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Startup entrepreneurs pitch businesses to experts

Doha, November 20, 2013

Eighteen startup entrepreneurs from throughout the Arab world gathered in Doha to pitch their businesses to an audience of investors, mentors and entrepreneurship experts.

The first Doha Venture Day was held at the Renaissance Hotel, organised by Silatech, a regional social initiative based in Doha focused on improving employment and entrepreneurship for young people in the Arab world and IE Business School, said a statement.

More than 60 early stage startups applied to the competition, and 14 finalists were selected to compete in Doha before a jury of entrepreneurs and experts for prizes totalling $25,000.

The finalists included startup businesses from Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia and Lebanon.

Four runners-up were also given the opportunity to present their business ideas to the audience.

Zoomal from Lebanon was chosen as the winning startup, with Crowd Analyzer from the UAE and the Kuwaiti startup Kout Way placing second and third, respectively.

The event was launched in partnership with IE Business School as part of their IE Venture Days series. In addition to Doha Venture Day, other IE Venture Days this year covered cities including Mexico City, Shanghai, Madrid, Lisbon, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Mumbai, and Tokyo.

Dr Tarik M Yousef, Silatech CEO, said: “Events such as this provide excellent opportunities for young entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors and mentors from throughout the region. By partnering with the IE Business School for Doha Venture Day, Silatech is working to provide startup businesses with access to the finance and knowledge they need to succeed.”

Doha Venture Day was held as part of the ongoing Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), a worldwide celebration featuring thousands of entrepreneurship-focused activities in over 140 countries.

Silatech is the Qatar country host partner for GEW, which features over 60 workshops, discussions, lectures and interactive sessions.

Other events and activities taking place during the week include a dialogue among students and recent graduates on searching, applying for and getting jobs in Qatar; a series of workshops on the personality types and skills that are needed to succeed as an entrepreneur; an exploration of the potential for crowdfunding platforms to benefit young entrepreneurs throughout the Mena region; and a series of discussions on improving the policy climate to encourage entrepreneurship in Qatar. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Doha | entrepreneurs | venture | DAY | startup |

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