A game changer for startups in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) launched a series of entrepreneurship training programmes yesterday dubbed “StartUp Bahrain Pitch” yesterday.

The programme focuses on the fundamentals of fundraising and pitching to empower Bahraini entrepreneurs to help them secure funds for growth.

Tamkeen said it aims to train 80 startups yearly and host pitch events for 32 startups.

Bahraini entrepreneurs and startup founders having a scalable business, an existing customer base and valid CRs are encouraged to apply.

The application window opens today on the StartUp Bahrain website: startupbahrain.com/pitch.

The training courses are in collaboration with the World Business Angel Investment Forum.

Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Bahrain Development Bank (BDB), Bahrain Entrepreneurship Organisation, StartUp Bahrain and key private sector players are part of the programme.

“Startup Bahrain” is a platform that will serve startups and entrepreneurs locally to build a strong network, identify and solve the ecosystem challenges and connect startups with suitable Tamkeen programmes.

The focus now is on three courses: Investment Readiness Course, What Angel Investors Learn Before They Invest Course, and Qualified Angel Investment Certification.

It comes in two iterations for early-stage and growth-stage startups. After training, successful participants will pitch their projects to a panel of investors to raise capital and win cash prizes.

Maha Mofeez, Acting Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), said: “Fostering a startup ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs and helps startups thrive and grow is a goal that we are committed to.”

Tamkeen, she said, will put them in front of real-world investors who can add value to their companies both through funding and sharing knowledge and experience.

“The programme offers great opportunities to the participants and supporting institutions to create an effective network that facilitates investment in startups and transforms the ideas of entrepreneurs into profitable projects,” Said Dalal Al Qais, CEO of Bahrain Development Bank.

Nada Alsaeed, Executive Director of Strategy & Research at Bahrain EDB, said that initiatives like these will help “witness even more growth in the Bahraini startup ecosystem, which will encourage sustainable economic development and create more job opportunities in the Kingdom.”

Feryal Abdullah Nass, Founder and Chairwomen of the Bahrain Entrepreneurs Organization, said she is looking forward to seeing the unique concepts that graduate from this programme.