Alumni

About

Growing up in an underprivileged area of Lebanon, Azzam credits his parents for instilling in him the values that shaped his success. His father taught him the importance of problem-solving, while his mother pushed him to pursue knowledge endlessly. Taking those lessons to heart, Azzam moved to Europe to continue his studies and ultimately earned a PhD in Machine Learning from the University of Technology of Troyes in France. Today, he is recognized as an accomplished AI and machine learning specialist with over a decade of experience spanning cybersecurity, healthcare, and manufacturing.

About the Project

Like many of us, Azzam relies heavily on his smartphone to manage the challenges of daily life. But with that reliance comes risk: mobile users are constant targets for hackers seeking to exploit their personal data.
His Stars of Science project, 3D Biometric for Information Security, presents a powerful new defense. This advanced system goes beyond traditional PINs and passwords by using handwriting-based biometric authentication. The user is prompted to write a sequence of digits, and the system analyzes the pressure, timing, and writing behavior — all through machine learning — to verify their identity.

Impact

Today, Azzam is co-founder of LiriCare, a digital health startup recently selected to join the Antler Portfolio, a prestigious global startup accelerator. LiriCare is on a mission to offer accessible, high-quality speech therapy for children with special needs across the MENAP region, where an estimated $7 billion is spent annually on support services.

The platform connects families directly with qualified, trained therapists, simplifying care, reducing gaps in access, and empowering parents in their children’s developmental journey. Azzam brings his decade-long expertise in AI and machine learning to power LiriCare’s technological backbone, helping deliver personalized, scalable care solutions to those who need it most.