View source for Engineering:IBRIDGES

{{DISPLAYTITLE:iBRIDGES}}
{{Infobox convention
| name        = iBRIDGES
| image       = IBRIDGES logo.png
| alt         = iBRIDGES' logo
| caption     = 
| status      = Active
| genre       = [[Social:Entrepreneurship|Entrepreneurship]]
| venue       = 
| location    = 
| coordinates = 
| country     = 
| first       = 2014
| last        = 
| attendance  = 
| organizer   = Iranian diaspora 
| filing      = 
| website     = http://ibridges.org
| footnotes   = 
}}
'''iBRIDGES''' is an annual convention for Iranian diaspora to meet with Iranian entrepreneurs and business people.<ref name="Bozorgmehr">{{cite web | last=Bozorgmehr | first=Najmeh | title=Iran's tech sector to display potential in Berlin | website=[[Social:Financial Times|Financial Times]] | date=2015-05-21 | url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d729e71c-fed9-11e4-84b2-00144feabdc0.html | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref> 
The primary goal of the convention is to bridge the gap between the Iranian high-tech [[Finance:Startup company|start-up]]s and the western investors.<ref name="Dehghan">{{cite web | last=Dehghan | first=Saeed Kamali | title=From Digikala to Hamijoo: the Iranian startup revolution, phase two | website={{wipe|The Guardian}} | date=2015-05-31 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/31/amazon-iranian-style-digikala-other-startups-aparat-hamijoo-takhfifan | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref> The discussions in this convention are intended to primarily focus on entrepreneurship opportunities in Iran's tech industry rather than its internal or foreign policies.<ref name="DW.DE 2015">{{cite web | title= Will Tehran become the Silicon Valley? | website=Deutsche Welle | date=2015-05-24 | url=http://www.dw.de/%D8%A2%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%DA%A9%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%AF/a-18473912 | language=fa | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref><ref name="VOA">{{cite web | title=The largest gathering of Iranian diaspora in last 30 years will be held in Berlin| website=Voice of America | date=2015-05-21 | url=http://ir.voanews.com/content/iranians-berlin/2780930.html | language=fa | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref>

The 2014 convention in [[Organization:University of California, Berkeley|UC Berkeley]] attracted more than 700 Iranian high-tech executives and entrepreneurs.<ref name="EETimes 2010">{{cite web | last=Merritt | first=Rick  | title=Entrepreneurs Seek Bridge to Iran | website=EE Times | date=2014-09-08  | url=http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1323799 | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref> 
The 2015 convention in [[Place:Berlin|Berlin]] is called "the largest gathering of Iranians outside the country in more than three decades".<ref name="The Washingtion Times 2015">{{cite web| last=Sands | first=David R. | title=U.S. allies not waiting for Iran's sanctions to come down | website=The Washington Times | date=2015-05-27 | url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/27/us-rivals-not-waiting-for-irans-sanctions-to-come-/ | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref>  It was held from June 4-6, 2015 at the new Berlin CityCube convention center. The event included 117 sessions with 163 speakers, and 1,040 registered participants from 35 countries. Dave McClure, one of 2015 attendees, counts the large population of Iran and its educated population as potential for startups in the country.<ref name="Dehghan"/> The official final and detailed [http://ibridges.org/ibridge-berlin-2015-report/ report] of the iBridge Berlin was released by organizer in October 2015.

The convention is also implicitly aimed at bridging the gap in international relationship between Iran and western countries,<ref name="Burrows">{{cite web | last=Burrows | first=Mathew J. | title=Diversity Is America's 21st Century Strength | website=The Huffington Post | date=2014-08-20 | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mathew-j-burrows/diversity-is-americas-21s_b_5695593.html | access-date=2015-05-31}}</ref> especially at the time of diplomatic negotiations between Iran and western countries on Iran's nuclear program.<ref name="Dehghan"/>

== Conferences ==
* {{flagicon|USA}} 2014: Berkeley, {{wipe|California}}, {{wipe|United States}}
* {{flagicon|Germany}} 2015: [[Place:Berlin|Berlin]], {{wipe|Germany}}
* {{flagicon|Spain}} 2016: [[Place:Barcelona|Barcelona]], {{wipe|Spain}}
* {{Flagicon|Canada}} 2019: Toronto, Ontario, {{wipe|Canada}}

== See also ==
* Technology start-ups in Iran
* Venture capital in Iran

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://ibridges.org iBRIDGES website]
* {{cite web | last=Motevalli | first=Golnar | title=Americans Scour Tehran for Assets as Iranians Open Doors | website=Bloomberg.com | date=2015-06-02  | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-02/americans-scour-tehran-for-cheap-assets-as-iranians-open-doors | access-date=2015-06-04}}
* {{Cite web
  | last =
  | first =
  | author =
  | title = Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Iran
  | journal =
  | publisher = Iran Entrepreneurship Association
  | date = Winter 2014
  | url= http://www.cgiran.org/main/images/files/20140429102612_IranEntrepreneurshipEcosystemReport-IEA2013-v2.pdf
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150913025022/http://www.cgiran.org/main/images/files/20140429102612_IranEntrepreneurshipEcosystemReport-IEA2013-v2.pdf
  |archive-date = September 13, 2015
  | url-status = live
  | doi =
  }}


__NOTOC__
[[Category:Consumer electronics]]

{{Sourceattribution|IBRIDGES}}