AIM Startup draws regional attention

33 start-ups from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait to compete in pitch competitions

AIM Startup, to be held in Dubai from April 9 to 11, will be the region’s largest gathering of start-ups, venture funds and other sector stakeholders, organisers say.

The event will host a country pavilion arena exclusively for the Arab nations to showcase their top start-ups, incubators, accelerators and associations.

Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO of AIM Startup, said, “Over the last decade, the entrepreneurial communities throughout the Middle East boomed frantically. Except Oman, who has remained without one of its own until a few years ago when things started to change.

“With a growing population of expatriates from last seven to eight years, the country has been able to offer extraordinary support to growing start-up scene.

“We believe that AIM Startup’s effort to support start-up in Oman will bring Oman’s new entrepreneurs closer to investors, venture capital funds and mentors and build strong network.

“Start-up movement in Egypt, on the other hand, is skyrocketing as thousands of young men and women are now competing for the best start-ups — that we are going to see at the Egypt Roadshow later this month.”

Top names selected

its

Earlier, 33 top start-ups were selected out of 150 participating start-ups in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait through a series of rigorous pitch competitions.

In Oman, three start-ups — Anawer, Guide Gate and Hadaya — won the coveted Oman Roadshow and Pitch Competition — part of the AIM Startup. The winners will now compete in the final round at the AIM Startup 2018 Annual Event for selection among the best start-ups in the Middle East.