“You have a government here who is willing and able to help you succeed” said His Excellency Khalid Al Rumaihi (Bahrain), Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) as part of his opening remarks at leading innovation festival Unbound Bahrain which took place at the Bahrain National Theatre on the 6th and 7th of March.
The event took place in conjunction with StartUp Bahrain Week, a community-led festival that promotes entrepreneurship and innovation connecting attendees from around the world.
“Corporations are recognizing the power and influence of regional startups, your Careem,
Over 100 startups from across the world exhibited at this year’s Unbound Bahrain event with large delegations from UK, India, Hong Kong and the wider MENA region. Major international and regional corporate tech players such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Zain and CrediMax partnered with the event to meet with and hopefully build relationships with early emerging market players.
AWS held the MENA Startup Battle competition attracting hundreds of applications across the region with heats taking place in Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. 12 startups were selected for the finals where Statys, a fintech startup that reduces the cost of risk assessment for banks and other lenders, was announced as the winner.
Speaking about Unbound Founder and CEO Daniel Seal said: “This year we welcomed over 100 successful startups and 3,000 attendees, nearly double the number from last year to network and gain insights into how to do business through our unique workshops. Thank you to the EDB for giving us the opportunity to do business in Bahrain and highlight one of MENA’s most promising ecosystems. It’s been another successful year for Unbound Bahrain, highlighting its ability to become a global tech hub for the MENA region. Long may it continue.”