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Launch your startup in 52-hours.

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Build a startup in 54 thrilling hours. Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain is an exciting and immersive foray into the world of startups through an action-packed three day weekend, you’ll meet the best mentors, investors, co-founders and sponsors to show you how to get more done faster — and, maybe even start that business.

FOMO

Here’s everything you missed, only the best startup event of the year in Bahrain. Check out all the images below on our Dropbox and enjoy.

All Images

PARTICIPANTS

Got a new tech-idea to pitch? Great, we’re looking for founders. Approximately 90% of all ideas are software as a service (SaaS) as they’re best suited for the short-time given to build. Designer? Developer? Marketer? Join one of the ideas and help build the dream team!

DEVELOPERS
FOUNDERS

DESIGNERS
MARKETERS

SPONSORS

Meet our sponsors, the entities who graciously make this event happen. These organizations help in different ways, from providing what the event needs to giving the participants what they require.

EVENT

The organizations that support the event, in every way, our secret sauce.

Tamkeen
Tamkeen is the Kingdom’s foremost enabler of human capital and economic development through various support programs and initiatives.

GFH Financial Group
A leading financial institution in the Middle East, headquartered in Bahrain specializing in investment banking, asset management, and real estate development.

Amal
An investment platform that makes investing compliant with Islamic finance principles, ensuring that they adhere to halal guidelines.

BENEFIT
BENEFIT enables the financial sector in Bahrain to forge strong and lasting connections with their customers from across a wide geographical base.

Export Bahrain
Export Bahrain is a government initiative that supports Bahraini businesses in expanding their international market presence.

Tap Payments
Tap Payments is a fintech company operating in Bahrain, specializing in secure online payment solutions.

VENUE

The entities who graciously provided the venue for the event.

Zain Bahrain
Zain Bahrain is one of the leading telecommunications companies in the country, offering a wide range of mobile and internet services.

PERKS

The organizations that take the participants to the next level, the very next.

Google for Startups
Google for Startups is Google’s initiative to help your startup thrive, no matter where you live. Startup Weekend participants will have access to $300 in Google Cloud credits.

GoDaddy Registry
GoDaddy Registry provides a domain name that many innovators and entrepreneurs all over the world use. As part of our partnership, each participant can register a free domain name with GoDaddy Registry (.co, .us, .biz).

Brex
Brex is an all-in-one financial stack, offering a founder-friendly corporate card, business account. Techstars Startup Weekend founders get 30,000 points after spending $1,000 on their Brex card, $5,000 AWS Credits, access to $150K in SaaS discounts, and Empower essential for free.

TOOLS

Meet our sponsors, the entities who graciously make this event happen. These organizations help in different ways, from providing what the event needs to giving the participants what they require.

Before

Tools that you can use before the event begins to get a head start.

  • Orai: An AI Speech Coach to help individuals and teams look and sound more credible in meetings and presentations by giving immediate feedback regarding fillers, pace, tone, facial expression, conciseness, and more. To receive one free month of premium membership to the Orai App, please use code: orai1month.
  • Unconscious Bias Training: Take the test to identify your hidden bias. Help make the event as welcoming and inclusive as possible to all through your interactions with others at Startup Weekend Bahrain.

During

These are tools you should use during the event to give you an edge.

Tools

  • Miro: A tool built for startup teams to brainstorm and validate ideas, design products, and apply frameworks. Apply for Miro Startup Program to receive $500 US in credit here. Sign up here first.
  • Business Model Canvas: The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a strategic management tool used to quickly and easily define and communicate a business idea or concept.
  • Lean Canvas & Startup Weekend Canvas: Think through how to describe your business by looking at your customers, their problem, the unique value you and your team provides, and your solution.
  • How to Tame the Chaos: Building a business in 54 hours can result in a chaotic environment. This video will show you a simple way to keep your team on the same page while getting more work done.
  • GSW Insider: Prototyping for Speed & Scale: Need to understand how interaction, animation, and visual elements combine to shape an experience for your users?
  • Market Research: This provides a framework for thinking about the actual problem you’re solving as you begin customer validation.

Websites

  • Framer: Framer is a collaborative design platform that empowers teams to create interactive and visually appealing prototypes.
  • Squarespace: Squarespace is a website building and hosting platform, known for its user-friendly interface and beautifully designed templates.
  • Webflow: Webflow is a web design and development platform that allows users to build responsive websites visually, without writing code.

