10 Startups From The UAE And Africa Selected To Participate In GBF Mentorship Program Ten startups from the UAE and Africa have been selected to participate in the Global Business Forum (GBF) Mentorship Program by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
By Megha Merani
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Ten startups from the UAE and Africa have been selected to participate in the Global Business Forum (GBF) Mentorship Program by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The GBF Mentorship Program is an initiative of the Dubai Chamber that aims to foster cross-border cooperation between the two startup communities by pairing entrepreneurs with mentors and helping participants expand their global presence.
The five UAE startups –members of Dubai Chamber's entrepreneurship initiative Dubai Startup Hub– selected to take part in the three-month program are: Evolvin Women, a startup helping unemployed women from developing countries; ORENDA+Bloom, a gender balance consultancy; Tuitify, a startup using AI and virtual reality to improve employee training and productivity; Designhubz, a SaaS platform that enables retailers and brands to sell their products in 3D; and Pixel House, a production agency offering video production, photography and branding solutions.
Related: Evolvin' Women's Assia Riccio On Starting A Social Enterprise (And How Dubai Startup Hub Helped)
Meanwhile, five other startups from Africa will join the program: FarmGate Africa, a startup using advanced technologies to connect international buyers and farming clusters; quip.link, an online marketplace for renting and selling construction equipment; Complete Farmer, a crowd-farming platform focused on building sustainable farms; Engineering Hub Ltd, a provider of IT services and solutions for mobile and banking integration platforms; and RideSafe, an mobile application offering real-time health solutions.
The selection marks the start of the second phase of the program, which involves intensive training and mentorship sessions. Following the three-month period, selected startups will be given an opportunity to participate in a session at the fifth Global Business Forum on Africa in November 2019, as well as exhibit during the high-level business forum in Dubai.
H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the program is an important step forward in establishing bridges of communication and cross-border cooperation between UAE and African startups. He pointed out that many of the selected startups specialise in advanced technologies, smart solutions, artificial intelligence, and fintech, paving the way for mutual benefit and growth in key sectors for both business communities.
He said: "Startups are playing an active role in fostering innovation as they leverage and test out cutting-edge technologies that improve the way we live and work. The GBF Mentorship Program provides an ideal platform for high-potential startups to develop their business concepts, benefit from collaboration, access new growth opportunities through the Global Business Forum on Africa platform, and build valuable partnerships."
The 10 shortlisted startups also participated in the first-ever Chamberthon which took place in Kigali, Rwanda earlier this year. During the Chamberthon, 20 startups from the UAE and Africa worked together to develop the structure and criteria of the GBF Mentorship Program.
This article was originally published on Dubai Startup Hub and has been reposted on Entrepreneur Middle East based on a mutual agreement between the websites.
Related: Building Bridges: Dubai Startup Hub's New Mentorship Program To Foster UAE-Africa Cooperation
