Inclusion in the Pegasus Program is particularly relevant for Zenity given the company’s additive security and governance controls for Microsoft customers who are heavily adopting popular Microsoft business productivity tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Power Platform, and Fabric, among others. This positions Zenity to provide further value to Microsoft customers by:

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Startup Criteria:

• Tech startups
• AI solutions
• Revenue Generating Scale-Ups or Growth Stage Innovators

Program Components

• AI based technology solutions.
• Virtual capacity building workshops and training covering Business, Abu Dhabi, AI and Tech.
• Unique curated mentor panels are dedicated specifically to each startup.
• 1:1 Technical support and guidance from Microsoft specialists.
• In-person Demo Day and opportunities at UAE.
• Access to investors and corporate partners
• Up to $150,000 in Azure credits and benefits on Founders Hub

Timeline:

• Application Deadline: September 2nd, 2024
• Program Duration: September 16 – November 8
• Demo Day: First week of December

Last date for application submission is September 2nd, 2024

Click HERE for more details.

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Ahmed Baghoum, the acting CEO of Masdar City, said, “Since its launch in 2021, Innovate has helped dozens of companies kick off major projects in the region. The magic of seeing start-ups focus on emerging technologies to help the fight against climate change has inspired us to return this year with an even more ambitious exhibition. With The Catalyst on board, start-ups will have the chance to benefit from an accelerator specifically tailored to their needs and industries.”

Steve Severance, Masdar City’s director of growth, said, “Pairing The Catalyst with Innovate opens the door for aspiring businesses to gain our support and funding in the most efficient way possible. At Innovate, companies will be able to pitch their projects straight to our senior directors, and if they succeed, they will win our unwavering support. There are many benefits to joining The Catalyst beyond the funding opportunity. We also help member companies gain access to the Masdar City Free Zone and Abu Dhabi’s technology ecosystem.”

In its first edition, Innovate provided support and exposure to 20 emerging companies, some of which decided to return this year. FortyGuard, which provides solutions for optimizing energy resources, was one of them. The start-up, which launched in 2020, landed Masdar City as their first client through Innovate 2022, and several other deals followed.

“Masdar City is a regional ecosystem enabler. Taking part in their Innovate program opened a big door for us,” said Jay Sadiq, the FortyGuard founder and chief visionary officer. “Being in direct contact with major energy officials and decision-makers was the highlight of the event for us. We did not have to search for potential clients and supporters; they came to find us. Today, we serve 12 major clients who were a result of our initial deal with Masdar City.”

Innovate will feature an agri-tech showcase by DANA Venture Builder, an Abu-Dhabi-based venture builder and investment platform for women-led startups in desert tech, including agri-tech, water solutions, food security, waste management, and renewable energy through regional collaboration, innovation mentorship, impact community, and funding.

Another Innovate showcase, presented by The Catalyst, is called HydroArtPod, a smart indoor home garden that features ambient lighting and looks like wall art. Founded by Aline Pate, HydroArtPod is a small, fully automated garden that allows families to grow fresh produce all year round to reduce dependency on food retailers. 

Innovate is being held in partnership with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft for Startups, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), and DANA Venture Builder. Each entity will present several innovative clean-tech companies that cover a range of areas, including clean energy, food security, and artificial intelligence.

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The GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns initiatives are part of a broader strategic partnership between Microsoft and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to accelerate the growth of B2B tech startups across the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan.

“Startups play a key role in driving economic growth, job creation and diversification. Tech startups in particular offer significant opportunities to accelerate innovation across the UAE and the region by bringing creative and unique solutions to various challenges. Abu Dhabi is committed to supporting and nurturing the growth of innovative businesses, and our ongoing partnership with Microsoft for Startups through the Growth X Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns initiatives is a key enabler to us achieving this,” said Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General at ADIO.

GrowthX Accelerator
The 10-week virtual accelerator program runs from 19 September – 25 November and equips founders with the essentials required to successfully scale their startups to Abu Dhabi’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Applications to join the program are open to B2B tech startups from across the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan that are looking to establish operations in the UAE capital.

Primarily geared towards growth-stage startups ranging from the Seed to Series A spectrum, the GrowthX Accelerator empowers B2B tech startups by offering training opportunities that focus on enterprise sales and technical readiness for scale. Through technical and commercial acceleration, the program creates connections and brings innovators together to learn, grow, become investor-ready, and improve engagement with potential regional customers.