Applications

  • Moqups: A user-friendly design and wireframing tool that enables teams to create interactive prototypes and collaborate on design projects.
  • Marvelapps: A design and prototyping platform that allows users to turn sketches, wireframes, and designs into interactive prototypes.
  • Adobe XD: Adobe XD is a powerful design and prototyping tool for user experience and user interface designers.
  • InVision: A digital product design platform facilitating collaboration among designers, developers, and stakeholders.
  • Glide: Glide enables users to create mobile apps, making it easy to build responsive applications without coding.
  • Bubble.io: Bubble.io is a visual web development platform that empowers users to build web applications without coding.
  • Apphive: A no-code app builder to create mobile applications quickly and easily, with features like drag-and-drop design and templates.
  • Zeroqode: No-code templates, plugins, and courses for various platforms, users can build web and mobile applications without code.
  • Google AppSheet: The fastest way to build apps and automate work. Build powerful solutions that simplify work. No coding required.

Presentations

  • Unsplash: Unsplash provides a collection of beautiful, high-resolution, and freely-usable images for various creative projects.
  • Noun Project & Icons8: Offer free icons covering a wide range of categories, providing visual elements for diverse design needs.
  • Ouch & FreePik: Ouch and FreePik offer free vector illustrations, enhancing design projects with a variety of visually appealing graphics.
  • Undraw, Opendoodles, Illustrations.co: Provide open-source illustrations for a wide range of creative ideas and concepts.
  • Artboard.Studio: Artboard.Studio enables users to create mockups online, streamlining the process of visualizing design concepts and ideas.
  • Genial: Allows users to create visual stories and generate communication experiences, enhancing the presentation process.
  • Canva: Canva offers incredibly simple graphic design tools for everyone, making it easy to create stunning visuals for various purposes.
  • Powtoon: A platform for creating engaging videos and presentations, empowering users to tell their stories with animated content.
  • HiSlide: A free library of beautiful Google Slides templates, providing a convenient resource for creating visually appealing presentations.
  • TinyTake: Allows users to capture and record their screens, facilitating easy screen recording and sharing for various purposes.

After

Tools and resources you can use after the event to keep the momentum going.

Reading Material

Additional Resources

  • Techstars Entrepreneur’s Tookit: Techstars Entrepreneurs Toolkit is a great online resource for founders at all stages.
  • Virtual Meet & Greet: Curious to learn more about possible next steps for your startup? You can join Techstars to learn more about our GiveFirst culture, mentorship-driven accelerators, entrepreneur resources, and community programs in your city that can help accelerate your startup.
  • Techstars Portfolio Company: Another way to get involved is to join our Talent Network, where you can join one of our Techstars portfolio companies to gain more experience working in a startup, before you take the plunge to start your own company.

More Resources

These are additional tools and services you can during the event.

FACILITATOR

Your event’s maestro, meet the person responsible for keeping the energy high and the good vibes flowing!

SPEAKER

Meet the chief inspirer, we’ve got a seriously cool keynote speaker lined up. They’re here to share their wisdom and fire up your entrepreneurial spirit.

Nathan Minns

Founder
Nathan Minns

Nathan spent most of his career in the startup ecosystem as an employee and a 3x founder. His online courses on web design have earned over 60,000 enrollments from 179 countries. He has spearheaded startup initiatives for major corporations and became the youngest board member at a youth leadership development nonprofit in 2017.

Website

Yazin Alirhayim

Founder
Amal Invest

Yazin is the Founder of Amal Invest, an investment platform that specializes in making the world’s top funds halal. In 2022, is secured a spot in Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator! Yazin previously founded Verify and White, two FinTech startups ahead of their time. His journey began as a winner of a Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain in 2012!

LinkedIn

JUDGES

They’re here to be your cheerleaders, offering their insights and celebrating your entrepreneurial spirit, but more importantly, grilling you with the right questions, and finally, picking a winner.

Safa Sharif A.Khaleq

Chief Executive Officer
Export Bahrain

Abdulla Al-Khalifa

Chief Communications
Zain Bahrain

Ahmed Alaradi

Managing Director (Bahrain)
Tap Payments

Ahmed AlSawafiri

Strategic Accounts Lead
AWS

Nawaf AlKoheji

Chief Executive Officer
Tenmou

Hussain Haji

Regional Head
Brinc MENA

MENTORS

Our mentors, the event’s gurus, are your go-to pals during the weekend. They’ve got tons of experience, and they’re here to chat, share stories, and help you grow your startup dream!

