Get All Access for $5/mo

Impact Investments: Entrepreneur Middle East Launches #EntMEStartups At Entrepreneur Middle East, we've so far put in time and effort to helping build this ecosystem- and now, we are putting in capital as well.

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock.com

When Entrepreneur Middle East was launched two years ago, one of the foundational principles that we laid out for ourselves as a publication was that we needed to be more than a mere spectator of what's happening in the region's business arena- our mandate was to be active participants of the entrepreneurial ecosystem here, cheering, supporting and enabling the men and women trying to make a definite impact in the MENA region through their professional endeavors.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that having such a directive hanging over our heads has been a daunting affair for those of us working under this banner. Our desire to be different from the status quo meant that we had to be inventive in how we went about doing things- we became purposely choosey about what we feature as content; we made it a point to be at as many ecosystem events as we can (this is why you often see us working over weekends, so as to catch up with time we lost over the week!), and we were keen on using our platform to throw the spotlight on not just the business people who had "made it," but also the fledgling new enterprises that showed the potential to actually effect change in the region.

It is thus this particular foundational value that is governing our newest initiative at Entrepreneur Middle East: a contest that will see us give away US$25,000 each to two deserving startups operating in the Middle East. Keep an eye out for #EntMEStartups on our social media channels; that's the hashtag we will be using to refer to this contest over all our platforms.

At its very essence, our aim with #EntMEStartups is to find enterprises in the region who are being (at the risk of sounding cliché) really innovative, and award them with this prize that, we hope, will contribute to their success in the long term. At Entrepreneur Middle East, we've so far put in time and effort to helping build this ecosystem- and now, we are putting in capital as well.

Entrepreneur Middle East is on the hunt for two innovative enterprises in the MENA region to award a sum of US$25,000 each in funds. Think your startup has what it takes? Apply to the #EntMEStartups challenge here before November 15, 2016 for a chance at the prize.

Related: Entrepreneurship Leaves No Room For Laziness

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the former Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. Having started working on the brand in November 2014, Aby was responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front until September 2024.

In his nearly-decade-long tenure at Entrepreneur Middle East, Aby played a key role in its growth and development across the MENA region, with him developing and executing events, programs, and other initiatives under the brand's banner, while also personally representing it through his appearances in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

News and Trends

According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, This Is The Skill That Entrepreneurs Must Absolutely Have To Ensure Their Success

Altman shared his thoughts at an event hosted by Abu Dhabi-based Hub71 earlier this week.

Growing a Business

Why Lifelong Learning is the Key to Entrepreneurial Success

The key to success has less to do with obsessing over consuming the 'right kinds' of materials and more to do with how you use what you learn.

Starting a Business

Small Businesses Are Struggling in This Densely Populated U.S. State — and Thriving in These Others

The U.S. is averaging 430,000 new business applications per month in 2024.

Starting a Business

How to Create a Successful Marketing Plan: 5 Steps

If you're planning to revamp or create a marketing plan for your business, keep reading for the five steps you need to make it happen.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.