for tourists, who visit the country for the first time. It’s often hard to decide where to go and what to see, while travel agents offer the most popular and standard tours. What to do if a foreigner wants to see places not included in the standard route? Addressing various tour operators means losing time and getting ambiguous price lists, without having a possibility to compare. Who will be the guide and how professional is he? The tourists will only know it after the end of the tour. Nevertheless, Armenian startup has developed online platform Localz, which offers tourists to outline individual tours and choose the guide they want.