Pakiza Alsouse

Startup Attraction & Support
Neom

Rami Jamal

Senior Partner, Fund Manager
Helvetican

Safa Sharif

Co-Founder
WSI Consulting

Zainab Khamis

Head
Spring Studios

Ahmed Alkooheji

Managing Partner
Gudjuju

Ebrahim Hasan

Head of Tech & IT Manager
Reboot Coding Institute

Mohamed Alsubaiee

Founder
Tumooh

Jalal Aljazeeri

Associate Director
Tamkeen

Emad Kooheji

Co-Founder & CEO
doobi

Ahmed Faraj

Founder & CEO
Lumofy

Ahmed Haji

Head, Enterprise Systems
National Bank of Bahrain

Yazin Alirhayim

Founder
Amal Invest

Imran Al Aradi

Founder
Sometimes Funny

Manaf Almuhandis

Human Resources Manager
Al Salam Bank

Ali Mohsen

Partner
DAMG

Noora Al-Askar

Founder & CEO
MyNutriboxApp

Noorhan Al-Zan

Founder & CEO
Noor Consultancy & Coaching

Hamad Al Fahad

Executive Director & MP
Tajawoz

Dhafer Alqahtani

Founder & CEO
Aflaj Invest

Mustafa Marhama

CTO & Co-Founder
FACEKI

AGENDA

A weekend full of awesomeness, get ready for an action-packed agenda that’s like a rollercoaster for startups! We’ve got pitches, workshops, and plenty of mingling. It’s your express ride to startup stardom!

DAY 1

November 30, 2023

Thursday

Over the next three days, you’ll build like a startup in just 54 hours. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be super fun.

6:30 PM – Registration
6:50 PM – Dinner & Networking 🍕
7:20 PM – Introductions
7:40 PM – Keynote Speaker
8:00 PM – Ice-Breaker
Break the ice, build camaraderie, and get prepared for the upcoming pitch sessions.

8:20 PM — Pitches
Learn about the pitch process and witness the kickoff of idea presentations.

9:45 PM — Voting
Cast your votes for the ideas that excite you and that you want to work on during the weekend.

10:00 PM – Team Formation
Selected ideas’ creators present their concepts, and participants form teams around their chosen projects.

10:30 PM — Begin Work
Find your workspace for the weekend, get to know your teammates, and take stock of your collective skills. Work as long as the venue permits.

DAY 2

December 1, 2023

Friday

Today is filled with collaborative teamwork, product development, expert mentorship, and focused progress.

8:45 AM — Breakfast 🥞
9:30 AM — Morning Announcements
Get a rundown of the day’s agenda, focus areas for teams, and details about the afternoon mentoring sessions.

10:00 AM — Work

12:00 PM — Lunch 🍔
1:00 PM — Check-ins
After lunch, provide status updates, and seek assistance if needed during the check-in sessions.

2:00 PM — Mentor Sessions

6:30 PM — Dinner 🍕
7:30 PM — Check-ins
Post-dinner, gather for status updates, and request any additional support.

9:00 PM — Wrap-up Announcements
Reconvene and conclude the day with important announcements and insights.

DAY 3

December 2, 2023

Saturday

It’s all about turning your startup dream into reality. Get ready for your moment in the spotlight, it’s pitch night.

9:00 AM — Breakfast 🥞
9:30 AM — Morning Announcements
Review the day’s agenda, focus on completing your MVP, discuss judging criteria, and prepare for the pitching session.

10:00 AM — Work

12:00 PM — Lunch 🍔
1:00 PM — Check-ins
After lunch, provide final status updates and last-minute assistance requests.

2:00 PM — Tech Checks & Presentation Practice
Fine-tune your presentations and ensure technical readiness with tech checks.

5:30 PM — Evening Presentation Starts

6:00 PM — Final Pitches Start
Each team has five minutes to pitch their startup idea, followed by five minutes of Q&A from the judges.

7:30 PM — Judges Deliberate
7:50 PM — Winning Teams Announced 🏆

8:15 PM — Event Wrap-Up & Dinner 🍕
Officially conclude the event, reflect on your journey, and express gratitude to all involved.

