Earlier this month, a group of Bahraini-based startups, investors, experts, angels, mentors, and key business figures gathered at the Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort for the Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0. The first edition of Pitch@Palace Bahrain was held under the patronage of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain and HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
12 shortlisted Bahraini-based startups pitched their ideas to the audience, and three emerged victoriously.
1st Place and People’s Choice Award onegcc– An online platform, powered by algorithms helps to matchmake skills of job seekers with the ideal employers. Onegcc Co-Founder Alharith Alatawi said, “I’ve pitched in front of many investors throughout my journey, but this experience was different. The intensity of the setup and caliber of the audience; not to mention, the fact that you have to convince every single member of the audience that you are the best to win. It was tough, exhilarating and I enjoyed it. I’m also proud that as a Bahraini startup, we are the first startup in Pitch@Palace history to ever win both the People’s Choice Award and the Best Pitch Award. I want to thank all involved for this great experience.”. Mohammed Zaman, onegcc’s Co-Founder, added “I remember when I asked someone from the organizers, what happens if a startup wins both awards? They told me it’s impossible! onegcc team made it possible.”.
2nd Place – GetBaqala – An e-commerce App that makes grocery shopping seamless, by providing a variety of household must-haves and fresh food accessible and delivered to your doorstep. GetBaqala aims at becoming the fastest on-demand grocery delivery platform in the kingdom by providing convenience and on-time delivery to customers. Get your hands on the app on Google Play store and iTunes. Founder of GetBaqala said, “Pitch@Palace gave us a great exposure for our startup with a very powerful audience to network during the event – very productive follow-ups which helped explore new opportunities for our business.“.
3rd Place – Tamarran – Is an online platform that provides a variety of sports venues and activities available in a tap of a button. Users can book their favorite sports venue or activities without going through the headache of searching through multiple websites. Ali Zayer, Co-Founder of Tamarran said, “It was a fantastic and different experience. The exposure and recognition we got were amazing, and the competition helped us a lot to talk directly to the concerned parties in the sports and tourism fields. We are so proud to be among the winners in the first edition of Pitch@Palace competition. I would love this achievement to be taken to the next level by establishing a strong relationship with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism”. Want to have fun, exercise or experience new sports and activities in town? Then get Tamarran’s app on Google Play and iTunes!
So what’s in store for the winners?
The winners are invited to attend the Pitch@Palace Global, which will take place at the St.James Palace in London, the UK in December 2018. Also, they will have the privilege to connect with global business leaders, which will really add great value to their startups!
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