By Sachin Kumar
DOHA: Ooredoo and Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) yesterday announced winners of first round of ‘Digital & Beyond’ LeanStartup Programme.
During Demo Day, held yesterday at QBIC headquarter, entrepreneurs with the best-developed prototypes pitched their ideas to Digital & Beyond judges and potential investors, who then selected the best seven pitches to be incubated at Digital & Beyond. Shnaita, Bazaar-it, Hasalty, Qsooq, Sonex, Spectrum Tech and Indoor Maps were picked up as winners.
Demo Day marks the end of a seven week long LeanStartup programme for 41 entrepreneurs in Qatar. The programme gave graduates the opportunity to pitch their business idea in front of six industry judges for a chance to be supported further.
“We are pleased to see yet another wave of Qatari entrepreneurs successfully complete our LeanStartup Program. Their achievements reflect the strength of our program, and their success represents an encouraging trend in the development of the local entrepreneurship scene,” said Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO, Qatar Development Bank and Chairman, QBIC.
“We have seen a large number of promising high-pilot projects and exciting tech concepts exhibited at Demo Day and this reflects the drive and ambition of our young entrepreneurs, as they gear up to become part of Qatar’s wider national development,” he said.
The event saw 16 tech-related start-up business ideas out of 34 start-ups, a number of which had been supported by Ooredoo and QBIC’s leading entrepreneurship hub, Digital & Beyond.
“We are extremely proud to see the first set of Digital & Beyond entrepreneurs show their ideas to the world. We believe in enabling people to reach their full potential and understand the significant role played by entrepreneurs in creating a diverse and knowledge-based economy,” said Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar.
“It is our duty to strengthen their efforts, and provide support to contribute to the overall development of the national private sector. Congratulations to everyone who pitched and I look forward to seeing your development in the future,” he added.
The incubator, Digital & Beyond, was set up to enable entrepreneurs to develop products and services that provide digital solutions to enhance customer experience and introduce new concepts both the local and regional digital space.
The main selection criteria was based on each idea’s customer validation and traction attainment. Selected new start-ups will receive smart financing, coaching and mentoring, office space, and networking opportunities from QBIC and Ooredoo.
“We are so proud of the 16 business ideas that made it this far in the one of the most challenging waves of the LeanStartup Program, and we congratulate those who have been incubated and are now officially part of the QBIC family, and to be pioneering through for start-ups that will join the Digital and Beyond incubator at a later stage,” said Aysha Al Mudahka, CEO, QBIC.
“With dedication, hard work, and action-oriented coaching from QBIC and Ooredoo, we hope to be part of their journey towards becoming the next QR100m companies in Qatar,” said Aysha Al Mudahka.
Through Digital & Beyond, Ooredoo and QBIC are providing a facility for start-ups and SMEs to reduce the time to market for new digital products and services, ease processes and solve relevant problems in areas of digital living, including: customer experience, healthcare, transportation and logistics, education, sports, business solutions, and OTT entertainment & gaming.
The Peninsula
