Bahrain has a new startup to watch! Zain Bahrain announced that Wajba has won the first Bahrain edition of its flagship accelerator Zain Great Idea after the program’s “Super Tuesday” pitches, earning a two-week immersion in Silicon Valley and a spot on ZGI’s regional Demo Day in Kuwait. The decision caps a month of bootcamps and mentorship designed to sharpen business models and investor readiness, with Zain positioning the program as a platform that aligns with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

Wajba is a sustainability-focused platform that connects F&B vendors with customers to sell surplus meals at discounted prices, helping businesses recover revenue while reducing waste. The concept resonates locally, and the team’s execution impressed judges during the high-stakes pitch day. You can learn more about the product on Wajba’s site.

Regional context matters here. ZGI’s 2025 edition expanded across multiple markets and is running intensive bootcamps to prepare founders for investor conversations and pilots, with new bootcamp activity reported across the region this week. Locally, the program has hosted targeted sessions on fundraising and finance to help founders organize data rooms and refine go-to-market plans.

The winning announcement also surfaced in Arabic media, underscoring the public interest in Bahrain’s startup scene. Wajba will represent the Kingdom in Silicon Valley before heading to ZGI’s Demo Day, where the cohort presents to investors including Zain Ventures and regional partners.

Zain Bahrain emphasized the national mandate behind programs like ZGI. Abdulla Khaled Al Khalifa, Zain Bahrain Chief Communication and Investor Relations, said: “We are extremely proud of the success of the first-ever Zain Great Idea program in Bahrain. The level of creativity, innovation, and ambition demonstrated by all the participants has been truly inspiring. The success of the first edition of the Zain Great Idea program reaffirms Zain Bahrain’s unwavering commitment to empowering Bahraini youth, fostering creativity and innovation, and supporting the growth of the Kingdom’s digital sector in alignment with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.”

Momentum beyond ZGI is visible this month as well. The Labour Fund Tamkeen’s Bahrain Pavilion at GITEX Global 2025 is showcasing 14 Bahraini tech companies in Dubai, giving founders a timely stage to convert visibility into meetings and pilot opportunities. For Wajba and other Bahrain-born teams, that creates a clean pipeline: sharpen in ZGI, gather proof points in Silicon Valley, then return to regional investors and customers while the ecosystem attention is high.

What to do next if you’re building in Bahrain. Track ZGI’s Demo Day date, prepare tailored outreach to Zain Ventures and regional funds that typically follow the program, and sync your case studies with Tamkeen’s events calendar and EDB investor moments. Aim for one Bahrain-based pilot that references local compliance and measurable outcomes before scaling GCC-wide.