Success Stories
About the Project
If you watched any sci-fi film in the late nineties, chances are you were captivated by the concept of smart eye-wear. Ring any bells? You know them, those futuristic glasses that project an interactive digital screen over the wearers’ vision. Fast-forward to twenty years later and Dany El Eid - from Stars of Science Season 3 - created the real-life gadget. Introducing ARIES, an Augmented Reality Integrated Eyewear System. Dany’s head-mounted device displays digital information over the real world, much-like a scene taken straight out of The Matrix.
Beyond Stars of Science
Dany assessed the market and refined his skill-set to focus on software development. Being one of the first-movers in the Augmented Reality industry, he managed to build a sustainable business and establish an award-winning digital technology company. Dany’s company, Pixelbug, continues his pioneering work by providing digital technology solutions to brands and multinational companies. Currently feeding off the creativity that Pixelbug brings, Dany and his team have plans to expand into North America.
With Pixelbug, Dany secured a published utility patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and generated over $3 million in revenue. The company raised more than $500K from venture capitalists and grants. The fearless entrepreneur also won the MIT award for best startup in the Pan Arab region (2015) for “Colorbug,” an AR edutainment app that helps children with interactive learning. Other notable awards Dany took home include the Forbes Inspiring Business Leaders award (2015), Publicis Group P90 award (2016), and the Frost & Sullivan best AR innovation award (2018).
Dany is committed to making Pixelbug thrive. He’s taken a leadership position, focusing on driving the company’s vision, building its roadmap to success. He continues to work on new products and business development to ensure it stays at the top.
In light of giving back, Dany makes sure to spend time on growing and sharing his industry knowledge. With his ‘instructor hat’ on, he educates professionals and students about the unique opportunities available in the digital technology space. For a larger audience he delivers keynote speeches at regional and international conferences. Dany is an ardent supporter of the startup ecosystem across the Middle East and North Africa. As a member of the Young Arab Leaders, he continues to help aspiring entrepreneurs reach their full potential.
“Pixelbug is my brainchild, but if I don’t give something back to the community through what I’ve learned, I haven’t achieved anything,” he explained.
Personal Reflection
“Stars of Science gave me the confidence boost and self-belief I needed to launch my entrepreneurial journey; it shaped who I've become as an integral part of the tech ecosystem,” said Dany.
If he could relive his Stars of Science experience, Dany says he would pay more attention to the details. He has come to learn - through ups and downs - that the sting is in the tail. To the newcomers, he advises: “Academic ability is important and sometimes even crucial, but you need more for a business to succeed. Courage to take calculated risks and a constructive way of dealing with setbacks are definitely among the key requirements. The judges show you tough love on the show, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t make it to the finals. You always have those who went on to achieve great things, against all the odds.”
Follow Dany
Twitter & FB: @pixelbugintl
Instagram: @getcolorbug
Media Links
https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/en/augmented-reality-startup-pixelbug-rides-the-pokemon-craze/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249211
https://arabiangazette.com/rise-digital-bug/
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/local/reality-bites-the-pixelbug-story
