The 6th edition of the Startup Pitch Competition, part of the traditional Arab Conference at Harvard, open its call for applications for Arab entrepreneurs. This year, the event will take place from November 9 until November 12 under the theme “Claiming Tomorrow.” Noha Ragab, the program coordinator, expects to welcome 1,200 visitors for the conference.
The organizers of the Harvard Arab Alumni Association (HAAA) commented that the main aim of the initiative was ”to combat discriminatory and reductive imagination surrounding the Arab world that diminishes it to a geography of violence and failure.”
Many prominent entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and influencers from the MENA region will take part in the event to refocus the public opinion from the negative and often conflict-center perceptions.
On the other hand, many young local minds will have the chance to present their business ideas and early-stage start ups. Before the competition itself, the participants will join series of workshops on topics such as acquisitions, finances, challenges in the Middle East, and more. During the Startup Pitch Competition, the rising entrepreneurs will present their ideas and get valuable feedback on their work from industry insiders. The young people will also extend their network and will possibly manage to raise capital as well. The best team will receive up to USD 30,000 to establish an innovative company.
During the previous edition of the conference in 2016, ten early-stage startups were pre-selected to present their business ideas in front of a jury. This year, all the interested parties need to submit their applications by October 4. Only ten startups will be pre-selected to pitch on the last day of the conference. The organizers reminded two important requirements to apply. At least one of the co-founders should be from the MENA region, or the innovative product/service should be addressed to the MENA market.
Interested startups can apply here.