8:30 PM — Post-Event Networking & Celebrations
Enjoy light refreshments, network with newfound connections, and celebrate your incredible weekend.

QUESTIONS?

Not sure about something? Need to better prepare? We got you covered with the most frequently asked questions.

BEFORE

Questions you need answers to before the event.

Do I have to participate in all three days?
Participants in the event are expected to participate in all three days.

Can I pay at the door?
Tickets must be purchased in advance. If we are at capacity, we may not be able to accommodate you.

Do I need a team?
Everyone who attends the event as a participant is expected to come to the event without a team and then join and participate with a team at the event. The ideal team consists of members from diverse backgrounds and experiences who collaborate to build a great minimum viable product (MVP) using the Lean Canvas framework.

Do I have to pitch an idea to attend?
No, but we highly encourage you to. You can pitch an idea you’ve been thinking about for years, or something you think of at the last minute during the event. Please don’t pitch an idea that you’ve already been developing or have been working on outside of Startup Weekend.

What are the judging criteria?

  • Business Model: How does the team plan on making this a successful business? Is it a unique idea? What is their key value proposition? Have they thought about competition, how to scale, acquiring customers, and their revenue model? Have they identified a specific target market? How will they acquire their first 100 customers.
  • Customer Validation: Are teams building something that people actually want? Did the team talk to customers? Who will be their users, who will be their customers, and are they different? How many users have they interviewed? Did they target the correct people to interview? What did they learn from their customer interviews? What are the core needs of their users?
  • Execution & Design: Have they established an MVP — the minimum set of product features to be able to start collecting data? What feedback did they get to inspire their Minimum Viable Product (MVP)? Did they build a prototype? Any medium is fine, including paper or Google Slides. How effective is their MVP for the purpose of the weekend?  How functional is their technical demo, if applicable? How easy is it for the user to navigate and use their product? Were they able to incorporate customer feedback into the solution?

What should I bring for an in-person event?
Bring your laptop, power cables and chargers for your devices, something to write on and write with,  business cards, your phone, a second monitor if you need one, and lots of energy!

How do I prepare?
You can find a list of tools that can help you prepare for the weekend on this page.

  1. Doing some market research about the problem you are trying to solve, prepare a name for your startup.
  2. Practice your pitch as you’ll have 60 seconds on Thursday to persuade other participants to join your team. The elements of a good 60 second pitch are to state who you are, what’s your background, what problem you’re solving, how your start solves that problem, and what people you need on your team.
  3. Get familiar with some of the tools on this page that you can use during the weekend.

What are the rules?
There are rules and a code of conduct in place for the weekend which help to ensure that everyone has a great experience. Techstars Startup Weekend is always open to all.

  • If you are worried about someone ‘stealing your idea,’ please reconsider sharing specifics about your idea or bring another one. Bringing legal documentation or matters to the event is not allowed.
  • You agree to act professionally, treat everyone with respect and dignity, and treat the event facilities with care.
  • You agree that you are responsible for any accidents or damages that you cause. You also agree to not hold Techstars Startup Weekend, your local organizing team, or any of the event supporters liable for any loss, damage, injury, or any other unforeseeable incident.

DURING

Questions you need answered during the event.

What happens on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday?

  • Thursday: Arrive, network, eat, ice-breakers, introductions, and a speaker! Then, everyone with an idea will pitch for 60 seconds on stage (without presentations). Then, participants will vote on their favorites and the top ideas will be selected for the weekend, teams that are formed on the spot.
  • Friday: Teams will work all day, with occasional breaks to eat and get some mentorship.
  • Saturday: Teams will work uninterrupted until mid-afternoon and begin wrapping up presentations around 3 PM to start practicing. While pitching, each team has 5-minutes with 3-5 minutes of Q&A from the judges. The judges will then select the top teams as winners!

What types of ideas can I pitch?
The event is typically tech-oriented, with 90%~ of all ideas as software as a service (SaaS). Given the short time to develop your product, we recommend that even non-tech ideas focus on a scalable tech-related deliverable (for example, a website) by Saturday to be able to demonstrate the Minimum Viable Product.

Can I pitch more than one idea?
Depending on the number of ideas pitched and the event schedule, you may or may not be able to pitch multiple ideas.

