Tech conference Leap attracted >50% more investment than did last year’s iteration

Leap 2024 has drawn USD 14 bn in tech investments this year — up from last year’s USD 9 bn — before wrapping up last Thursday. The event brought together 215k visitors (+25% y-o-y) while the number of speakers nearly doubled to 1.1k. Circle your calendars for next year’s event slated for 10-13 February 2025.

Here’s everything you need to know from the last day:

#1- Six startups took Rocket Fuel awards worth a total of USD 1 mn:

• US-basedReme-D received the USD 250k LEAP award;
• India’s cleantech Newtrace took a USD 150k shooting star award;
• US-based software developer Playbook received the USD150k aviatrix award;
• South Korea’s drone data startup Angelswing snagged a USD 150k technology for humanity award;
• Digital receipt service Wateer received the USD 150k into new worlds award;
• India’s e-waste startup Cerebra landed the USD 150k AI award.

#2- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) inked three separate agreementswith Chinese AI company Sensetime, with CDT International to develop the semiconductor industry in the Kingdom, and with Stallrweif Technologies for electronic chip design.

#3- Prince Sultan University signed an agreement with homegrown AI company Intelmatix to launch the first AI initiative in the university, state news agency SPA reports. No further information was provided.