The programme is supported by The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) to prepare startups for the ongoing StartUp Bahrain Pitch Series. Spring Venture Services and global venture capital firm Salica Investments facilitate the programme, which provides founders with capital, expert in-house capability, and access to MENA’s leading investors to increase the likelihood of startup success.

Since its inception, “Raise” has successfully conducted seven bootcamps in preparation for 15 StartUp Bahrain Pitch events, helping 104 startups refine their investor readiness and secure essential funding. The programme provides entrepreneurs with hands-on workshops, fireside chats, and one-on-one office hours, ensuring they gain a strong foundation in fundraising, pitching, and business strategy.

A key highlight of the programme is the StartUp Bahrain Pitch Series, where participating startups will have the opportunity to showcase their businesses before an esteemed panel of judges and an influential audience. These events are organised in collaboration with key industry stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB), and StartUp Bahrain. The events conclude with the announcement of the winning startup, which receives a cash prize deployed against key milestones, along with potential further funding and support from programme partners.

The participating startups in Cohort 8, categorized by industry, are:

Technology & AI
DOO is an AI-powered platform that enhances customer engagement, offering businesses an efficient way to personalize their customer interactions and streamline their services. Tamam provides an AI-driven order management system designed to help small businesses optimize their operations and manage orders effectively. Croozz Technologies introduces a telematics-based solution that rewards safe driving, encouraging responsible driving habits through real-time tracking and incentives.

Marketplace & E-commerce
BizBay is a digital marketplace that connects businesses for buying, selling, and investing, facilitating seamless transactions and growth opportunities. Cardue offers a platform for digital car care services, simplifying vehicle maintenance and repairs with on-demand service options. Ihdaa redefines gifting by integrating charitable donations, allowing users to send thoughtful gifts while supporting worthy causes.

Finance & Business Services
Safer provides innovative travel financing solutions, making it easier for individuals to plan and fund their trips. Rentat offers a digital solution for property management, automating tasks and streamlining processes for property owners and tenants alike.

Consumer & Lifestyle
Clany specializes in managing esports events, creating a platform that helps organizers execute successful and engaging competitions. Jalees offers an on-demand childcare platform, connecting parents with trusted caregivers for flexible childcare services. Seera provides a meal subscription service that supports local vendors, offering customers convenient meal options while helping food entrepreneurs thrive.

The Raise bootcamp continues to play a crucial role in fostering a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing startups access to key industry leaders, investors, and potential partners.

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The program, now in its 8th edition, has gained widespread recognition for its ability to shape the entrepreneurial landscape in Qatar. Each edition builds on the success of the last, with QRDI Council’s commitment to empowering local businesses growing ever more evident. This bootcamp is not just a training program, it’s a vital support system for Qatar’s SME sector, which continues to play an essential role in the country’s vision for innovation and economic diversification.

Beyond its focus on SMEs, the QRDI Council recognises the critical role of product management across organisations of all sizes. The Council’s initiatives support the integration of product management practices across all sectors, ensuring that businesses, from SMEs to large local enterprises (LLEs), are equipped with the tools they need to maintain competitiveness and promote innovation in today’s global economy.

Aysha Abdulhameed Al Mudahka, RDI Program Director at QRDI Council, said: “As a key component of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, QRDI Council is proud to promote research and innovation to aid in the nation’s sustainable development. In keeping with the Vision’s objectives of creating a knowledge-based, competitive, and innovative economy, our ongoing efforts to support SMEs and encourage entrepreneurship are essential to diversifying Qatar’s economy and guaranteeing long-term prosperity.”

Ghanim Al Sulaiti, the founder and CEO of Enbat Holding, previously spoke as a guest speaker at the sixth edition of the SME Bootcamp. He gave the participating SMEs valuable advice and shared insightful stories from his business career. The growth and success of small and medium-sized businesses depend on efforts like the QRDI Council’s SME Bootcamp, which Ghanim emphasised as crucial.

“Having a platform like QRDI Council that brings together people from different parts of the industry helps bridge the gap and makes it more engaging. I believe there’s so much in common between our vision at Enbat and QRDI. QRDI Council has been a pillar in Doha, raising awareness about the importance of research and focusing on R&D. In our industry, we constantly need this. We need to find ways to improve people’s lives through innovative ideas and sustainable solutions. That’s why we continue to work together, and that’s why we’re here today.”

