StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for startups in the Kingdom of Bahrain, held the third installment of the StartUp Bahrain Pitch series. In collaboration with esteemed industry stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Bahrain Development Bank, the event offered a glimpse into the Kingdom’s thriving startup scene. The event also featured a keynote speech by award-winning global entrepreneur, motivational speaker and bestselling author, Jeff Hoffman who spoke the key to success as an entrepreneur. Jeff is the Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Network and has founded several well-known successful startups over the years including Booking.com, uBid.com and more.
During the event, five local startups showcased their visions and ideas before a distinguished panel of regional and local judges, investors, and influential figures from the ecosystem. The event served as a platform for startups to connect with potential investors, as well as win grand prize for the first-place startup.
Prior to the event, the five participating startups attended an intensive pitching course tailored to enhance their pitching skills. The course equipped them with essential techniques to deliver compelling pitches, including crucial elements to include and effective presentation strategies when pitching to investors.
On this occasion, Mr. Ali Hasan, Executive Director of Programs and Partnership Development at the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) noted Tamkeen’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the growth of Bahrain’s startup ecosystem through various, customized support initiatives. “At Tamkeen, we place great importance on facilitating access to funding and empowering startups to thrive,” he commented, “StartUp Bahrain Pitch enables entrepreneurs to present their innovative ideas to a panel of distinguished local and international judges, enabling them to unlock potential funding opportunities and igniting their growth trajectory.”
In an impressive display of innovation, the startups showcased their solutions across different sectors and specialties. The startups who pitched include 7amdan.io which is specialized in the AdTech space, Campinya which provides interactive and experiential training, Early Riser, a family business specialized in handcrafted granolas and nut butters, OCTOPUS, an e-commerce marketplace connecting business, technologies and end users, and Symbaiosys which is an AI-powered platform that provides institutional investors with intelligence on bankable nature projects.
The esteemed panel of judges lauded the remarkable endeavors of the startups, meticulously evaluating each startup’s potential. Ultimately, Early Riser emerged as the winner, ready to embark on a path to success with their focus on encouraging health and wellness with organic handcrafted granolas and nut butters.
Commenting on their win, Aida Al Mudaifa, founder of Early Riser said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be crowned the winners of the third edition of StartUp Bahrain Pitch. Our appreciation goes out to the esteemed panel of judges, as well as the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Tamkeen, the Economic Development Board, Bahrain Development Bank, and the entire StartUp Bahrain community for their unwavering support throughout our journey. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to Spring Studios for the invaluable bootcamp sessions that provided us with insights from industry experts. We are proud of this achievement and look forward to taking our products to global markets!”
StartUp Bahrain has opened applications for the next cohort of StartUp Bahrain Pitch and you can apply to it by visiting StartUp Bahrain’s Pitch page. Applications are open until June 25th. Entrepreneurs have the chance to enhance their pitching skills through an intensive bootcamp followed by more pitching events where they can showcase their ideas in front of seasoned investors and judges.
If you’re interested to learn more about StartUp Bahrain and how you can be involved, follow @startupbahrain on social media, and get in touch to learn more.