Seedstars World, the largest startup competition for emerging markets and ever-growing startup scenes are coming to Palestine for the third installment of the Global Entrepreneurship Week Palestine 2018. Seedstars will be holding an enterprising pitch event on November 13th, at 6 PM, with the support of the local host Growth Training & Development.
The companies selected to pitch at the Seedstars Ramallah event are required to be less than two years old, have raised less than $500,000 in funding and built a minimally viable product, ideally with existing traction. Additionally, the Seedstars team is searching for one vital criterion: the startup’s regional and global scalability.
Then, after a careful screening, the Seedstars team will shortlist around ten of the best seed-stage startups in Palestine to pitch on November 13th for the opportunity to compete at the annual Seedstars Summit, that takes place in Switzerland.
“Seedstars World is a platform that connects investors and stakeholders with the next generation of entrepreneurs. Since this will be our 3rd time organizing the event at Ramallah, the stakes are high and we are very excited,” says Omar Barakat, Regional Associate for MENA at Seedstars. “We’ve been in this ecosystem for over four years now and know there are companies in Palestine developing high-quality products. We are looking for the best and will take it with us to Switzerland in 2019!”
In order to provide local entrepreneurs with this opportunity and aiming to deliver the best possible event, Seedstars is closely working with Salah Amleh, Director at Growth Training and Development who is representing the initiative throughout the year.
“Events such as SeedStars, are our access to the world, in such political and economical situation such as the one in Palestine, our work is focused on growing startups and taking them globally, which is what we see in SeedStars.” explains Amleh “We hope to take the best Palestinian Startup to represent Palestine Globally and hopefully win.”
Moreover, ArabBank is providing further support as the event’s main sponsor, alongside the event’s platinum sponsor, Palestine Investment Fund, Coca-Cola, and their Gold sponsors, PALTEL and CAREEM. Judges from the respective sponsorship companies will be taking part in the jury of the event such as Jamal Haddad, General Manager of Palestine Investment Fund.
Selected startups will give a five-minute pitch in English, in front of a jury made up of local startup heavyweights, followed by another fine minute Q&A session. Members of the public and press are welcome to come to join the fun and should register on the above Seedstars Ramallah website as well!
Seedstars World is traveling to more than 65 countries to identify the most innovative seed-stage startups, awarding them the opportunity to win up to $1 million, and network with investors and mentors from around the world at the global Seedstars Summit in Switzerland. Its previous participants have raised over $120 million collectively, providing employment to more than 2,100 employees worldwide. With that in mind, it’s Seedstars’ goal to place the spotlight on entrepreneurs from emerging markets, especially those targeting solutions that align with UN Sustainable Development Goals.