Manama, March 3 (BNA): StartUp Bahrain, the leading startup platform in the Kingdom, held its first promotional event as part of the StartUp Bahrain Pitch Series.
The event was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Labor Fund (Tamkeen), the Economic Development Board, and the Bahrain Development Bank.
Seven local startups pitched their concepts to a panel of judges in the presence of investors and ecosystem leaders for potential investment opportunities and a grand prize for the first place winner.
Bahrain is home to a rich startup ecosystem and is an ideal launch pad for companies to start and expand locally and regionally.
The Kingdom has prioritized promoting entrepreneurship and providing support to startups through different stages of their growth journey.
Access to financing has been front and center as it is a key element in the development and growth of startups.
Several key stakeholders in the Bahrain ecosystem have come together to launch the StartUp Bahrain Pitch initiative to provide a platform for Bahraini start-ups to connect with investors and secure financing.
Ali Hassan, Executive Director of Programs and Partnership Development at Tamkeen, affirmed the company’s commitment to empowering the startup ecosystem in Bahrain through dedicated support programs and initiatives.
“We have made it our priority to address one of the main obstacles to the growth of startups, which is access to funding and financing. The StartUp Bahrain Pitch allows entrepreneurs at the same stage of development to apply before a panel of local and international investors and secure the funding needed for them to grow and expand.”
“Startups need financing to hire the talent they need, expand their operations into new sectors and markets, develop new services and products, and innovate, all of which can lead to a positive impact across the national economy.”
The startups introduced technology-based concepts that delivered innovative solutions in various sectors, such as tourism, real estate, education, gaming, creative industries, and more.
The concepts were well received by the judges, who commended the efforts of the startups and after an exhaustive judging process announced the winner, FableMail, an award-winning small production and consulting firm focused on amplifying stories from the Arab world.
The winner, Iman Al-Sabah, founder of FableMail, expressed her gratitude to the various stakeholders involved in organizing this initiative and discussed plans for the development of FableMail.
She said, “We are proud to have won the first edition of the StartUp Bahrain Pitch Competition. FableMill has ambitious plans in the future to continue developing Arabic stories that reflect local heritage, traditions and legends while amplifying female voices and empowering local creative talents.” .
“Events such as the Presentation Competition bring us closer to developing our project pipeline, and we are extremely grateful for the support and guidance provided by Tamkeen, the Economic Development Board, Bahrain Development Bank and the wider StartUp Bahrain community.”
ZHB