Ogle, a company responsible for commercialising the technology of augmented reality on a mass scale across the region, has beaten hundreds of small businesses to be shortlisted in theGulf Capital SMEinfo Awards 2013. Together with six other nominees, Ogle is vying for the Title in the ‘Business Innovation of the Year’ category, which is looking for an exceptional small business able to demonstrate excellence and innovation in its field. 

The Gulf Capital SMEinfo Awards Programme provides a platform for SMEs to raise their profile, brands, products & services. The benefits of earning this award span from a growth in business activity and publicity to recognition as a leading enterprise in their field with honour from industry peers. All of which, considered priceless gains by aspiring SMEs.

Founder, John Dickenson and dedicated Ogle team have managed to secure a list of prominent clientele and partners including Etisalat, Pizza Hut, HSBC, Gulf News Media, Getty Imagesand Visa among many others. The brand has grown by press, word-of-mouth and perseverance to secure repeat business locally, as well as interest from brands overseas.

Previously, the power of Augmented Reality has not fully been appreciated because of the fragmented way in which the technology has been distributed to consumers. Ogle aims to close that gap with one, free app that is simple for clients and end-users to use. This results in a cost-effective, high-impact medium for brands to tie all their online, television and social marketing efforts into a tangible interactive experience which enjoyable for theirs consumers. 

Ogle will now be judged by a panel of business experts, including Hari Kesavan, Chairman and Founder of UniPropitia; Kamal Hassan, Founder, President and CEO of Innovation 360 and Nader Henein, Regional Director of BlackBerry Security in a second round of face-to-face presentations, with a limited time to make a high impact. Representatives will only have 5 minutes to state their case and a 15-minute session of Q&A time, to help the panel sieve the 11 winners out of 64 finalists - 1 winner per category. 

Metisha Jagdhari, Director of Creative Communications at Ogle says: “With the fertile grounds for business growth in the Gulf region, innovative SMEs are flourishing and eager to attain tangible differences from their competitors. Receiving an award is certainly one way to stand out from the crowd. We are delighted to be nominated from 215 overall entrants and look forward to the opportunities that this event will generate.”

This year's shortlist for ‘Business Innovation of the Year’ includes Adventure HQ; Caf'e2go; SuperMart.ae; Micro Automation Industries; The Haven Spa; WMS Metal Industries, who have also evidenced an aspect of innovation in their respective fields.

The winners will be announced at the Gulf Capital SMEinfo Awards on 6^th November 2013 in the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Although 11 winners will be awarded as the top in their category. Making the shortlist is certainly a pat on the back, as all 47 nominees will be able to leverage their networking abilities with established Founders, CEOs and Leaders of successful enterprises, including all 21 judges on the night.

To see the full shortlist, and for further information on the awards and profiles of the judging panel, visit http://sme.ameinfo.com