The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) has recently organized a successful demo day event for the finalists of its Young Entrepreneur program, Mashroo3i 2.0. The event brought together ten teams of aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their innovative ideas to a group of potential investors and stakeholders. The main objective of the event was to help participants showcase their concepts and establish connections that can lead to partnership, mentorship, and business opportunities, all of which are crucial for their growth and development.
The demo day was the culmination of a six-week training bootcamp that helped participants hone their entrepreneurial skills and transform their ideas into viable businesses. The top ten finalists will receive grants from Tamkeen’s Young Entrepreneur program, which aims to empower Bahraini youth to pursue entrepreneurship and provide them with the support needed to launch a business.
Sixty-six teams were enrolled in the program, and they went through a two-phase, six-week bootcamp. While the first phase concentrated on developing and validating business ideas, the second phase saw the program offering an intensive advisory sessions to give participants the knowledge and resources they needed to set up and launch their businesses. As a result, ten teams have qualified and participated in the demo day event.
H.E Ms. Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), said the Young Entrepreneur program aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset from a young age and enable Bahraini youth to bring their business ideas to life. “The program sets the foundation for the younger generation to get into entrepreneurship equipped with the skills and competencies required to succeed as entrepreneurs. They have the ability to mobilize the economy and by empowering them and enabling them, we are aiming to drive positive impact on Bahrain’s national economy, as entrepreneurs contribute to increasing job opportunities and driving change and innovation” she added.
The demo day showcased a variety of cutting-edge ideas from a range of industries, including technology, healthcare, retail, tourism, agriculture, and real estate. The ideas put forth addressed a wide range of pertinent issues and offered market-required solutions, giving them a strong chance of success in the future.
Naser Yousif Omran, Co-Founder of Hero’s Punch and one of the participants, thanked Tamkeen for helping early-stage entrepreneurs by providing support and putting them on the proper track. “The Young Entrepreneur (Mashroo3i 2.0) provided us with the fundamentals of starting a business and helped us proof our concept ahead of launching. Through the advisory program, we developed a comprehensive business plan and outlined the way forward for our business,” He stated, “Additionally, the Demo Day provided a platform for us to showcase our business to a relevant audience and gain access to a network that will enable us to grow further in our journey.”
Tamkeen has been supporting the startup ecosystem in Bahrain for years through numerous programs and initiatives. They have helped over 19,000 entrepreneurs in launching new business ventures and partnered with leading financial institutions to facilitate financing solutions that assisted more than 7,000 small and micro-enterprises. The Young Entrepreneur program is part of Tamkeen’s dedication to empowering the startup ecosystem and fostering innovation in Bahrain.