Can I pitch my existing business?
No. Techstars Startup Weekend is designed to be the most effective platform for growing new businesses from the ground up over the course of a weekend. The local organizers have the right to disqualify any existing ideas pitched during the event at any time.

What if my idea doesn’t get selected?
The purpose of the Thursday voting isn’t to exclude ideas, but to highlight the most popular and high-potential ones that would end up with a manageable number of teams.

Am I expected to work for 54 hours?
No. At some events, certain teams will decide to work all through Friday and/or Saturday night, but this is by no means obligatory or expected.

How do I, or my team, address the issue of Intellectual Property or Ownership?
Techstars and StartUp Bahrain doesn’t retain or claim ownership to any of these ideas and any discussions of ownership is left up to the teams. We do acknowledge that the issue of patents, copyrights, and other IP is an important one but the decision to discuss any specific intellectual property during the Startup Weekend is, in the end, a question of risk and reward for you. Keep in mind that Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain does not support or take part in the signing of any legal documents between participants at the events.

What are we supposed to have accomplished by the end of the weekend?
While there are no specific requirements in terms of what teams should have accomplished by Saturday, it’s in your best interest to plan your execution around what you’ll be judged for on Saturday:

  • Customer Validation: did you research your business idea?
  • Execution & Design: what did you build?
  • Business Model: do you have a plan for the future?

As far as presenting goes, some of the most common presentations include website wireframes, or more developed sites, mobile app wireframes or fully functional apps, videos, slide decks with product screenshots or videos, live product demos, and skits.

Why is it a competition?
Some friendly competition can be beneficial to all parties and accurately reflects the realities of startup life.

AFTER

Questions you need answers to after the event.

Are teams expected to continue after the event?
Whether or not you continue to work on the idea, with some or all of your team, is completely up to you.

What kind of support can Techstars Startup Weekend provide to help my team launch?
Techstars Startup Weekend primarily focuses on the entry point to entrepreneurship, but our support and community spans much further beyond the weekend. Whether you’re ready to accelerate your business or want to help build your local entrepreneurial ecosystem, we’re here to help in any way we can. Visit Techstars.com to learn more. Didn’t find what you are looking for? Let us know at help@techstars.com, or contact your local Startup Weekend organizing team.

TERMS

Some formalities to get out of the way around the event, your participation, and the tickets.

PARTICIPATION

It is our job to provide you with an incredible networking and learning experience. Our intention is that you meet some amazing people that you might start a company with, learn from mentors and learn from your peers. The event is intended to be a collaborative forum for sharing, learning, building, and having fun. As such, by registering as a participant, you acknowledge that any ideas shared by you or anyone else over the course of the event are contributions to the overall experience and community. If you’re very concerned, you can limit your pitch to the rough outline of the idea without giving away key information.

As a member of your startup community, you agree to be inclusive of any and all people and their ideas. You agree to act professionally, treat everyone with respect, and treat the event facilities with proper care. You agree that you are responsible in the event of any accidents or damages that you cause. You also agree to not hold Techstars Startup Weekend, your local volunteer team, or any of the event supporters liable for any loss, damage, injury, or any other unforeseeable incident.

By participating in the event, you grant Techstars permission to capture photos/videos of the event and use them for marketing purposes, so we can continue to offer amazing Techstars Startup Weekends around the world. By purchasing a ticket to a Techstars Startup Weekend event, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you have questions please reach out to privacy@techstars.com. If you require a reimbursement, contact the event organizer.

TICKETS

Please make sure you have your ticket with you at the event. Your personal data will be used to process your order, support your experience throughout this website, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. We understand that circumstances can change, and sometimes plans need to be adjusted. To accommodate such situations, we have established a clear and fair refund policy. Refunds can be requested up to 72 hours prior to the official start of our event.

Since our Startup Weekend typically commences on a Thursday, the latest time to submit a refund request is Monday night. We believe that this timeframe provides a reasonable window for participants to assess their availability and make informed decisions about their attendance. However, it's essential to note that refund requests submitted within 72 hours of the event start can be challenging for us to process.

This is primarily because we need to make various upfront investments to ensure a seamless and enriching experience for all attendees. For participants who find themselves in situations where they cannot secure a refund due to the proximity of the event, we strongly encourage you to consider passing on your ticket to someone who might benefit from this valuable opportunity.