“After two successful instalments of the GrowthX Accelerator program, we are thrilled to open applications for a third cohort of innovative tech startups to be empowered to achieve more,” said Naim Yazbeck, General Manager: Microsoft UAE. “We recognise the potential that startups bring to accelerate digital transformation across the region. Through initiatives like GrowthX, we demonstrate our commitment to supporting their growth journeys and preparing them for scale. We look forward to harnessing these businesses and further strengthening the important role Abu Dhabi plays in the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

Highway to 100 Unicorns
Microsoft for Startups Middle East also announced that free registrations for its popular virtual conference series, Highway to 100 Unicorns, are open. Hosted in partnership with ADIO via a series of live events on LinkedIn, Highway to 100 Unicorns unites thought leaders from across the region to address the issues faced by growth-stage founders in the Middle East, Turkey, and Pakistan. Some of the confirmed speakers for the upcoming series include Muneeb Mayr (Founder of Bykea), Hasan Haider (Managing Partner at Plus Venture Capital), Serene Shalan (Head of Strategic Partnerships at ADIO), and Dana Baki (Co-Founder of MunchOn).

“We’ve received fantastic feedback from startups and speakers who’ve participated in previous instalments of our Highway to 100 Unicorns series, so we look forward to hosting another series of virtual talks and driving further impact in the growth journeys of startups across the region,” Yazbeck said. “This time around, we are focusing on participants who are growth-stage founders and eager to succeed in a rapidly globalizing digital economy where success relies on the ability to make the right moves at the right time with the right technology. I have no doubt that attendees will gain exceptional value from the series.”

If you are a B2B tech startup based in the Middle East interested in scaling to Abu Dhabi, find out more and apply for the Microsoft for Startups GrowthX Accelerator program.

To register for the latest Highway to 100 Unicorns virtual conference series for free, or to find out more, click here.

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Part of a strategic partnership between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Microsoft for Startups, the GrowthX Accelerator is a 12-week program designed to bridge the gap between corporates and B2B tech startups across the Middle East and Africa by enabling them to work together and solve unique challenges.

“Startups offer creative, innovative solutions to challenges faced in businesses and communities everywhere,” said Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO. “Programs such as the GrowthX Accelerator offer them hands-on, practical training that will help them grow and scale their businesses in the shorter-term, and drive further impact in the long-term. It has been truly rewarding to receive positive feedback from the second cohort of startups. Through such programs, Abu Dhabi will continue to foster an enabling business environment and support startups with the access they need to grow.”

Since commencing in March 2022, the second edition of the program has empowered 21 B2B tech startups with hands-on training and mentorship from the Microsoft for Startups team, as well as the program’s Corporate Engagement Partners which include DHL, Etisalat, EY, Koç Holding, and PwC. Corporate partners are holding bi-weekly mentorship sessions with founders, giving them an opportunity to enhance their business models, modify their tech solutions and discover new customer acquisition techniques.

A notable highlight for founders has been the ‘Pitch Deck Clinics,” where they are guided on best practices to enhance their investment and sales decks. Startups have also participated in weekly sessions on topics such as Go to Market Strategy, where they explored best practices for early-stage customer acquisition, sales processes and communicating company values. Another standout session was on Growth Hacking, which offered vital information to help startups clearly structure a growth plan and always maintain a growth mindset.

In addition to these valuable teachings that founders can leverage to scale their businesses once the program has concluded, the sessions also prepare participating startups for the corporate sessions they will attend later in the program, where they will pitch their innovative business idea to the program’s participating corporates.

“Over the past few weeks, I have been excited to see how the startups have leveraged the program to engage with our knowledge partners and mentors to enhance areas of their business” said Andrew Macadam, Global Founder Success Director, Microsoft for Startups. “Our partner Stripe delivered an in-depth session on pricing and monetization which gave the cohort insights into how to test pricing, understand the competition as well as how to understand customer personas. Additionally, the startups were able to have access to interesting B2B marketing techniques through a session led by LinkedIn, which they can apply to their own marketing strategies and teams to optimise overall reach and supercharge their growth in the region.”

The GrowthX Accelerator runs until June 2022. For more information on the Microsoft for Startups, click here

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Currently, in its second year, the GrowthX Accelerator is part of a strategic partnership between ADIO and Microsoft that aims to bridge the gap between corporates and B2B startups across the Middle East and Africa by enabling them to work together and solve unique challenges.

Founders participating in this instalment of the program will work with Microsoft for Startups’ Corporate Engagement Partners DHL, Etisalat, EY, Koç Holding, Lulu Hypermarket, and PwC to co-create technology solutions that address the corporate partners’ challenges. Startups will also have the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to these corporate partners on the final day of the program.

