On October 1, 2025, Impact Hub Yerevan buzzed with energy as eight teams took the stage to pitch bold solutions to social and environmental challenges. The Pitch Event marked the finish line of Social Impact Award Armenia’s incubation program, implemented by Impact Hub Yerevan and fully supported by AraratBank.
Over the past months, finalists received hands-on training, mentorship, and tools to refine their ideas and get pitch-ready. Their hard work showed. Each team brought a clear purpose, strong prototypes, and a vision for impact across Armenia.
A jury of experts from AraratBank, Impact Hub Yerevan, and the wider ecosystem evaluated projects on four points: social impact, creativity, feasibility, and potential for sustainable growth. After thoughtful deliberation, they announced the winners.
Jury winners
Bonel — Recycles plastic bottles into filament for 3D printing, then uses it to produce tools and components for machinery.
Zgayun Inclusive Books — Crafts tactile, sensory-rich children’s books in Armenian and Armenian Braille, opening doors to reading for children with visual impairments.
unmutED — A live translation app powered by AI for both verbal and sign language, helping people with hearing impairments engage more fully in their communities.
Community vote winner
Minder — A safe and welcoming social platform that connects users with psychologists and a supportive community.
Each winning team receives 1,500 EUR and an invitation to the Social Impact Award Global Summit 2025 in Slovenia, where they will meet peers and mentors from around the world.
“AraratBank has been acting as an ideological and financial partner of the event for the third consecutive year—this year providing not only for the SIA award fund, but also for the entire incubation phase, ensuring critical resources for the development of teams. We are certainly encouraged by the results. Recognizing the long-term impact of social entrepreneurship, it’s also gratifying that the SIA program is not limited to Yerevan—its reach is much broader: we have participants presenting their business ideas from Gyumri, Goris, and other communities across our country,” says Anna Allahverdyan, Head of Communication and CSR Programs Coordination Division at AraratBank.
“This year’s Social Impact Award demonstrates what we can achieve through strong partnerships. Thanks to the dedicated support of AraratBank and the commitment of all participants, we have successfully nurtured groundbreaking ideas aimed at solving social challenges in Armenia. We are confident that the seeds planted through this initiative will grow into a lasting, positive impact on our society,” adds Gevorg Poghosyan, CEO of Impact Hub Yerevan.
Huge thanks to our mentors, partners, and the broader community for championing youth-led innovation. Congratulations to all finalists for the courage and care you brought to the stage. We cannot wait to see these ideas grow and serve more people across Armenia.
If you’d like to follow the teams’ journeys or support their work, keep an eye on our channels for updates from the Global Summit and beyond.