Sheraa launches initiative to support MEA startups

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) is launching “UCAN” or the Ubuntu Care And Nurture initiative with a $250,000 equity-free prize purse open to top startups from the Middle East and Africa. The platform aims to empower entrepreneurs invested in creating high-impact tangible solutions for current and pressing global challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UCAN initiative is looking for entrepreneurs working on socially minded innovations specifically under the two tracks of “Healing the World” for health tech and “Feeding the Future” for food tech. To be eligible for the competition, startups must have a fully developed product or minimum viable product (MVP), showcase growth and impact, and be interested in expanding to the MENA market.

Finalists will be selected in both categories, and will have to pitch their ventures to a jury of prominent industry experts.