Designed to offer value both to the startups who participate in the program as well as the corporate partners who engage with these businesses, the 12-week GrowthX Accelerator empowers B2B startups with the technology, mentoring and market access they need to solve the real challenges facing corporations participating in the region. Startups from across the region gain valuable knowledge on best practices for selling, hiring, fundraising, mentoring and community building, while taking part in marketplaces, talent partnerships, investor workshops, community connects and corporate pitches.

Roberto Croci, Managing Director: Microsoft for Startups said: “We’ve built on the success of the first GrowthX Accelerator to develop a second edition that is even more hands-on and offers even more value for participating startups. The 21 startups participating in this event will gain incredible knowledge from mentors in the program that will not only help them scale their businesses, but drive real impact across the region. Together with ADIO, we look forward to empowering this second cohort of startups to develop their innovative ideas into next-generation solutions that can further drive our position as a global hub for technology and entrepreneurship.”

The 21 startups participating in the second instalment of the GrowthX Accelerator program include:AiFlux, DevisionX ,Event Gates (EGT Kontrol AS),Farmdar, Farmin ,Greener Crop,IPERA.AI ,Lune Technologies , monak e-services ,NutzenTech, Occicor, Olymon Solutions, Pivony, PowerDev, Sav ,Searover ,Swftbox ,Trade Capital Partners (TCP),Valorafutbol,Workfam

Microsoft for Startups’ current GrowthX Accelerator cohort runs from March – June 2022.

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The GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns are part of a broader strategic partnership between Microsoft and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to accelerate opportunities for startups across the region. The GrowthX Accelerator, announced in January 2021 and officially launched in May, brings together corporates with challenges and startups that can build field-ready solutions. It empowers B2B tech startups with the commercial and technical resources and support they need to accelerate their growth.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, said, “Startups are the lifeblood of Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem, bringing ingenuity, fresh ideas and ambition to drive progress across all sectors. The Abu Dhabi government is committed to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses through scale up programmes such as GrowthX Accelerator and Highway to 100 Unicorns. The progression of these initiatives to their next phases signifies the success they have achieved in helping startups. We will continue on this journey to ensure innovators have access to all the tools and resources they need to make impactful change in Abu Dhabi.”

The UAE has ranked consistently high on global indexes that benchmark business excellence. Microsoft for Startups GrowthX Accelerator is designed to consolidate the progress the country has made by leveraging the benefits its government offers technology companies. Through intense technical and commercial acceleration, the programme engenders connections and brings innovators together to learn, grow, become investor-ready and better engage corporates in the region.

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“Abu Dhabi is focused on empowering startups that can create a lasting impact in the digital economy,” said H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. “As a founding partner of GrowthX Accelerator, ADIO is partnering with Microsoft to empower visionary entrepreneurs with the technology, mentoring and market access they need to get off the ground. ADIO’s work with Microsoft will accelerate innovation and boost entrepreneurship, in line with Abu Dhabi’s unwavering commitment to support the private sector.”

As part of a larger strategic partnership between ADIO and Microsoft, GrowthX Accelerator is designed to bridge the gap between corporates and B2B startups across the Middle East and Africa by connecting startups with large corporations. The 12-week program empowers B2B startups with the technology, mentoring and market access they need to solve the corporate partners’ unique challenges and problem statements.

“Startups are now in the driver’s seat to fulfilling their potential through the GrowthX Accelerator. It is exhilarating to facilitate an empowering experience for B2B startups to make the most of the technology, mentoring, and access to the market that this program will provide,” said Roberto Croci, Managing Director, Microsoft for Startups, MEA. “Alongside our partners, we look forward to enabling our first cohort of B2B startups to compete at the highest level, and in hopes of transforming the region into a globally leading hub for technology and entrepreneurship.”

The first cohort consists of 15 startups that will hit the ground running, offering breakthrough solutions that meet corporate clients’ challenges and requirements.

Microsoft for Startups is working with Etihad Airways, Unilever, Flow, Akbank, KPMG and IKEA in the first cohort as Corporate Engagement Partners. B2B startups will work with these partners directly for the duration of the program, to ultimately co-create technology solutions that address the corporate partners’ challenges.

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EMPWR has helped to formulate the questions for the survey, monitored the progress of the report, and led the project, along with Lara Fakih from WAMDA. EMPWR has also been instrumental in enabling the partnerships needed to generate the report – which included Labayh from the KSA; O7 Therapy from Egypt; Nafas from Oman; and My Wellbeing Lab, Takalam, Mindtales, and H.A.D. Consultants from the UAE.

