AUA Visits Hero House/SmartGateVC with Objective of Expanding Science & Tech Influence in Armenia

AUA Development Team at Hero House Glendale with alumnae Alisa Chalakhyan (BAB ‘19), Liana Karapetyan (BAB ‘20), Armine Galstyan (BAB ‘19).

GLENDALE, California — On November 5, 2021, the American University of Armenia (AUA) Development Team, together with AUA alumna Alisa Chalakhyan (BAB ‘19), visited the Hero House, a technology and entrepreneurship hub in Glendale established by the venture capital fund SmartGateVC. Hosting the AUA team were Armine Galstyan (BAB ‘19), Principal at SmartGateVC and Managing Director of Hero House Glendale, and Liana Karapetyan (BAB ‘20), Associate at SmartGateVC and Director of Hero House Angels. 

Hero House is a technology and entrepreneurship hub that brings together the scientific potential of leading universities in Southern California and the technology expertise of Eastern Europe to help early-stage companies grow and expand into the United States. The hub anchors technology startups under its roof and runs an acceleration program for business and technology development connecting the startups with mentors and industry leaders. Hero House also operates an Angel Network in California, as well as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence program that offers networking, mentoring, and potential funding by in-house investors, a Student Ambassador program that seeks students with high potential to pair them with companies commensurate with their individual interests, and cultivates relationships with University technology labs and venture funds.

As part of the University’s efforts with its latest tech-centric capital campaign, ‘Build a Better Future with AUA’, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss and develop the symbiotic relationship between the accelerator and AUA, as the University continues to grow in strengthening STEM education among its young scholars, with the intent to advance Armenia’s position within science and technology on the global playing field. 

With very strong ties to AUA and the University’s Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC), Hero House has played an active role in the success of multiple start-ups who trace their beginnings to AUA and have gone on to reach greater heights in the international sphere. These include Krisp, Pinsight, Mythrill, and more. With the meeting as only a start, AUA looks forward to future opportunities, events, and mentorship opportunities with Hero House for its students. 

To learn more, visit https://30th.aua.am. 

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.