StartUp Bahrain, the leading startup ecosystem platform in the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently held its first pitching event as part of the StartUp Bahrain Pitch series. The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Economic Development Board and Bahrain Development Bank. Attendees included investors and other key players in the startup ecosystem, who watched seven local startups present their ideas to a panel of judges and assess investment opportunities and award a grand prize to the winner.
The Kingdom is an ideal launchpad and supportive hub for startups, and the government has prioritized access to finance at the forefront to provide startups with necessary resources for success. In order to further develop the ecosystem, StartUp Bahrain Pitch was created by key stakeholders in the ecosystem as an opportunity for investors and Bahraini startups to come together and get the funding they need.
Mr. Ali Hasan, the Executive Director of Programs and Partnership Development at the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), highlighted Tamkeen’s dedication to furthering Bahrain’s startup scene through tailored support initiatives. He said: “We made it a priority to tackle one of the key obstacles startups’ growth, which is access to funding and finance. StartUp Bahrain Pitch allows entrepreneurs at the same stage of development to pitch in front of a panel of local and international investors to secure funding necessary for them to grow and expand.”
The startups showcased technology-based ideas that offered groundbreaking solutions across various industries, such as tourism, real estate, education, gaming, creative industries and more. The judges applauded the efforts of the startups and after a judging process, they announced Fablemill, an award-winning film production house to amplify authentic stories from the Arab world, as the winner.
Ms. Eman AlSabah, Founder of Fablemill, expressed her appreciation for the various stakeholders involved in organizing the event and mentioned future plans for growing Fablemill. She stated: “We are proud to have won the first edition of the StartUp Bahrain Pitch competition. Fablemill has ambitious plans ahead to continue developing Arab stories which reflect local heritage, traditions, and mythology while also amplifying female voices and empowering local creative talent. Events like the pitch competition bring us closer to developing our project pipeline, and we are tremendously grateful for the support and guidance provided by Tamkeen, the Economic Development Board, Bahrain Development Bank, and the wider StartUp Bahrain community.”
StartUp Bahrain will be opening applications for its next cohort of StartUp Bahrain Pitch – entrepreneurs aiming to hone their pitching skills and pitch to experienced investors should keep an eye on our Events page and social media platforms.