The report is the first to record data regarding the mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurs in the region, with a specific focus on the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. The results of the research indicate that startup founders undergo higher levels of stress, than the rest of the region, with twice the likelihood of developing depression issues.

55% of Startup founders said that raising investment has caused the most stress; the pandemic was the second most-cited reason, by 33.7% of respondents. 35.9% of founders rate the state of their mental health as ‘bad’, and 44.2% spend at least 2 hours a week trying to de-stress. The report also includes a mapping of the mental health startups in Mena, a third of which were launched over this past year.

“It has been fascinating to witness the impact of relationships between start-up co-founders and their companies, in the aftermath of the global pandemic,” comments Ally Salama, CEO at EMPWR. “Many described their relationships with such partners and cohorts as being more like family. We found that entrepreneurs operating as a team were more likely to have a stronger sense of wellbeing, and suffer less loneliness. We have only begun to scratch the surface of this issue. Nuanced and detailed research is needed, to develop a more sophisticated understanding of this phenomenon”, added Ally.

Other insights, uncovered by the report, include:

• A good relationship between co-founders can help startups navigate the pandemic-hit market. More than 95% of entrepreneurs view co-founders as family members and/or friends
• More research is required around the pressure created by the need to achieve growth, fund-raising; as well as by the risk of failure
• Many entrepreneurs live well below their means to fund their ventures, leading to stress that is detrimental to their health
• Entrepreneurs are increasingly valuing their mental health more than ever, yet results show only 9.9% rate their mental health as good
• There is a critical need for accessible, and affordable mental health services, that cater especially to entrepreneurs.

In the past, EMPWR has worked with government entities – including the government of Canada, the Dubai Police, and the UAE government entity, Sharjah Capability Development as well as several leading corporates; to offer research related to mental health. EMPWR is also in the process of launching a culture-oriented, centralised, and comprehensive network, aimed at providing youth in the region with a peer-support and mental health resource. This initiative will lead to the EMPWR app, and the upcoming EMPWR Hub, in an attempt to increase conversations around mental wellbeing, among young people in the region. EMPWR’s extensive experience and strengths prompted market heavyweights like Microsoft and WAMDA, to partner with EMPWR, to create this report on mental health and wellbeing report.

With only 2% of healthcare budgets in the MENA region currently spent on addressing mental health, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young entrepreneurs and achievers could lead to an economic burden of $1 trillion, by 2030.

“28% of the population of the Middle East is between 15 and 29 years old. Mental health issues are widespread among them but less than half are willing to seek help, due to cultural stigmas and stereotypes. Our attempt, at EMPWR, is to mainstream the conversation around the issue, so this silent epidemic, which is particularly rampant among the region’s youth and entrepreneurs, can be addressed”, Ally reiterates.

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Hailed as a major boost to the UAE’s vibrant startup ecosystem, Microsoft’s GrowthX Accelerator – announced in January and opened for registrations in May – is part of a larger strategic partnership between the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and Microsoft to accelerate opportunities in the emirate for startups.

“Startups catalyse innovation and pioneer technologies that have the potential to create positive and lasting societal impact,” said H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO. “Recognising the advantages offered by startups, Abu Dhabi creates a nurturing environment for these businesses as they develop their ideas, and acts as a launchpad for their growth, both locally and globally. As founding partner of GrowthX Accelerator, we are excited to work with Microsoft to bring startups and corporations together, unlocking opportunities for innovative businesses at all stages of growth.”

The GrowthX Accelerator will include virtual and physical workshops and training sessions, as well as a series of VC demo days, corporate access days, and networking events where startups can showcase their visions to venture capitalists and Microsoft’s regional customers. For the first cohort, which will be running from August to November, Microsoft will recruit 15 startups from across the region that solve the corporate challenges of its partners.

Microsoft for Startups has already announced that Etihad Airways, Unilever, Akbank, and KPMG will be participating in the first cohort as Corporate Engagement Partners, with a few more partner announcements to come. The program will recruit specialised B2B startups to work with these partners directly for the duration of the program, to ultimately co-create technology solutions that address the corporate partners’ challenges.

“GrowthX Accelerator empowers B2B startups with the technology, mentoring and market access they need to thrive in the new global digital economy,” said Roberto Croci, Managing Director, Microsoft for Startups, MEA. “Across the region, Microsoft sees customers eager for innovative solutions that will empower them to compete. Our work with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office on GrowthX Accelerator is set to transform Abu Dhabi and the region into a global hub for technology and entrepreneurship.”

To apply now or find out more about the Microsoft for Startups GrowthX Accelerator program, B2B startups in Abu Dhabi and the UAE can visit here.

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