Protcare group from Turkey and Vizmo group from Israel were the winners of the semi-finals of Novatech 2009, the European contest of innovative IT entrepreneurial concepts, which were held on Tuesday, 13 October 2009 at Tel Aviv University.

The contest was participated by 15 teams from 7 countries in central and Eastern Europe.

Protcare group from Turkey won the first place and was awarded a prize of $20,000. The Vizmo group from Israel was ranked second, and was awarded a $10,000-prize.

The two winners of Novatech 2009 will participate in the finals of the global Intel Education and Berkeley University global contest which will be held this November in Berkeley University in California.

The MindPoint-Envision from Bulgaria was recognized for special achievement and its members will fly to the contest in the USA too.

The prizes were awarded to the winners by Prof. Mark Harris, director of higher education and research at Intel EMEA, and by Uri Arazi, director of Intel Capital Israel, the venture capital arm of Intel which invests in start-up companies and has provided the professional support to some of the Israeli teams in the contest.

The winner of Novatech 2009, ProTcare from Turkey has developed an innovative urine analysis diaper which provides a fast, hygiene and non intrusive method for performing urine analysis for baby with the diaper.

The runner-up, Vizmo Group from Israel's Technion Institute of Technology, used cellular phone capabilities to allow customers calling call centers to use self-service menu functions. The two team members, Assaf Revach and Tomer London are students in the faculty of electric engineering and have conceived and developed the venture concurrently with their studies.

IBTEC and its constituent Novatech is a joint venture of Intel Education, Berkeley University and the Bulgarian Institute of Management and Technology (BIMT). The venture gives students, alumni and local entrepreneurs an opportunity to collaborate in transforming innovative technological ideas into sound business with a realistic business plan.

The semi-final stage of Novatech was attended by 15 teams from Bulgaria, Israel, Rumania, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Turkey. All of these teams have won preliminary qualifying contests in their respective countries in the areas of semi-conductors, hardware, biotechnology, cellular and wireless communication, digital homes and home electronics, retail and consumer software, energy and power generation, and nanotechnology. The contestants presented their projects with a focus on the technological concept and the business plan alike.

Focusing on educational projects and fostering of entrepreneurial programs, the Bulgarian Institute of Management and Technology (BIMT) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Bulgaria.

The Intel Company was established in Santa Clara, California, in 1968, by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce.

In 1971, Intel presented the first microprocessor, thus creating the computerization revolution that changed the world. Intel, the world leader in silicon innovations, develops technologies, initiatives and products, which promote the way in which people live and work. Intel currently employs 82,000 employees worldwide, providing the computer industry with communication and software products, motherboards and undoubtedly, microprocessors. Intel has been operating in Israel since 1974. The company mainly engages in development and production of network, communication products and microprocessors. The company has 4 development centers (Haifa, Yakum, Jerusalem, Petach Tikva) and 2 production plants (Kiryat Gat and Jerusalem), employing approximately 6,500 direct employees and several more thousands of external employees.

BIMT promotes higher education standards in Bulgaria and helps universities align their curricula to the market needs. It also offers educational and training programs with an end of developing practical skills for establishing and managing start-up companies.

BIMT develops new curricula, including programs sponsored by the EU and consults to local organizations on the implementation and execution of these programs.

BIMT leverages innovative processes of human resources personnel and career development including job shadowing, retention program, internal recruitment and more.