As the 8th edition concludes, the bootcamp featured several remarkable guest speakers, including Hamad Hadeed CEO of cytomate, and Mohamed Ali Abbaspour, Founder & CEO of sponixtech. Both entrepreneurs shared their personal journeys and provided participants with a unique view of what it takes to overcome challenges and successfully scale a business. Their stories of perseverance, innovation, and strategic decision-making were invaluable to the attendees, offering a roadmap for navigating the often-turbulent waters of entrepreneurship.

Throughout the week, attendees share experiences, gain new insights, and build relationships that can help propel their ventures forward. This collaborative environment fosters both professional growth and the exchange of ideas, allowing participants to see their businesses from new perspectives.

But QRDI Council’s SME training is far more than a series of inspirational talks. It’s a hands-on, interactive experience where participants are immersed in practical, real-world business exercises. Over five days, they explore the 5D framework, dive deep into advanced market research techniques, and develop actionable business roadmaps. Focused sessions on customer engagement and product launch preparation ensure participants are ready to tackle the practicalities of launching and growing a business. Each session is designed to address every aspect of the product launch process, creating a launch plan, anticipating potential delays, managing stakeholder expectations, and refining strategies for success.

On the final day, participants showcase their progress by presenting their business propositions and demonstrating the insights and skills they’ve gained throughout the training. This hands-on approach ensures that they leave with a deep understanding of how to turn theory into practice, making them better equipped to navigate the challenges of the business world.

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Following the conclusion of its 2-week Online Bootcamp, which saw 60+ tech companies participate in an intensive online training with experienced mentors, FAST Accelerator’s cohort of 12 startups will progress to a 5-week comprehensive acceleration experience in Silicon Valley, California starting in October.

“Microsoft believes that African startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are well-positioned to become a bedrock for the African digital economy, with relevant solutions to local societal and economic challenges. Participation in the FAST Accelerator program will help these entrepreneurs capture growth opportunities and expand their market reach,” said Mame-Fatou Gueye, SME Program Manager, Microsoft Africa Transformation Office.

The FAST Accelerator program received over 1200 applications from 35 countries in Africa, spanning a diverse range of industry sectors, including Financial Services (128 applications), Healthcare (95 applications), Agriculture (235 applications), Transportation & Logistics (60 applications), Clean Technology & Energy (57 applications), and Creative Media & Entertainment (40 applications). Applicants represented a broad mix of cloud-based products and services serving businesses throughout Africa, harnessing AI to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and address critical challenges in their respective domains.

“At Flapmax, our mission is to build societally impactful solutions that harness the power of AI to transform multiple industries through long-term partnerships with startups, SMEs, and global enterprises,” said Dr. Dave Ojika, founder and CEO of Flapmax. “Collaborating with technology partners like Microsoft and Intel, we are assembling a unique fusion of cutting-edge AI technologies, business development strategies, and global-scale growth opportunities for Africa and other emerging markets. Our objective is to empower startups and underrepresented entrepreneurs to rapidly and sustainably scale their businesses and create new job opportunities using AI as a catalyst.”

FAST Accelerator 2023 (FA23) applicants had to be based in Africa, ready to scale or expand within the continent, and have an established product-market fit while addressing one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The FA23 cohort features the following startups:

