Starting a Business | Page 8

The merger will support the two partners' members to expand their network, build new relationships, and uncover new business opportunities.

18 startups have been enrolled in this installment of SANDBOX, which saw a total of more than 1,600 applications to be a part of this 12-month program.

For sisters Mona Gulaid and Mariam Abdillahi, natives of Somaliland, indigenous beauty secrets have helped create a visceral bond with the nation they didn't get to grow up in.

Saudi Arabia is already the most bustling startup market in the region, with thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises. However, the country's population of over 36 million represents a vast reservoir of untapped potential.

Launched in 2020, Maeya's clothing line-up includes leggings, sport tanks, fitness shorts, t-shirts and loungewear designed for women, irrespective of their age or size.

Ravishankar built Dimension to address the many shortcomings that deter open source software projects from reaching their full potential.

The story of how American business owner Lynda Weinman's software training website Lynda.com -bought by LinkedIn in 2015 for US$1.5 billion- started out because of a rejection in the early 90s.

"We cannot accept that the very lifeline of economic development and human capital is left to a process that is so rooted in dysfunction that it undermines our ability to build better, faster, and more productive teams."

Co-hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and Monsha'at, the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of Saudi Arabia, the EWC is one of the largest, most diverse pitch competitions and support programs of its kind.

As a platform that solves procurement inefficiencies and subsequent food wastage in F&B entities, while also helping suppliers streamline their operations, Kaso is ensuring greater adoption of digital tools in the industry's B2B space.

Many of the world's most successful brands have used this popular launch strategy, including design-tool Figma, file hosting service Dropbox, and ride-hailing app Uber.

The Vision 2030 is based on three pillars that would transform the Kingdom economically and socially: an ambitious nation, a thriving economy, and a vibrant society.

As part of Vision 2030, the Saudi government has set a target of achieving 70% cashless payments by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is a large emerging market consisting of a young, tech-hungry consumer base with great infrastructure in place to satiate that appetite.

If you are a startup founder or an aspiring investor in Saudi Arabia, attending entrepreneurship conferences is a great way to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and opportunities in the Kingdom's business landscape, and to network with other entrepreneurs, investors, and experts.

There is no secret sauce to making your business work, but shifting your mindset to a more dynamic, constantly evolving, and growth one can make all the difference.

To provide an overview of some of the most important stakeholders in Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem, here's a non-exhaustive list of 11 organizations and institutions.

"We see our location in the UAE as critical to our future success."

"I've noticed that many women hesitate, and want to 'be better prepared' before they start anything. Today, my biggest piece of advice is to just start."

With her Dubai-based personal styling enterprise Wear That, Heidi Shara is offering women across the UAE a hyper-personalized way to choose outfits that define (and fit) them best.

Since its inception in 2015, Raed has quickly established itself as a leading player in the MENA startup ecosystem, and it has invested in 39 portfolio companies.

Hope Ventures General Manager Fajer Saleh Al Pachachi explains the motivations underlining her enterprise's production of the entrepreneurship-themed reality television show, Beban.

37% of Hala Ventures' portfolio companies are Saudi-based, with 10 deals inked in the Kingdom so far.

Hazen.ai is a company that uses computer vision and deep learning to design intelligent traffic analytic software to help reduce road accidents.

With a vision to make app creation simpler for small business owners, office managers, business analysts and others, Builder.ai has assimilated certain techniques to help users save money as well as time.

WeavAir's end-to-end business intelligence solutions -which are energy efficient and run on low carbon- help prevent the spread of air contamination and infection for air distribution systems.