StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for startups in the Kingdom of Bahrain, supported by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) and in strategic partnership with Brinc, Spring Ventures, General Assembly Bahrain, Reboot Coding Institute and ordable/, has wrapped up the fourth edition of StartUp Bahrain Weekend, which took place during a weekend from 24th April to 26th April 2025, at Bahrain Polytechnic.
The highly anticipated event was made possible thanks to the support of notable sponsors and ecosystem enablers including; Bahrain Polytechnic, Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), American University of Bahrain (AUBH), Ahlia University, Calo, Mama Joz, Al Anwar Discount Center, Infinigence Consulting, Etar Productions, and Nadher Media.
Over the course of 54 electrifying hours, more than 200 developers, designers, marketers, and founders came together under one roof to ideate, build, and launch startups—transforming ideas into MVPs in record time. All participants competed for a total prize pool of BHD 3,000 with additional surprise perks from partners and stakeholders to celebrate their innovation and drive.
The event’s judging panel featured top-tier industry leaders, including: Marwa Eleskafi, Director – Programs Design and Development at Tamkeen, Husain Haji, Managing Director of Brinc MENA, Hamad Alfahad, Executive Director and MP of Tajawoz, Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner of Plus VC, and Abdulrahman A Alkooheji, Founding Partner and Managing Director of Nadher Media.
This year’s awards went to three standout teams: WISHD that secured first place for their platform that allows saving products from anywhere with a click, a barcode scan, or photo so that the products are organized into smart lists. Akeed, which claimed second place, is a secure identity and communication platform built for banks, governments, insurance and healthcare institutions. In third place, SIGNify, presented a pair of smart AR glasses that helps hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate in real time.
“StartUp Bahrain Weekend was one of the most inspiring and high-pressure experiences I’ve ever had,” said Sawsan Haider, founder of WISHD. “We walked in with an idea and left with a functioning prototype, mentorship from industry leaders, and a renewed sense of purpose. This platform doesn’t just empower startups—it ignites them. We’re super grateful to StartUp Bahrain, Tamkeen, and all the sponsors who made this event possible.”
Additionally, Husain Sabba, founder of Akeed and recipient of the second prize, expressed his gratitude for the entire experience and opportunity to present and work on his idea, saying: “This is my second win with StartUp Bahrain Weekend, and it was a truly remarkable experience in every sense. The Weekend event serves as a powerful occasion for startups to grow, evolve, and achieve ambitious goals. We are excited to continue our innovative efforts.”
The third-place winner, Omar Saba, founder of SIGNify, expressed his pride in this achievement, expressing that participating in StartUp Bahrain Weekend marked a significant turning point, adding: “We are grateful for the recognition and support from mentors and judges, and we hope this will be the beginning of a journey toward even greater success.”
As a surprise announcement, NervaGrid was awarded the General Assembly Choice Award in recognition of its innovative platform that assesses companies’ governance data quality and AI maturity, aligned with global standards such as ISO, the EU AI Act, the Digital Bahrain Act 2024, Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
To explore more from StartUp Bahrain and stay up to date on upcoming initiatives, visit startupbahrain.com or check out future opportunities at startupbahrain.com/events.
