The Recap: The Demo Day of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund Accelerator Program's Eighth Cohort 17 startups presented their ideas in front of a panel of regional investors, following which three startups emerged as the winners of the Demo Day.
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On November 27, 2024, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) held the Demo Day of the eighth cohort of its Innovation Accelerator Program at the Astoria Waldorf hotel in Dubai. The event was held in collaboration with Bolt, Brinc, Emirates Development Bank (EDB), and Entrepreneur Middle East.
H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship. Source: BNC Publishing
The event was kickstarted by a keynote address from H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship. This was followed by speeches from both Ahmad Alnaqbi, CEO at EDB as well as Shaker Zainal, Head of the MBRIF and Chief Business Officer at EDB.
Shaker Zainal, Head of the MBRIF and Chief Business Officer at Emirates Development Bank. Source: BNC Publishing
17 startups from the MBRIF Innovation Accelerator Program's eighth cohort then presented their business ideas to a panel of judges comprising of Ekta Tolani, Chief Investment Officer at KBW Ventures; Sacha Haidar, Partner at Global Ventures; Ali AlMajthoob, Managing Director at MEVP; and Omar Khan, Principal at Oraseya Capital.
The judges panes (left to right): Sacha Haidar, Partner at Global Ventures; Ali AlMajthoob, Managing Director at MEVP; Ekta Tolani, Chief Investment Officer at KBW Ventures; and Omar Khan, Principal at Oraseya Capital. Source: BNC Publishing
The startups that took part in the pitch competition included TheraCann, Green and Seed, Manhat, Nadeera, Circa Biotech, Greenfi, Jalebi, Aqlama, CrossVal, Duverse, BigDot, Equevu, Pulsar.ml, Madari Space, Basetrack, Sulmi, SpaceLab, Reme-D, Hoopla, OxyTech.
At the end of the judges' deliberations, three prizes were awarded- Best Pitch, Best UAE Homegrown Business, and Most Impactful Business. The winners were declared as follows:
Best Pitch: Circa Biotech
Dr. Liudmila Prozorova is the co-founder of Circa Biotech. Source: BNC Publishing
Best UAE Homegrown Business: Equevu
Hazem Abdelrahman is the co-founder and CEO of Equevu. Source: BNC Publishing
Most Impactful Business: Reme-D
Salma Tammam is the founder and CEO of Reme-D. Source: BNC Publishing
Launched in 2018, the MBRIF Accelerator aims to support innovators and entrepreneurs by offering key resources, connections, and services specifically designed to accelerate business growth to ensure their success. Check out the video for more highlights from the eighth cohort's Demo Day!
