more-inThe names may be unfamiliar but the services are immediately recognisable: Snapp is Iran’s answer to Uber, Digikala is its Amazon, and Pintapin its Booking.com. U.S. sanctions have protected the Islamic republic’s tech sector, barring Silicon Valley from profiting from one of the world’s most promising emerging markets, and giving a free run to domestic start-ups to recreate their services. Even some Californian mumbo-jumbo has been imported: one booth at the Elecomp tech fair in Tehran this week claimed it was “Creating Artificial Mindfulness”. Across town, the huge hangars, strip-lighting and shiny booths of the Elecomp tech fair could be anywhere. When you are under sanctions, you have an opportunity to do many things yourself,” said the fair’s organiser, Naserali Saadat.

Source: The Hindu July 25, 2017 17:03 UTC