• Zeeh Africa (FinTech) (https://www.Zeeh.Africa/): AI-powered open banking platform connecting businesses to financial data
• Sumundi (eCommerce) (https://Sumundi.com/): Intelligent eCommerce platform for Africa’s retail businesses
• Cotrust Equity (FinTech) (https://Cotruste.com/): The Uber for micro-lending in Africa
• Trucki (Supply Chain) (https://ioslogistics.com/): AI-powered haulage infrastructure connecting cargo stakeholders
• Orange VFX (Creative Media) (https://OrangeVFX.com/): Delivering high-quality animation and visual effects that help African businesses
• 10mg Pharma (HealthTech) (https://10mg.co.uk/): AI-driven cost savings on medications for chronic pain patients
• Wallx (FinTech) (https://www.Wallx.co/): Payment and business solution for small business owners
• Moosbu (FinTech) (https://Moosbu.com/) : Empowering SMEs with AI for sales and financing
• KCG Aquatec Fish Farming (AgTech) (https://KCGaquatec.com/) : Aquaculture infrastructure helping fish farmers grow their businesses sustainably
• Aibanc (FinTech) (https://Aibanc.co/): AI-powered Banking for High Earners Not Rich Yet (HENRY)
• Zendawa Africa (HealthTech) (https://Zendawa.Africa/): Enabling neighborhood pharmacies to sell online
• Greenbii (FinTech) (https://www.Greenbii.com/): AI-driven asset financing and software management platform for SMEs

Beginning October 23, the FA23 cohort will participate in a wide array of activities, including training, AI integration, business development, fundraising, and various other events. They will work closely with Intel and Microsoft on co-innovation projects, receive sales and marketing support, and gain go-to-market enablement to broaden their audience reach. Additionally, members of the Flapmax engineering team will assist startups in applying optimized Large Language AI models (LLMs), as well as in scaling and fine-tuning these models on Microsoft Azure and Intel platforms.

Previous participants of the Online Bootcamp program had the following to say:

“It is inspiring to learn what is happening in the AI and tech space across sectors and to interact with cohort members and speakers who are experts in their fields.” – Cohort member HealthX Africa.

“This [will] provide us with mentorship, networking and fundraising opportunities with global startups. This is a huge one for us and we are more than excited to embark on this adventure!” – Dataleum.

“It was such a great privilege participating in the FAST Accelerator program! Thank you for the phenomenal classes and the opportunity to build new cross-national networks with other amazing entrepreneurs creating global solutions to local problems with one single aim to make the world a better place for everyone!” – Michael Oboh, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Orange VFX Studios.

Flapmax has also announced the launch of its digital matching platform, FAST Portal, designed to connect investors with startups. FAST Portal will be leveraged to facilitate introductions between investors, partners, and startups within the FAST Accelerator community. Corporate partners and organizations are invited to join us in our mission to empower entrepreneurs and innovators in underserved markets around the world.

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SBS Venture Bootcamp is a series of one-day sessions with each one offering an output-driven, pitch-free, practical experience led by industry professionals including local entrepreneurs, Strathclyde University experts and investors. The sessions support a range of in-demand fields including spacetech, water, agritech, fintech, proptech and sustainable tourism that fuel the UAE economy.

Registration for the one-day camp is priced at AED499 with 50% off for Strathclyde alumni and includes related community events such as venture clinics, co-founder speed matching events and pitching opportunities. For more information, please contact: sbs-uae@strath.ac.uk.

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The Eight startups were chosen out of 20 in total who participated in a rigorous bootcamp in September after being shortlisted from over 200 applicants from Bahrain and around the world. The sixth cycle consists of startups offering promising solutions to gaps in the region’s market and cover sectors such as prop-tech, e-commerce, fintech, social media and more. The Cycle launch was held virtually and was attended by several key members of the Bahraini startup Ecosystem.

Saleh Abbas, the Senior Program Manager of Flat6Labs Bahrain said “We are very proud of how far we have come, having launched 6 cycles to date. Each cohort that has graduated from our program has grabbed headlines, contributed greatly to the startup ecosystem and to the local economy through job creation and diversification. We look forward to continuing our integral work in the Kingdom and supporting innovative startups in every way we can.”

A cycle typically lasts 6 months, of which the first 2 are allocated to the application period. This is followed by the bootcamp, which consists of the shortlisted companies. The final stage is the selection of the startups which will receive funding and participate in the cycle program.

Through the intensive 4-month virtual developmental program, they will have access to the perks offered by Flat6Labs’ many partners and network throughout the MENA region, such as mentorship, networking opportunities, legal support, AWS credits, support with follow-on funding and more. The cycle will conclude with a Demo Day, where the startups will pitch their business models to investors, ecosystem partners and stakeholders, in order to raise more funding.

Entrepreneurs who are interested in being part of their next cycle can apply on www.flat6labsbahrain.com

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